Electric Tram & Madras Central Railway Station – Old Photo
This is a small photograph of 3¼ x 2½ inch of the Electric Tram opposite Madras, now Chennai Railway Station. Nevertheless, a rare photograph dating to the 1930s. See my post- Vintage Photo Madras Mount Road Electric Tram., and Electric Trams In Madras 1930- Old Photo. The Madras tramway started service in 1895, which was to be the first electrically operated tramway in India.
By 1904 it increased its service extending to 24 km in Chennai and more cars added. Its travelling speed was not more than 7 kmph thus commuters could get on or off the car in motion. The tickets were nominally priced, and the total number of passengers using this transport daily was an impressive 1,20,000. Unfortunately, the management and workers’ rapport strained rapidly.
And coupled with financial problems there was no other go than to wind up this once glorious transportation icon of the city. Despite many efforts to revive the flagging company, it closed down for good in 1953. Today old-timers still nostalgically remember the golden age of the tram in once-upon-a-time Chennai, especially with its bell clanking. Also shown is the Chennai Central Railway station in the background.
Did you know- ironically, when it commenced in 1895, people thought it was fast and unsafe and refused to travel in it for quite some time.
From the collection- Antique Photograph of Royal Bombay Yacht Club 1900., Antique Print Mahatma Gandhi On The Streets of Bombay., Vintage Rare Postcard Aerial View Of Bombay 1900s., Old Photo – Darjeeling Himalayan Railway 1890
The images are of the actual items from my collection. And Not a photocopy, pirated, reproduced, or stock photos or taken from other sources.
