Melbourne Australia : Tramjatra Tram decoration at the Essendon Tram Depot features here. Designed by Bushra Hasan in collaboration with Tramjatra's Mr Roberto we're at the Essendon Tram Depot on Wednesday October 4 for what the Melbourne Festival calls a "tram wrap". For an old time Tramjatran it was like watching a tram being 'sort of painted' and brought back memories of past tramways friendships where there's a number of people busily preparing the tram. The artwork is a story of 21 years of Tramways friendship with all the past Tramjatra trams decorated in Kolkata represented on the new Melbourne Tramjatra Tram. A 21st BIRTHDAY GREATEST HITS TRAMJATRA. 

Melbourne Australia : Melbourne Festival Arts Trams. Tramjatra will launch our 6th Melbourne Tram as a part of the Kolkata Melbourne Tramways Friendship on Thursday October 5 in the same location we launched the Melbourne calcutta Friendship Tram 20 years ago. A collaboration between Roberto and Tramjatra with Lucknow born artist Bushra Hasan who is now living in Melbourne. Tramjatra is celebrating 21 years of tramways friendship. Bushra and I will attend the tram wrap at Essendon Tram Depot on Wednesday October 4 before launching at the Dudley Street Tram Reserve in Melbourne City on Thursday morning.

Indian Weekly Magazine Melbourne - Cover Story. Italian Language newspaer IL Globo Feature article. IL Globo, "Melbourne is a city that boasts the longest urban tramway in the world and one of the oldest existing outside of Europe. With over 250 kilometres divided into 24 tram routes, the trams carry a average of 200 million per year. The story behind Melbourne's Trams is lively and interesting, especially if we think that trams are enjoying a rebirth, with many cities around the world re-introducing them". If you are a "gunzel" (fanatics of trains or trams) or would like to know more don't miss the opening of the Melbourne Tram Museum at the old Hawthorn Depot as a part of Melbourne Open Day". Indian Weekly, "Today the festival of Tramjatra has completed 20 years. This October, Melbourne will celebrate the 21st birthday of Tramjatra. The Tramjatra tram will run for 6 months between October and April 2018. The  tram's artwork has designs from past tramjatra trams, Sundari and Gitanjali to name a few. It is a big year and what is exciting this year is we have re-engaged with the local Indian community and the artwork of the tram is designed by Lucknow born artist, Bushra Hasan.

MELBOURNE TRAM MUSEUM TOUR : As a part of the exchange of tramway technology and how Melbourne's presents its unique tramway heritage in the form of a museum, Mahadeb Shi, Tramjatra's documentary filmmaker had a special guided tour by Adam Chandler and Mike Ryan. Mahadeb filmed and documented the Melbourne Tram Museum experience and will take this information in the form of a study and present this to the West Bengal Transport Corporation and the Calcutta Tramways Company.

Melbourne Festival Arts Tram launch Tuesday August 15. BUSHRA HASAN - TRAMJATRA tram designer, artist statement : My name is Bushra Hasan and I’m an artist and graphic designer. I have done a variety of work in India and Australia and my art is inspired by popular Indian street and tribal art. My inspiration for designing a “Tramjatra” tram comes from my love for Melbourne’s trams and the unique friendship between the tram-loving communities of Kolkata (India) and Melbourne and partnership with Melbourne trammie, Roberto D’Andrea.....So, this work follows in the rich Tramjatra tradition which invites artists from both cities to design a tram. This tram’s design features some artwork from past Tramjatra trams in a new colourful form. Snapshots of ‘Bondhu’, ‘Calbourne’, ‘Sundari’, ‘Cricket’, ‘Baccha’, ‘Shared-Lung’, ‘Paribeshbandhu’ and ‘Gitanjali’. Orange-bellied Parrots next to Great Indian Hornbills. 

Times of India Bengali language newspaper the El Samay writes about Tramjatra melbourne. BENGALI to ENGLISH TRANSLATION : "....the celebration of this heritage and environment-friendly mode of transport took place far away in Melbourne. The ocassion was the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. On August 22, the closing day of this two-week long festival, Melbourne Central Theatre screened the documentary film "Tramajatra" directed by Mahadeb Shi. The film is his tribute to 'Tramjatra', a symbol of solidarity between Calcutta and Melbourne which has is now in its 20th year. Mahadeb is involved with this popular project since 1996. He has recently formed the Calcutta Tram Users Association along with other gunzels of the city. 

TRAMJATRA DOCUMENTARY - INDIAN FILM FESTIVAL MELBOURNE - WORLD PREMIER

Tuesday, August 22, 07.30PM | HOYTS Melbourne Central. Closing Night. 2017 is a big year for Tramjatra in Melbourne. First up we have the screening of the Tramjatra Documentary directed by long time Tramjatran Mahadeb Shi. Tramjatra details the unexpected and incredible relationship struck between Melbournian tram conductor Roberto D’Andrea and Kolkata's Trammie community of Kolkata, India. When India’s Minister of Transport deems Kolkata’s tram lines to be obsolete, D’Andrea finds himself unexpectedly thrust into advocacy - not just for old tram lines, but for a people’s history, culture, and art. Tramjatra documentary Director Mahadeb Shi will join Roberto in Melbourne to present the film. Director Mahadeb Shi. Cast Roberto D'Andrea, Mick Douglas, Dr Debasish Bhattacharya, Jayanta Basu, Andy Miller, Craig Allen, Kolkata's Tramway Workers, Whole 9 Yards, the Tram-loving Citizens of Kolkata and a cast of thousands.

Website : http://www.iffm.com.au/ 

Tramjatra's film maker Mahadeb Shi has edited a new short 4.20 minute short promo which includes for the first time footage from the 20th anniversary Tramjatra in Kolkata - India in December 2016.
Melbourne - Australia and Kolkata - India are 2 of the rare surviving tramways of continuous use outside of Europe. Since 1994, a group of artists, activists, tramway workers and enthusiasts have departed Melbourne and Kolkata on a ‘Tramjatra’. the film has snapshots of 20 years of Tramways friendship.

Tramjatra loves tram tradition so for the 20th anniversary Tramjatra we wanted to share another piece of Melbourne's artistic tram history and celebrate tram theatre. Mahadeb Shi and I talked about producing a tram play where performers would be 'embedded passengers'. Enter Storming Kolkata by Tram! Inspired by 2 Melbourne Tram plays called Storming Mont Albert and Storming St Kilda by Tram from the 1980's and early 90's. I saw both these plays in Melbourne and loved them both. A tram-street play on the environmental benefits of tramways to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Tramjatra between Kolkata and Melbourne. Written and Directed by Abhrajit Sen. Cast : Sayantan Banerjee, Soumyajit Dey, Suhotra Mukhopadhyay, Tanika Basu, Monomita Chaudhury, Prosun Saha and Meghatithi Banerjee. Abhrajit's writing notes say that the play will be colloquial, modern, contemporary and funny. Humour is essential to keep the audience entertained while we psychologically enter the mind of the spectators. Thunderous energy from actors and musicians. The Storming Kolkata by Tram play travelled on board the 20th anniversary tram and spontaneously broke out into song. Connie Roberto joined in and the play was performed at terminuses, goomptys and depots across Kolkata.