Tram systems in Zaragoza
Zaragoza is the capital of Aragón, in northeastern Spain, on the banks of the River Ebro. Its position between Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao and Valencia has helped make it an important centre for transport, commerce and industry.
The city’s heritage reflects its Roman, Islamic and Christian past. Major landmarks include the Basilica of Nuestra Señora del Pilar, La Seo Cathedral and the Aljafería Palace, alongside the streets and squares of the historic centre. The tramway provides convenient access to the central shopping area and the western end of Plaza del Pilar.
Zaragoza’s public transport combines trams, urban and interurban buses, and Cercanías suburban trains. The urban bus network provides coverage beyond the tram corridor, while interurban services connect the city with surrounding municipalities.
Zaragoza-Delicias is the principal station for long-distance rail travel. The tram connects with the Cercanías network at Goya station, beside the Fernando el Católico stop, providing a rail connection to Delicias, Utebo and Casetas. The Bizi bicycle-sharing service offers another option for local journeys and connections with public transport.
Zaragoza’s modern tramway consists of Line 1, a north-south route linking Valdespartera with Parque Goya through the city centre. The line is approximately 12.8 kilometres long and has 25 stops, with its termini named Mago de Oz and Avenida de la Academia.
From the southern residential districts, the route passes through Casablanca and Romareda, continues along Fernando el Católico and Gran Vía, and serves Plaza Aragón and Plaza de España. It then runs through the historic centre, crosses the Ebro by the Puente de Santiago, and continues through Actur towards Campus Río Ebro and Parque Goya.
The tram provides access to university campuses, hospitals, shopping streets and visitor attractions. Its alignment includes reserved track, grassed sections and pedestrian areas in the centre, helping integrate the tramway into the surrounding streets.
Zaragoza currently has 1 tram line. Further information is available in the Lines tab.
The tramway is managed by Los Tranvías de Zaragoza, a company involving the city council and private partners. Its official website provides route information, timetables, fares and service announcements.
- Tranvía de Zaragoza - the tram system’s official website.
- Avanza Zaragoza - urban bus routes, timetables and passenger information.
- Renfe Cercanías Zaragoza - suburban rail services connecting with the tram at Goya.
Zaragoza’s first tramway opened on 19 October 1885, coinciding with the city’s second exhibition of agriculture, industry and the arts. Initially using animal traction, the first route was known as Bajo Aragón and linked Plaza de la Constitución, now Plaza de España, with the Bajo Aragón railway station, passing the exhibition site at the Matadero.
Further routes connected the city centre with railway stations and outlying districts, including Torrero and Arrabal. These early tramways helped support Zaragoza’s growth beyond its historic centre, improving access between established streets and developing neighbourhoods.
Electric tram operation began on the Torrero route in 1902, followed by the conversion of the remaining lines. Electrification improved operation on the steep approach to Torrero and enabled further expansion.
New routes included the Cementerio line in 1903 and the Gállego line in 1906. The network subsequently reached Delicias in 1917, with further additions serving the growing city during the following decades.
The system developed around a largely radial network centred on Plaza de España. It reached its greatest extent and importance during the 1950s, with the municipal archive recording a total of 17 lines across the historic system.
During the 1960s, increasing car ownership and changes in transport policy led to the progressive replacement of trams by buses. Routes disappeared as Zaragoza moved towards a road-based public transport system.
The final surviving service was Line 11, Parque-San José, which closed in January 1976. Its withdrawal ended more than ninety years of continuous tram operation, leaving Zaragoza without a tramway for the next thirty-five years.
The modern tramway emerged from Zaragoza’s Sustainable Mobility Plan, which proposed a new north-south public transport corridor. Construction began in 2009, creating a new system rather than restoring the former network.
Passenger services returned on 19 April 2011, when the first section of Line 1 opened between Valdespartera and the city centre, terminating at Gran Vía, beside Plaza de Basilio Paraíso. The opening reintroduced trams as a major element of Zaragoza’s urban transport.
The remaining section opened on 26 March 2013, extending services through the historic centre, across the Ebro and northwards through Actur to Parque Goya. This completed the present 12.8-kilometre north-south route.
Construction also brought substantial changes to the streets along the route. The project expanded pedestrian space around Plaza de España, Coso and César Augusto, introduced grassed track, and renewed public spaces along Fernando el Católico and Gran Vía. The completed tramway therefore combined a new transport link with wider improvements to the urban environment.
Zaragoza currently has 1 tram line, which is listed below.
| Line | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 | Line 1 runs between Mago de Oz and Avenida de la Academia via Fernando el Católico, Plaza de España and Actur. |
Zaragoza’s tramway uses 1,435 mm standard-gauge track and 750 V DC electrification. The 12.8-kilometre route runs entirely at surface level, principally on reserved track separated from general road traffic. The alignment includes grassed sections, paved pedestrian areas and road crossings.
Most of the route receives power from overhead wires, but the central section between Gran Vía and La Chimenea operates without continuous overhead wiring. Trams use an onboard ACR rapid-charge energy-storage system, which recovers braking energy and recharges at stops, allowing them to travel through the historic centre without overhead wires between stops.
A dynamic traffic-signal priority system adjusts signal phases as trams approach, helping reduce delays at junctions. Stops provide raised platforms for level boarding, with tactile paving, passenger information displays and ticket machines.
Depot facilities are located at Valdespartera and Parque Goya, near the two ends of the route. The central control room at Valdespartera monitors tram movements, electrical systems and passenger facilities, while maintenance work takes place in the depot workshops.
The fleet comprises 23 articulated low-floor trams built by CAF, consisting of 21 Urbos 3 vehicles and two newer Urbos 100 vehicles. The original fleet was introduced for the opening and completion of the modern tramway, with the first vehicles delivered in 2011.
The trams have five articulated sections, with doors on both sides. Vehicles are approximately 33 metres long and 2.65 metres wide. The operator quotes a capacity of approximately 200 passengers, including 52 seated, for the Urbos 3. Low-floor entrances and dedicated wheelchair spaces provide accessible travel throughout the line.
The two Urbos 100 trams, introduced in 2024, retain the same general layout while incorporating revised cab ends, improved driver visibility and updated onboard energy storage. Other improvements include LED lighting, more efficient air conditioning and USB charging points.
Trams normally operate individually, but coupled pairs can be used to provide additional capacity. The stop platforms, approximately 68 metres long, accommodate these longer formations.
Zaragoza is examining an extension of Line 1 from Valdespartera towards Arcosur, improving connections between the growing southern residential district and the existing tram corridor.
The city council has commissioned the University of Zaragoza to assess alternatives for future high-capacity public transport. In November 2026, the council reaffirmed its commitment to pursuing the Arcosur tram connection, with technical studies still underway. The proposal remains at the preliminary planning stage, without a confirmed construction programme or opening date.
An east-west corridor linking Delicias and San José has also been identified for assessment. This could improve connections between districts beyond the existing north-south tram route and provide the basis for a possible second line.
The council’s study is intended to compare technical, operational, urban and economic alternatives before future investment decisions are made. The transport mode and detailed alignment therefore remain to be determined: a second tram line is a possibility, rather than an approved scheme. As of November 2026, there is no confirmed construction or opening timetable.