Last week, authorities in the Indian city of Kolkata announced plans to eliminate trams entirely, retaining only a small heritage loop. In response, a group of activists is fighting to ensure that trams remain a vital mode of transport rather than mere nostalgic joyrides.

Despite their iconic status, Kolkata’s trams began to decline due to mounting financial pressures, poor infrastructure maintenance, and the growing dominance of the city’s metro network.

Poet Laureate Rabindranath Tagore once called tram a “link between life and literature” even as he described in his Sahaj Paath how “the roads of Kolkata have become like a snake on which the Tram hurtles,

The West Bengal government has decided to discontinue the service due to challenges posed by the city's traffic.

Dating back to 1873—which makes it the oldest in Asia—the Kolkata tram services are being discontinued, owing to rising vehicular congestion and narrowing roads.

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The West Bengal government has decided to discontinue Kolkata's historic trams, introduced in 1873, a symbol of the city's heritage and charm.