All defunct tram routes in the city will be revived, and a new route is being planned between Dakshineswar and Kalighat, with a possibility of extending the network to New Town, transport minister Arjun Singh said on Wednesday.

“We will revive all the tram routes that used to exist, around 70 of them. There is an emotional connect of Calcutta with trams,” Singh said. “We are planning a new route connecting Dakshineswar and Kalighat and will also explore the possibility of extending the network to New Town.”

Singh was speaking on the sidelines of a programme on “Vision for New Transportation System in West Bengal”, organised by the Merchants’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Tram enthusiasts have long demanded restoration of services in parts of the city, where the first horse-drawn tram ran from Sealdah to Armenian Ghat on February 24, 1873.

The service, which remains the oldest operating tram network in Asia, has shrunk from 25 routes in 2015 to just two routes. Calcutta marked 150 years of tram services in 2023.

The Trinamool government had said that trams contributed to traffic congestion and mounting financial losses, and had indicated that services would be limited to a single route — Esplanade to Kidderpore — in the future.

“Unlike the previous government, we plan to run trams on the left side of the road. These will be air-conditioned and preferably battery-operated,” Singh said. “We want to do away with electric wires. Electric taar thakle accident hobe, hooking-o hoy (electric wires cause accidents and hooking).”

The government has engaged consultancy agency RITES to study how the existing network can be revived. Singh said the agency has been asked to submit a report within 30 days.

“Amader ektu shomoy din (give us some time). We want to run trams like those in other countries,” he said.

The BJP government has been talking about reviving trams. Finance minister Swapan Dasgupta participated in an awareness campaign, Tramjatra, promoting sustainable transport.

However, questions remain over feasibility. Members of the Calcutta Tram Users Association welcomed the revival proposal but sought clarity on the proposed Dakshineswar-Kalighat route.

“The exact alignment is not clear. Will it run along the Hooghly?” asked Debasish Bhattacharya of the association. “Globally, trams are being revived because they are among the most cost-effective modes of transport.”