Glimpse Of Bombay’s Charming Electric Trams, 2 Postcards 1933
Two photo postcards from the early 1930s show Bombay’s charming electric trams. These double trams were known as train trams. Long before Mumbai’s famous local trains became the lifeline of the city, electric trams were the workhorses of Bombay’s streets. The city’s first electric tram made its ceremonial run on 7 May 1907, travelling from the Municipal Office to Crawford Market, ushering in a new era of urban transport.
Operated by the newly formed Bombay Electric Supply & Tramways Company (BEST), the trams were faster, cleaner and more comfortable than the horse-drawn cars they replaced. By the 1920s, Bombay’s streets were criss-crossed by tram routes, and the introduction of double-decker trams and the tram trains, as seen, was added in 1920 to ease the city’s growing transport needs.
One of the pictures was probably taken on Grant Road in Bombay. The second image is from the Flora Fountain area, which is clearly visible in the back along with the Oriental Insurance building. For generations of Bombay residents, the tram was more than just a means of getting from one neighbourhood to another—it became an unmistakable part of the city.
Yet the tram’s reign eventually came to an end as suburban railways expanded and buses offered greater flexibility on increasingly crowded streets. On 31 March 1964, Bombay’s electric trams made their final journey, bringing an extraordinary chapter in the history of Mumbai public transport to a close.
Did you know – BEST was originally a tram company. The organisation now known as BEST (Brihanmumbai Electric Supply & Transport) began as the Bombay Electric Supply and Tramways Company. Its early identity was therefore closely tied to electric trams rather than buses.
