India, Sept. 21 -- In the vibrant historical tapestry of Lucknow, there was once a moment when the promise of electric tram lines seemed just within reach. Much like the bustling cities of British India -where Delhi thrived with modern tram systems and 'Presidency Towns' like Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras embraced them - Lucknow too had dreams of enhancing its transportation landscape. Even smaller towns such as Nasik, Cochin, and Bhavnagar were already experiencing the benefits of these innovations. Amazingly, Patna had horse-drawn tram services, which operated between Patna city and Bankipore. The proposal for an electric tram line to serve Lucknow was made during colonial times, envisioning a route that would connect the bustling Hazratganj area to the Charbagh railway station, winding its way through the Cantonment area. But unfortunately, the proposal got lost in a bureaucratic maze, unforeseen delays and logistics - and the proposal was ultimately shelved. In 1903, the proposal was submitted by M/s Marshall Sons & Co of Calcutta for constructing a tramway within the municipal area of Lucknow, and also to provide electric traction lines for the same, under the Indian Electricity Act, 1903. (Incidentally, similar proposals had also been floated for Cawnpore (Kanpur) and Benaras (Varanasi). Subsequently, M/s Kincaid, Waller, Manville & Dawson Co, a highly reputed engineering firm of London, also came up with a similar proposal and joined the fray. A comprehensive route was gradually charted for Lucknow's proposed tram services, starting from Gol Darwaza, Chowk, to Cantonment road and Sudder Bazar (Sadar Bazar) via Circular Road (RK Tandon Road). A branch line would loop off to the railway station at the crossing of Abbot Road (Vidhan Sabha Marg). Another tram line from the Dy Commissioner's office at Qaiserbagh was proposed to connect to Cawnpore Road, via Aminabad. A loop line from Circular Road would pass through Hazratganj, via Lalbagh, to Cantonment Road. It was also proposed to cover the whole length of Victoria Street (Tulsi Das Marg) and Canning Street (Subhash Marg). The gauge of the tram would be a uniform 3 feet, 6 inches, unless approved otherwise, with maximum speeds not exceeding 8 miles per hour. Also, the trams were proposed to have two classes of carriages. The proposal immediately faced resistance from the army authorities who voiced security concerns. The business community of Hazratganj, 'the heart of the European trade in Lucknow', raised alarm over the prospect of trams trundling in front of their commercial establishments, creating disturbance for customers. The Lucknow Municipal Board also objected to the proposal on the grounds that it would interfere with normal traffic on the road. Apprehensions were expressed about the Hazratganj street not being broad enough to accommodate a tram line. Although it was pointed out that Hazratganj was a street of ample width, far better suited than many densely populated streets in European cities, where tramways worked without difficulty or inconvenience, an alternative route was proposed, which would run through Qaiserbagh. While all these debates were on, the then Oudh Rohilkhand Railways (O&RR), which operated most of the trains in Lucknow section, voiced concern that the proposed tram line would cross the railway tracks of the O&RR on at least one point, so who would be responsible for building and manning the railway gate at this point? The now frazzled colonial government rapped the knuckles of the O&RR, stating tersely that the railway company had been aware of the proposed Lucknow tram line since the latter's inception, and it was too late to raise such objections at this juncture. At one point of time, it also appeared that another company, M/s British Eastern Electric Power Co of London would get the job order to work exclusively in the Cantonment area. However, even after two decades of file movements, the routes could not be finalised and the work could not commence; the Lucknow tram line proposal was ultimately shelved, although details are not available in the relevant files, regarding its final closure in around 1924. In this respect, Kanpur (Cawnpore) was luckier, where trams made their debut in 1907. The system comprised 4 miles (6.4 km) of track and featured 20 single-deck open trams. This single-track line linked the railway station to Sirsaya Ghat, located along the banks of the Ganga river. Unfortunately, the services were discontinued in 1933. Trams, however, could not see the light of the day in either Lucknow or Benaras, as envisaged initially by the colonial government. The writer, a former scientist, has authored several books on the forgotten heritage of Lucknow...