Tram systems in Zürich

Proposals for trams in Zürich date back to the 1860s, but the first services did not begin operating until 1882. Over the following decades, numerous municipal, private and interurban operators built lines in and around the city. Most tramways within Zürich were eventually absorbed into the municipal network, while several outlying lines either developed into modern railways or closed. This section provides a chronological summary of the operators that formed part of, or were historically connected with, Zürich's tram network.

• Zürcher Strassenbahn Gesellschaft (ZStG) – The private ZStG opened Zürich's first tramway in 1882, using horse-drawn standard-gauge trams running on tracks with a gauge of 1,435 mm (4 ft 8½ in). It was acquired by the StStZ in 1897.
• Elektrische Strassenbahn Zürich (EStZ) – The EStZ began operating in 1894 as Zürich's first electric tram operator and the first in the city to use metre-gauge track, measuring 1,000 mm (3 ft 3⅜ in). It was acquired by the City of Zürich in 1896 and became the StStZ.
• Zentrale Zürichbergbahn (ZZB) – The ZZB began operating in 1895 and built two lines from near the present Kunsthaus stop to Kirche Fluntern and the lower terminus of the Rigiblick funicular. Its trams also continued over StStZ tracks to Paradeplatz. The company was acquired by the StStZ in 1905.
• Dolderbahn (Db) – The Dolderbahn opened in 1895 as a funicular between Römerhof and the Dolder Waldhaus. In 1899, an isolated electric tramway was added between the upper funicular station and the Dolder Grand Hotel. Its single tramcar was replaced by a bus in 1930. In 1973, the funicular was converted into a rack railway and extended to the Dolder Grand, replacing the connecting bus service.
• Städtische Strassenbahn Zürich (StStZ) – The City of Zürich established the StStZ in 1896 through its acquisition of the EStZ. It subsequently absorbed the ZStG and most of the other operators within the city, completing this process in 1931. The StStZ was renamed Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich in 1950.
• Elektrische Strassenbahn Zürich–Oerlikon–Seebach (ZOS) – The ZOS began operating in 1897 between Leonhardsplatz, now Central, and Oerlikon and Seebach via Stampfenbachstrasse and Schaffhauserstrasse. It later extended from Seebach to Glattbrugg and opened a branch from Oerlikon to Schwamendingen. The company was acquired by the StStZ in 1931, when the Seebach–Glattbrugg and Oerlikon–Schwamendingen sections were closed.
• Industriequartier-Strassenbahn Zürich (IStB) – The IStB opened a route from Bahnhofquai to Escher-Wyss-Platz in 1898, connecting there with the StZH line to Höngg. Trams initially ran through between Bahnhofquai and Höngg, but this arrangement ended in 1901 and passengers had to change at Escher-Wyss-Platz. The StStZ acquired the IStB in 1903 and through services to Höngg resumed.
• Strassenbahn Zürich–Höngg (StZH) – From 1898, the StZH operated from Escher-Wyss-Platz through Wipkingen to Höngg. The StStZ acquired the route in three stages: from Escher-Wyss-Platz to Wipkingen in 1907, onward to Grenzstein Höngg in 1913 and finally to the Wartau depot in 1923.
• Limmattal-Strassenbahn (LSB) – The LSB opened in 1900 and operated an interurban route from the former Zürich city boundary at Letzigraben through Altstetten and Schlieren to Dietikon, together with a branch from Schlieren to Weiningen. The Schlieren–Dietikon section closed in 1928, followed by the Weiningen branch in 1931. The remaining Letzigraben–Schlieren section was then acquired by the StStZ.
• Bremgarten-Dietikon-Bahn (BD) – The BD opened in 1902 as a rural tramway between Dietikon and Bremgarten in the Canton of Aargau. Although outside Zürich, it was indirectly connected with the city's tramways through the LSB at Dietikon. In 2000, the BD merged with the Wohlen–Meisterschwanden-Bahn to form BDWM Transport AG.
• Wetzikon-Meilen-Bahn (WMB) – Opened in 1903, the WMB was a rural electric tramway connecting Kempten and Wetzikon with Meilen on Lake Zürich. From 1909, it connected with the UOeB at Langholz; after the Forchbahn opened in 1912, this provided an indirect link to Zürich's tram network. The WMB closed in 1950.
• Albisgütlibahn (AGB) – Opened in 1907, the AGB was the last privately owned tramway built within Zürich. It connected the municipal network at Giesshübelstrasse with Albisgüetli, the site of that year's federal shooting festival. Traffic declined after the festival, and the company sold three of its five trams to the StStZ in 1913. By 1915, it operated only on Sundays, before being acquired by the StStZ in 1925.
• Uster-Oetwil-Bahn (UOeB) – The UOeB opened in 1909 as a rural tramway from Uster through Esslingen and Oetwil am See to Langholz. It connected with the WMB at Langholz and, following the opening of the Forchbahn, with the FB at Esslingen. The UOeB closed in 1949.
• Forchbahn (FB) – Scheduled services between Zürich Stadelhofen and Esslingen via Forch began in 1912. Originally built with the character of a rural tramway, the route beyond Rehalp was progressively rebuilt with more railway-like infrastructure from the 1950s. Today, S18 services share Zürich's tram tracks between Bahnhof Stadelhofen and Rehalp before continuing over the Forchbahn's own railway infrastructure.
• Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich (VBZ) – The municipal operator adopted its present name in 1950, when the StStZ was renamed VBZ. It remains the principal operator of Zürich's tram services and manages the city's tram infrastructure.
• Verkehrsbetriebe Glattal (VBG) – The organisation that became VBG was established in 1993 to coordinate public transport in the Glattal. VBG developed the Glattalbahn, which opened in three stages in 2006, 2008 and 2010. VBG owns and manages the infrastructure, while its tram services are operated by VBZ on its behalf.
• BDWM Transport AG (BDWM) – BDWM was formed in 2000 through the merger of the Bremgarten-Dietikon-Bahn and Wohlen–Meisterschwanden-Bahn. It operated the Bremgarten–Dietikon railway until 2018, when it merged with the Wynental- und Suhrentalbahn to form Aargau Verkehr AG.
• Aargau Verkehr AG (AVA) – AVA was created in 2018 through the merger of BDWM Transport AG and the Wynental- und Suhrentalbahn. It now operates the Bremgarten–Dietikon railway and passenger services over the Limmattalbahn. The complete Limmattalbahn opened in December 2022 between Bahnhof Altstetten and Killwangen, restoring light rail through the Limmat Valley. Between Farbhof and Schlieren, Geissweid, its services share tracks with Zürich's municipal tram network.

Zürich currently has 19 tram lines, which are listed below. To see more information about a particular line, click on the link in the table below.

The VBZ Netzentwicklungsstrategie 2040–2050 sets out a staged long-term plan intended to create more direct orbital connections between Zürich's outer districts and reduce the need to travel through the city centre.

The principal proposals include:

• A northern tram corridor connecting Affoltern, Oerlikon and Schwamendingen.
• A possible tram extension from Altried towards Wallisellen or Dübendorf.
• Additional connections across Zürich-West and around Bahnhof Altstetten.
• A new inner-ring connection between Albisriederplatz and Milchbuck or Universität Irchel, potentially running through the Hardbrücke and Rosengarten corridors or through a new tunnel.
• Longer-term completion of an outer ring through the Hönggerberg area towards Oerlikon.
• A possible extension from Seebach towards Kloten.

These schemes are strategic proposals rather than committed construction projects, and their routes and implementation dates remain subject to further planning and approval.

Further information is available from VBZ's network development programme (in German).