In its heyday, tram workers were mostly brought from UP and Bihar, trained for six months and appointed as drivers and maintenance workers. Some of the conductors were local lads. Mohammed Sayeed is one of the few remaining tram drivers still operating on the remaining routes. Like his colleagues, he is to retire soon and have been assured of timely settlement of retirement benefits. But their weather-beaten visages presage a grim future for their beloved trams. In Sayeed’s youth, trams were one of the symbols of Calcutta’s unique splendour. CTC, now under WBTC, stopped recruitment for years and run buses to make up for losses. Battered and discoloured, the trams are a neglected lot.