A Kolkata streetcar for book lovers

The Kolkata tram may be a pale shadow of its glorious days, but it is still an iconic image of the city. College Street happens to be the prestigious address of some of the oldest educational institutions in the country, and also boasts rows of bookshops on either side.

Now, a tram is set to recreate the academic ambience. It is built like a library and will roll down College Street, giving passengers a glimpse of the University of Calcutta, Presidency University and the hundreds of book stalls.

From Thursday, people can ride the tram library, an air-conditioned car converted into a library on wheels. It will make six trips on the recently restored Esplanade-Shyambazar route.

West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC), which oversees India’s only functional tramway, has introduced the service to…