Mumbai: Remains of tram tracks found under BEST depot

In south Mumbai, beneath the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST)-run Electric House depot, tram track remnants were discovered.

Besides corroded iron tracks, a cement concrete structure, possibly a repairing bay, also resurfaced when pits were being dug for setting up charging stations for e-buses earlier this week. A BEST employee told PTI, Colala depot was originally utilised as a carshed for trams. According to him, the concrete structure looks like a tram or bus maintenance bay because it has two rows of pillars on one side and a wall on the other.

Unfortunately, as the construction contractor was unaware of the significance of these remains, most of the concrete pillars were removed by the JCB excavator, the official said. Discovery of tram tracks during road repair or infrastructure works is not new in south Mumbai.

In 2016, when the road was being excavated for concretization close to Hutatma Chowk-Flora Fountain, two parallel tram tracks were discovered. Mumbai, an island metropolis, got its first tram service in 1874, during the British occupation. The trams were first pulled by horses, but in 1907, electric engines took their place. The tram service finally shut down in 1964 while the local trains became the hallmark of Mumbai’s transport system.