Alexandria bids farewell to historic tram in latest urban upheaval

Government plans to replace the colourful streetcars on one of the city's routes with a partially elevated light rail line have angered Alexandrians, for whom the 163-year-old track is "heritage, not just a means of transport", local urban researcher Nahla Saleh told AFP. Inaugurated in 1863, the tram is one of the world's oldest, and among only a few to operate double-decker cars. In the 19th and 20th centuries, it helped the city become a bustling metropolis, home to sizable European diasporas and a distinct cosmopolitan culture.