<p>New Delhi: For more than a century, trams have rumbled past <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/kolkata">Kolkata</a>'s crumbling colonial facades, with their chiming bells contributing to the city's soundtrack as they ferried generations of commuters.</p><p>Now, Asia's oldest tram network is on the brink of disappearing as authorities consider pulling the plug on a mode of transport that has become more nostalgia than necessity.</p><p>The West Bengal government plans to shut down the 152-year-old system, keeping only a short heritage route. The decision has sparked a court battle as residents and heritage advocates fight to keep the trams rolling.</p><p>"As children, we would take the trams for fun, but as I grew older it became a necessity," said Abha Maity, 44, recalling rides to school and college. "I can’t imagine Kolkata without them."</p><p>Once a highlight of the city's streets, the wobbly trams now struggle for space amid traffic jams - competing with buses and yellow taxis - as Kolkata builds modern infrastructure and seeks faster transport.</p>.Two trams collide in eastern France, injuring at least 20 people.<p>Kolkata introduced horse-drawn trams in 1873 and electrified them in 1902. At its peak, the network boasted more than 340 trams and covered the entire city. Today, only two routes remain, with a fleet of about 10.</p><p>"When I joined, more than 340 trams were running. Now it's down to seven or eight," said Bacchu Sidda, a conductor for 36 years who still checks his duty roster pinned on a board at the last functioning depot in Gariahat.</p><p>The government began selling depots and scrapping cars years ago, prompting a citizens' group called Calcutta Tram Users Association (CTUA) to take the fight to court. CTUA has campaigned since 2016 to save what remains of the system.</p><p>"I love my trams more than myself," said Deep Das, 19, a journalism student and CTUA member. "If they disappear, it will be like a part of my body has left me."</p><p>Despite resistance, authorities are pouring billions into upgrading Kolkata's infrastructure, focusing on metro expansion, wider roads and new highways to ease congestion.</p><p>For now, the fate of Kolkata's aging trams awaits a court review, as they continue carrying some passengers who view them as living memories of the city's past. </p>
<p>New Delhi: For more than a century, trams have rumbled past <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/kolkata">Kolkata</a>'s crumbling colonial facades, with their chiming bells contributing to the city's soundtrack as they ferried generations of commuters.</p><p>Now, Asia's oldest tram network is on the brink of disappearing as authorities consider pulling the plug on a mode of transport that has become more nostalgia than necessity.</p><p>The West Bengal government plans to shut down the 152-year-old system, keeping only a short heritage route. The decision has sparked a court battle as residents and heritage advocates fight to keep the trams rolling.</p><p>"As children, we would take the trams for fun, but as I grew older it became a necessity," said Abha Maity, 44, recalling rides to school and college. "I can’t imagine Kolkata without them."</p><p>Once a highlight of the city's streets, the wobbly trams now struggle for space amid traffic jams - competing with buses and yellow taxis - as Kolkata builds modern infrastructure and seeks faster transport.</p>.Two trams collide in eastern France, injuring at least 20 people.<p>Kolkata introduced horse-drawn trams in 1873 and electrified them in 1902. At its peak, the network boasted more than 340 trams and covered the entire city. Today, only two routes remain, with a fleet of about 10.</p><p>"When I joined, more than 340 trams were running. Now it's down to seven or eight," said Bacchu Sidda, a conductor for 36 years who still checks his duty roster pinned on a board at the last functioning depot in Gariahat.</p><p>The government began selling depots and scrapping cars years ago, prompting a citizens' group called Calcutta Tram Users Association (CTUA) to take the fight to court. CTUA has campaigned since 2016 to save what remains of the system.</p><p>"I love my trams more than myself," said Deep Das, 19, a journalism student and CTUA member. "If they disappear, it will be like a part of my body has left me."</p><p>Despite resistance, authorities are pouring billions into upgrading Kolkata's infrastructure, focusing on metro expansion, wider roads and new highways to ease congestion.</p><p>For now, the fate of Kolkata's aging trams awaits a court review, as they continue carrying some passengers who view them as living memories of the city's past. </p>