Electric Trams During British Era Madras, 2 Photos 1911
Two photographs (1911 & 1930) of electric trams during the British era in Madras (Chennai). The letters “MET” seen on the tram stood for “Madras Electric Tramway”. The MET tram cars are from two different periods, 1911 and 1930. One of the cars displays the board “Egmore” and an “Indo-Balm” advertisement. By the early 17th century, Madras became a little bit more peaceful after facing potential threats of further conflicts from the Portuguese, French, and Dutch. The city began to rapidly spread out of the folds of Fort St George. As a result, Britishers who were residing inside Fort St George began to take up residences outside the fort’s walls. They moved out to Mount Road, Nungambakkam, up to Adyar.
As the town grew rapidly, transportation would undoubtedly become of paramount importance for mobility. Since bullock carts and horse carts were not always reliable. And motorized public transport did not come entirely into the scene until the 1910s. This is when the Madras electric tramway became a reality; it commenced service in the city in 1895, and it was the first to do so in the country. It originally operated from the harbour to the closer inland areas of the city. Despite the tram’s speed of only 7 km/hr, it gained immense popularity with the people.
By the 1920s, the Madras Electric Tramway expanded greatly, covering many routes in Madras. Some of them were Mylapore, Egmore, Parry’s Corner, and Royapuram; Parry’s Corner and Mount Road; later Purasawalkam and Madras Central Station via Walltax Road, and so on. Unfortunately, as the tramway rose like the morning sun in the city, it likewise diminished like the setting sun. By 1953, it was sadly shut down, taking with it a piece of charming transport history. The reasons cited were financial loss, mismanagement, and political interference. Click image to enlarge.
Also read Madras Tramways.
Did you know- trams were introduced in the U.K. six years after they were introduced into India, and 10 years later in the U.S.
