Sir Ganga Ram's 1903 horse tram falls into neglect

The historic horse-drawn tram service launched by philanthropist and architect Sir Ganga Ram in 1903 has remained non-functional for the past 16 years, despite efforts by successive administrations to revive the unique heritage asset.

The tram service, originally designed to transport goods and passengers between Buchiana and Ganga Pur, was restored and inaugurated in 2009 by then District Coordination Officer Saeed Iqbal Wahla.

Its operation was handed over to a local cooperative society, which fixed a fare of Rs5 per passenger. However, the service failed to sustain itself and gradually ceased operations.

Ganga Pur village, located in tehsil Jaranwala, was planned by Sir Ganga Ram, who also designed Faisalabad's Clock Tower and founded Ganga Ram Hospital in Lahore.

Born in 1851 in Mangtanwala, Sheikhupura district, Sir Ganga Ram conceived the horse-drawn tram to address the lack of transport facilities between Ganga Pur and Buchiana.

A two-foot-wide rail track stretching over two miles was laid, and the tram made its maiden journey in 1903. The service was discontinued in 1993.

A restoration attempt was launched in 2010 after social activist Rao Manawar Ahmad persuaded the then Jaranwala town nazim to allocate Rs5.6 million with support from the Faisalabad district government.

Locals said the tram operated for a few years, but its slow speed and high maintenance costs led passengers to prefer motorcycle rickshaws, making the service financially unviable.

Following its abandonment, iron girders of the rail tracks were stolen by addicts, while encroachers covered parts of the track with soil to cultivate crops.

Khursheed Ahmad, a resident of Ganga Pur, urged the government to provide subsidies to revive the tram as a tourist attraction. He noted that the route lies close to Nankana Sahib, which receives thousands of Sikh pilgrims annually, and could generate revenue while paying tribute to Sir Ganga Ram.

Residents also pointed out that the Punjab Local Government Act obliges municipal and district councils to preserve heritage assets.

Calls and messages to the assistant commissioner and administrator of Municipal Committee Jaranwala went unanswered.

However, Commissioner Faisalabad Division Raja Jehangir Anwar said the matter would be taken up.