The Karachi Tramway of Yesteryear

[Indus Pakistan]

From British era. Looks almost like a rypical British city of that era. Now look at it. One giant slum.

 

[ghazi52]

MTC Karachi tramway in 1950’s

On this day 30th April 1975, the Tram network was shutdown in Karachi. There was a time when citizens of Pakistan were accustomed to seeing trams running all over the Karachi City center. It was one of the most popular means of conveyance in the city center. Today, only a handful of photos, a few landmarks and memories of trams remain.

کراچی میں ٹراموے کا خاتمہ

کراچی میں ٹراموے ٭30 اپریل 1975ء کو کراچی میں نوّے سالہ قدیم ٹراموے کمپنی نے اپنا کاروبار بند کرنے کا اعلان کردیا۔ کراچی میں ٹراموے کمپنی کے کاروبار کا آغاز کا سہرا کراچی کے میونسپل سیکریٹری اور معروف انجینئر اور آرکیٹکٹ مسٹر جیمز اسٹریچن کے سر تھا۔ انہوں نے 1881ء میں لندن کے مشتر ایڈورڈ میتھیوز کو ٹراموے کی لائن بچھانے کا ٹینڈر دیا مگر ان لائنوں کی تنصیب کا کام 1883ء میں شروع ہوسکا۔ اکتوبر 1884ء میں یہ کام پایہ تکمیل کو پہنچا اور 20 اپریل 1885ء کو کراچی میں پہلی مرتبہ ٹرام چلی۔ اس پہلی ٹرام میں سفر کرنے والوں میں سندھ کے اس وقت کے کمشنر مسٹر ہنری نیپئر بی ارسکن بھی شامل تھے۔ شروع شروع میں یہ ٹرام بھاپ سے چلائی جاتی تھی مگر اس بھاپ سے ایک جانب شور پیدا ہوتا تھا اور دوسری جانب فضا میں آلودگی میں اضافہ ہوتا تھا چنانچہ تھوڑے ہی عرصے کے بعد اس کو بند کردیا گیا بعد میں اس کی جگہ چھوٹی اور ہلکی ٹراموں نے لی جنہیں گھوڑے کھینچا کرتے تھے کچھ عرصہ کراچی میں دو منزلہ ٹرامیں بھی چلتی رہیں‘ یہ ٹرامیں بھی گھوڑے ہی کھینچا کرتے تھے۔ بیسویں صدی میں یہ ٹرامیں ڈیزل کی قوت سے چلنے لگیں۔ کراچی میں ٹراموے کے نظام کا مرکز صدر میں ایڈولجی ڈنشا ڈسپنسری تھی۔ اس ڈسپنسری سے ٹراموں کے کئی روٹ شروع ہوتے تھے جو گاندھی گارڈن‘ بولٹن مارکیٹ اور کینٹ ریلوے اسٹیشن تک جایا کرتے تھے۔ یہ ٹرامیں ایسٹ انڈیا ٹراموے کمپنی کی ملکیت تھیں۔ یہ کمپنی 500 روپے سالانہ فی میل کے حساب سے ٹرام لائنوں کی رائلٹی کراچی میونسپلٹی کو ادا کرتی تھی۔ قیام پاکستان کے بعد ٹراموے کا یہ نظام محمد علی نامی ایک کاروباری شخص نے خرید لیا اور اس کا نام اپنے نام پر محمد علی ٹراموے کمپنی رکھ لیا۔ کمپنی کے زمانہ عروج میں کمپنی کے پاس 63 ٹرامیں تھیں اور اس کا عملہ آٹھ سو افراد پر مشتمل تھا۔ لیکن ایک وقت وہ بھی آیا جب کمپنی کے پاس فقط پانچ ٹرامیں رہ گئی تھیں۔ 30 اپریل 1975ء کو کراچی کی سڑکوں پر ٹرام آخری مرتبہ چلی اور پھر یہ نظام ہمیشہ کے لیے ختم ہوگیا۔

 

[ghazi52]

Maulana Hippie

I have traveled on these Trams many times,from my School Marie Colaco behind Naz Cinema to Plaza , or from Plaza to Juna Market and sometimes Boulton Market with my grandfather to buy Bachon ki duniya , Naunehal or Taleem-e-Tarbiyat monthelies , .... a little correction , its main workshop was between , what is today Rimpa Plaza and Gul Plaza , Maulana Ehtisham ul Haq Thanvi mosque was behind that .. , , at one time I even wanted to become a trams conductor , with their immaculate Dress and Ticket Bag they looked good.

