The Once Charming Trams of Bombay City, 1942 Photo
A 1942 news photo of the once charming tram of Bombay city (now Mumbai). A double-decker tram on the city streets of Bombay seemingly on its way to its next destination. The location seems to be the Esplanade Road near the Flora Fountain area. The city’s tramway first began its run with horse-drawn trams in 1874.
By 1901, the unique city transport became not only popular but also lucrative. They had to expand with more tracks and locations. Further rolling stocks were added to accommodate the growing passenger crowd. The Bombay Electric Supply And Tramway Company (BEST) took over the operations of the Bombay Tramway Company.
Today, BEST operates Mumbai’s famous city buses. Electric trams were introduced by 1907. This was a game-changer, it could now run much larger tram cars with more frequency. The tram service became so successful by the 1920s that double-decker trams were introduced. The demand for tram transport had peaked, and more tracks had to be laid.
During the same period, tram services in other cities were also operating in full swing, particularly in Delhi, Calcutta, Madras, etc. But by the 1940s, the demand tapered down since the city began operating buses and electric suburban trains. By then, taxis had also emerged as a popular mode of transport in Bombay. Sadly, Bombay’s charming tramway system shut down its operations completely. Click on the photo to enlarge.
Did you know – as recently as 2016, remnants of this once glorious transport system came to light. The tracks were discovered during the road restoration work at Flora Fountain. It was decided to leave it undisturbed.
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