Trams running on the streets of Kolkata

Tram transport in India was established by the British in the 19th century. Discontinued in most Indian cities between 1930 and 1960, as of 2011, the Kolkata tram in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) is the only public tram system in the country.

The Calcutta Tramways Company, Limited is the company which manages tramways in Kolkata. Horse-drawn tram service was begun on 24 February 1873 between Sealdah and Armenian Ghat Street; due to inadequate ridership, the service ended on November 20 of that year. The British registered the Calcutta Tramways Company, Limited as a joint stock company in London in 1880. Before 1900, the trams were horse-drawn; that year, the process of electrification began.

In 1951 the government of West Bengal entered into an agreement with the CTC, and the Calcutta Tramways Act was enacted. The government took over all rights regarding the tramways; it reserved the right to purchase the system on 1 January 1972 or any time thereafter, with two years' notice. In 1967 the government of West Bengal passed the Calcutta Tramways Company (Taking Over of Management) Act, and assumed its management on 19 July 1967. On 8 November 1976 the Calcutta Tramways (Acquisition of Undertaking) Ordinance was enacted, under which the company vested all its assets with the government; it is now a public-sector undertaking.

Source : Wikipedia

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