 

[ghazi52]

The idea of a tramway system for Karachi was conceived and a tender for its construction was first made in 1881. On February 8, 1883 a plan for a tramway was drawn up and permission obtained from the government for the use of steam-powered trams. In October 1884 construction was started. John Brunton was the Chief Engineer of the project. The tramway was opened on April 20, 1885 employing steam-powered cars. The opening ceremony took place near St Andrew's Church (Abdullah Haroon Road and Sharah-e-Liaquat).

The steam trams were replaced by horse-drawn ones in 1886. In 1902 the East India Tramways Company Limited was responsible for running the trams in Karachi.

By March 23, 1905 petrol-powered tram were introduced. By 1909 the entire fleet was replaced by petrol-powered trams. Each car had a capacity of 46 passengers and could travel at speeds of up to 18 mph. New tracks had to be re-laid for the petrol driven trams. The trams now ran on inverted U-shaped grooved-bridge rail with a four-foot gauge. The first two petrol-engined tramcars were designed by John Abbott and his son John Dixon Abbott, incorporating the Dixon-Abbott patent gearbox. They were built in England. By 1914, there were 37 petrol-powered tramcars running. 1945 saw the introduction of the first diesel-powered trams. Until 1955 there were still 64 petrol-powered trams in Karachi numbered from 94 to 157. These were single deck 4-wheeled cars with back-to-back cross benches. They had an 8 ft wheel base, and were 28 feet long, and 6 feet 8 inches wide. These cars were built between 1924 and 1948 with Perkins P.4 Diesel Engines and Simplex (Dixon-Abbott) Gearboxes. Cars number 145 to 157 were built as new diesel cars, while the rest of the cars were converted from petrol to diesel.

In 1949 the whole tramway system was sold to the Mohamedali Tramways Company (MTC) owned by Sheikh Mohammad Ali.

The tram was a common mode of transport as was the horse-drawn carriage. Only the elite had cars. A few young men owned motorcycles. Both men and women went about on bicycles, for this was the most common type of transport. According to the nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan who lived in Karachi at the time, the tram fare in the 1950s was one anna (less than one cent). Another user Ian Vaughan-Arbuckle says “You could use the trams without being jostled.”

Routes

The original line which started operating on April 20, 1885 ran from Saddar to Kiamari.

Between 1891-1900 the Lawrence Road (in 2014 Nishtar Road) route was constructed.
On September 30, 1911 the line was extended to Frere Street (in 2014 Dr. Daud Pota Road).
On February 17, 1916 the Soldier Bazaar route was introduced via Mansfield Street (in 2014 Syedna Burhanuddin Road). October 22, 1928 saw the introduction of the Chakiwara route.
In 1929 the line going to Soldier Bazaar from Mansfield Street was diverted to Bunder Road (in 2014 M.A. Jinnah Road).

Closure

The trams in Karachi closed down on April 30, 1975. It is not clear whether the MTC was a victim of the Karachi Circular Railway which started in 1969 with 14 trains or of the transport mafia.

 

[ghazi52]

 

[ghazi52]

1885 - Tram

 

[ghazi52]

1910

 

[ghazi52]

1950


19

 

[ghazi52]

1940

 

[Hiraa]

Why this din’t go on to become on a full transport system boggles my mind.

 

[Sine Nomine]

Why this din’t go on to become on a full transport system boggles my mind.

We Pakistanis devastatingly lack mental capacity required for building and running a state.

 

[ghazi52]

This is Beautiful Karachi the City of lights
Steam trams , Horse trams life in Karachi
Old memories but beautiful ........................

https://www.facebook.com/

 

[Nilgiri]

We Pakistanis devastatingly lack mental capacity required for building and running a state.

Haven't seen you in a while here...hope you are doing well buddy.

 

[ghazi52]

Saddar

 

[ghazi52]

Tramway Karachi 1960's