Tram systems in Geneva
Geneva is located at the southwestern end of Lake Geneva, where the Rhône flows out of the lake. It is the capital of the Republic and Canton of Geneva, the second-most populous city in Switzerland and the largest city in Romandy, the country's French-speaking region.
The city is an important international centre for diplomacy and is home to the European headquarters of the United Nations and numerous other international organisations. The International Committee of the Red Cross was founded in Geneva, and the city also gave its name to the Geneva Conventions.
Geneva Airport is connected to Genève-Cornavin, the city's principal railway station, by frequent trains with a journey time of approximately seven minutes. Cornavin is served by long-distance Swiss and international trains as well as the cross-border Léman Express regional network.
Most urban public transport is operated by Transports publics genevois (TPG), whose network includes trams, trolleybuses and conventional buses. Passenger boats operated by Mouettes Genevoises provide short crossings of Lake Geneva, while unireso and Léman Pass provide integrated ticketing across Geneva and the surrounding cross-border region. The tram network described below forms one of the principal elements of this wider public transport system.
Geneva has a metre-gauge tram network operated by TPG. Five lines, numbered 12, 14, 15, 17 and 18, serve the city and surrounding municipalities, with line 17 continuing across the French border through Annemasse to Perrier-Aubrac.
Geneva currently has 5 tram lines, details of which can be found on the Lines tab.
Geneva's first tramway opened in June 1862 and was a horse-drawn line between Place Neuve and the Rondeau de Carouge. It was the first tram line in Switzerland and formed the origin of the route now served by line 12. Steam trams were introduced in 1878, followed by the city's first electric tramway in 1894.
The Compagnie Genevoise des Tramways Électriques (CGTE) was established in 1900 to consolidate the different operators. The inherited routes were converted to metre gauge and electrified, creating a unified system. By 1923, approximately 120 kilometres of tramway had been built, extending through the city, into the surrounding countryside and across the border into France.
The first tram routes were replaced by buses in 1928, while trolleybuses were introduced in 1942. Thirteen tram lines were abandoned between 1937 and 1969 as services were progressively converted to bus or trolleybus operation. By the end of this process, only line 12 between Moillesulaz and Carouge remained.
In 1977, the CGTE was replaced by Transports publics genevois (TPG), an autonomous public authority owned by the canton. The surviving tram infrastructure was renewed and a new depot was constructed at Bachet-de-Pesay. Line 12 was extended from Carouge to Bachet in September 1987 to connect the route with the depot.
Expansion resumed in May 1995 with the opening of line 13 between Cornavin and Bachet. The route reached Palettes in 1997, line 16 began operating between Moillesulaz and Cornavin in 1998, and the network reached Nations in 2003. Line 15 entered service in 2004, while completion of the link between Palettes and Lancy-Pont-Rouge in 2006 created a tramway ring south of the city centre.
Further extensions were delivered through the Tram Cornavin–Meyrin–CERN and Tram Cornavin–Onex–Bernex projects between 2007 and 2011. The network was reorganised in December 2011, when lines 13, 16 and 17 were withdrawn and most sections became served by a single route.
Line 18 was restored on 9 December 2012 between Stand and CERN. It was subsequently extended to Carouge in June 2014, Bachet in April 2018 and Palettes in July 2022. Line 17 returned in December 2019 with the opening of the cross-border extension to Annemasse and was extended through central Annemasse to Perrier-Aubrac on 17 October 2026. Line 14 reached Bernex-Vailly in July 2021, while line 15 was extended into the ZIPLO industrial area in December 2023.
Geneva currently has 5 tram lines, which are listed below. To see more information about a particular line, click on the link in the table below.
| Line | Description |
|---|---|
| 12 | Line 12 runs between Lancy-Bachet, gare and Moillesulaz via Carouge, Plainpalais, central Geneva and Genève-Eaux-Vives. |
| 14 | Line 14 runs between Bernex, Vailly and Meyrin, Gravière via Onex, central Geneva, gare Cornavin and Vernier. |
| 15 | Line 15 runs between Plan-les-Ouates, ZIPLO and Genève, Nations via Grand-Lancy, Lancy-Pont-Rouge, Acacias, Plainpalais and gare Cornavin. |
| 17 | Line 17 runs between Lancy-Pont-Rouge, gare and Annemasse, Parc Montessuit via Acacias, Plainpalais, Geneva city centre, Genève-Eaux-Vives and Moillesulaz. |
| 18 | Line 18 runs between Grand-Lancy, Palettes and Meyrin, CERN via Carouge, Plainpalais, gare Cornavin, Servette and Vernier. |
The Tram des Nations project will extend the tram network from Nations through Grand-Saconnex and across the French border to Ferney-Voltaire. Ten new stops are planned between Nations and the P+R du Bisou terminus, with seven in Switzerland and three in France.
The new infrastructure is expected to be served by a restored line 13 running between Bernex-Vailly and Ferney-Voltaire via Onex, Cornavin and Nations. Construction of the Swiss section began in September 2025 and opening is currently planned for December 2028. Further information is available from the Republic and Canton of Geneva.
A cross-border extension of line 15 is planned from its present ZIPLO terminus through Perly to Saint-Julien-en-Genevois railway station in France.
In July 2026, the Swiss Federal Administrative Court annulled the federal approval for the section between ZIPLO and the French border. The judgment did not reject the principle or general route of the extension, but requires elements of the project around Perly to be reconsidered. A reliable construction or opening timetable is therefore not currently available. Further information is available from the Republic and Canton of Geneva.
Geneva's longer-term transport planning envisages continued expansion of public transport across the canton and the wider cross-border region. The canton has set an objective of constructing further tram extensions and developing a new orbital tram line, although the alignment and timetable for the orbital route have not yet been finalised.
These proposals form part of the wider Grand Genève Cross-Border Territorial Vision 2050, which will guide the identification and development of future transport projects.