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For generations, Kolkata's iconic trams have been a living testament to the Indian city's colonial past, ringing its ding-ding sound while weaving through its bustling streets and carrying commuters with a rumbling charm.

Now, the dwindling fleet faces an uncertain future, as India prepares to bid farewell to one of the world's last surviving tram networks.

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Transcript
00:00For generations, Kolkata's iconic trams have been a living testament to the Indian
00:06city's colonial past, ringing its ding-ding sound while weaving through its bustling
00:11streets and carrying commuters with a rumbling charm.
00:14Now the dwindling fleet faces an uncertain future as India prepares to bid farewell to
00:20one of the world's last surviving tram networks.
00:24In September 2024, West Bengal's Transport Minister, Sri Snehasis Chakraborty, announced
00:31plans to decommission the tram system, the oldest in Asia and the last in India citing
00:36worsening traffic congestion.
00:39The decision sparked widespread dismay, leading to a court battle as residents and heritage
00:44preservationists pushed to save the trams.
00:47Once operating across with 52 routes in the 1970s, the network has been drastically reduced
00:53to just 25 in 2015, with only two remaining today.
00:58I've seen a lot of things.
01:00First, when I went to Nakhri, after that, it was 3.40.
01:09Yes, it was 3.40.
01:11It was 3.40.
01:13It was 3.40.
01:15Now, it's 7.40.
01:18Take care.
01:20I love my trams, and I don't know what will happen to me if someday trams really leave
01:27the city, because I love my trams more than myself, because I feel this to be a part of
01:33my life, a part of my family.
01:35So it's very important for me to see the trams every day.
01:39Like, if it disappears, it will be like, there is a part of my body left me.
01:46Kolkata's first tram, a horse-drawn vehicle, began operating in 1873 and was electrified
01:54in 1902.
01:56Often seen crawling through heavy traffic, a ride now costs 7 rupees, cheaper than a bus
02:02fare, and mostly attracts those willing to trade speed for a slice of nostalgia.
02:07For now, with the issue now before the Kolkata High Court, which has formed an advisory committee
02:12to explore ways to restore and maintain Kolkata's tram services, the trams get to keep running,
02:18at least for another day.
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