Electric Trams In Madras During British India Era, 1973 Print
Prints of electric trams in Madras (now Chennai) during the British India Era. The scans are from a tramway publication – Modern Tramway. Presenting a history on the Madras Tramways that first began in 1874 with horse-drawn service. Eleven miles of track is laid this much is recorded by one D. K. Clark in 1878.
By 1888 the line was a dismal failure, and narrowly missed being scrapped. Nothing more happened until 1891, the Madras Electric Tramways Co Ltd was formed. It had an 18 km circuit in the city. Trial runs commenced in February, 1895, public service began on May 7, with seven tram cars. By 1905, the route had increased to around 23 km, and the number of tram cars to 51.
By 1912 there were 68 cars with 24 km of route. In 1924, the tramway system had grown to 42 kms, this definitely reflected the tramways popularity in Madras City. But from 1950s onwards the Madras City Council repeatedly refused permission to increase the fares. The company was loosing as much as GBP3000 a month. So much so that the existing fares was not enough to even pay the wages, the reserve funds, painstakingly built up over the years was running out. Eventually by the mid 1950s the Madras Tramway Company wound up.
See post Trams of Madras / Chennai – 2 Old Photos 1935.
Did you know- the tram car bodies were constructed at the Perambur Railway Workshop, Perambur is around 10 km from Chennai.
From the collection- Antique Painting of Madras Fort St George., Bangalore Cantonment Area – Old Photo 1880., Old Book – Bombay Gateway of India 1994., Air-India Durbar Of The Rajah Of Travancore – Old Postcard
