Plan underway to revive horse-drawn tram service

Administration seeks Rs3.5m to restore Sir Ganga Ram's historic transport system

FAISALABAD:

In a bid to revive a historic heritage site, the divisional administration has proposed a scheme worth Rs3.5 million under the Annual Development Programme (ADP) 2026-27 for the restoration of the historic horse-drawn tram service introduced by renowned philanthropist and architect Sir Ganga Ram in 1903.

The service has remained non-functional for the past 16 years, and a summary has been sent to the Punjab government for approval.

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

Born in 1851 in Mangatawala, Sheikhupura district, Sir Ganga Ram conceived the horse-drawn tram system 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. However, the service was discontinued in 1993.

Deputy Director of the Information Department and spokesman Muhammad Awais said that Commissioner Faisalabad Raja Jahangir Anwar and Deputy Commissioner Nadeem Nasir recently visited Chak 591 GB Ganga Pur Buchiana in Jaranwala tehsil to review the on-ground situation of the historic site.

During the visit, they toured the historic haveli, gardens and other locations associated with Sir Ganga Ram.

The officials also met local residents and said steps would be taken to restore Sir Ganga Ram's haveli and other historic structures so that present and future generations could learn about the contributions of a personality who played a remarkable welfare role in the subcontinent.

They added that providing quality municipal services to the residents of Ganga Ram village was a priority and that a development package would be approved for this purpose.

Accompanied by Member of the Provincial Assembly Sardar Bahadur Khan Dogar, they also visited the orchards in the area. During the visit, the assistant commissioner of Jaranwala was directed to ensure proper maintenance of the large orchard spread across a vast area.

Local residents said the tram operated for only a few years after its restoration, as its slow speed and high maintenance costs led passengers to prefer motorcycles and rickshaws, making the service financially unviable.

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