State transport department intends to revive about seven tram routes by 2025

Kolkata: The state transport department, in an affidavit submitted at Calcutta High Court, stated that it intends to revive seven more tram routes in the city by the year 2025. If this is made possible, then the number of tram routes will increase from three to ten.

Currently, three tram routes in the city continue to be operational, which include Shyambazar-Esplanade, Gariahat-Esplanade and Ballygunge-Tollygunge.

The affidavit submitted at the court was a response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL).

In the affidavit, West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC) Managing Director Rajanvir Singh Kapur stated seven routes which included Kidderpore-Esplanade, Bidhannagar-BBD Bag, Shyambazar-BBD Bag, Bidhannagar-Esplanade, Ballygunge-Esplanade, Tollygunge-Esplanade and Bidhannagar-Howrah Bridge.

The affidavit stated a number of benefits that the revival of these routes will provide, which included servicing and repairing tramcars from the Ballygunge and Tollygunge depots as currently the trams running between these two places are isolated from the central workshop at Nonapukur.

It also stated the challenges for the revival of the tram services immediately while also mentioning the nearest possible time by which the obstacles will be over and the revival work could be resumed. The city, in many pockets, is currently undergoing Metro construction work.

According to the affidavit submitted, it has been stated that on the Mominpur-Watgunj stretch, tram services were withdrawn because of the construction works of the Joka-Esplanade Metro project.

Similarly, another Metro route Howrah Maidan-Salt Lake Sector V work is also going on which has led to obstruction of most of the south and central tram routes of the city.

The affidavit also stated these seven routes can be revived after sections of tram lines are restored. Meanwhile, the tram services in the Mominpur-Watgunj stretch can be revived by July 2025, after the Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) which is the implementing agency hands it over. This will also lead to the revival of the Tollygunge-Esplanade tram route and Kalighat depot.