West Bengal: Tram services to resume today

WBTC managing director Rajanvir Singh Kapur informed that WB tram services will resume from Sunday.

Kolkata: Tram services in the city will be resumed from Sunday after a long hiatus since the lockdown began in March, a senior WBTC official said here on Saturday. Tracks had also got damaged owing to uprooted trees in the super cyclone Amphan, which also devastated the overhead wires that carry electricity for the trams, WBTC managing director Rajanvir Singh Kapur said.

Kolkata is the only city in the country to maintain tram services. Restoration and repair work has been going on for restarting tram services in different routes with support from Kolkata Municipal Corporation and Kolkata Police, Kapur said.

Following restoration of tracks and overhead wires and recommencement of public transport system in the city,services will be resumed in one route from Sunday, he said.

"Trial run was conducted on June 12 and 13 by WBTC engineers," Kapur said. To facilitate movement of the commuters, operation of tram services will be resumed on route number 24/29 between Ballygunge and Tollygunge in south Kolkata, he said.

The timings of the service will be from 7 am to 8 pm at intervals of 40 minutes and number of passengers will not exceed seating capacity of a tram and everyone will have to maintain social distancing and health safety norms, Kapur said.

PTI report