Gothenburg Tramway

The Gothenburg Tramway is the public transport system of trams in the city of Gothenburg, Sweden. Forming the backbone of transport in Gothenburg, the tramway serves larger parts of the city and surrounding urban areas. The traffic is operated by Göteborgs Spårvägar AB and the infrastructure is managed by the Gothenburg Traffic Administration Office, while Västtrafik AB serves as the transit authority.

Gothenburg Tramway
Logo
Overview
Owner	Gothenburg Municipality
Transit type	Tram
Number of lines	11 regular
Number of stops	132 (list)
Annual ridership	100 million
Chief executive	Linda Rudenwall
Headquarters	Göta Källare
Operation
Began operation	1879; 146 years ago (1879)
Operator(s)	Göteborgs Spårvägar AB
Character	At-grade urban rail
Rolling stock	293 tramcars (list)
Technical
System length	173 km (107 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Electrification	750 V DC overhead line
Top speed	60 km/h (37 mph)
System map

Currently, the tramway system have 132 stops on 11 regular lines in service. Most lines is passing through Brunnsparken, which is effectively the central hub of public transport, and generally departures every 10 minutes during rush hour. The network consists of 173 km (107 mi) of single track, making it the largest tramway network in the Nordic countries by length. In 2024, the ridership was an estimated 125 million people.

Trams have operated in Gothenburg since 1879. The Liseberg Line is an independent heritage line co-operated by the Ringlinien Tramway Society. The trams of Gothenburg are an iconic feature of the cityscape.

History

A horse-drawn tram near Slottsskogen, c. 1900. The Skansen Kronan can be seen in the background.

The first tram line in Gothenburg was started in 1879 by the Gothenburg Tramways Company Ltd, based in England. This was a horse-drawn tramway, which stretched from Brunnsparken to Stigbergsliden. The city bought the tramway by the end of 1899, and introduced electrically powered trams only three years later when Sigfrid Edström led the electrification of the trams. During the next 40 years, the tram system was heavily expanded, reaching outside the city borders by 1907, and Hisingen in 1940.

In the 1960s, plans for converting the tram system to an underground rapid transit system were created, and the new tram sections to the suburbs of Tynnered, Angered, Bergsjön, and Länsmansgården were built free from level crossings and partly in tunnels to make a future conversion to underground standards easier. However, after further investigation, it was concluded that it would be too expensive to dig the necessary tunnels under the city centre, as the foundation of the city is partially made up of clay.

An M25 driving down the Avenyn, 1963. This was prior to the driving side switch.

When Sweden's switch to right-hand traffic in 1967 made existing unidirectional trams obsolete, Gothenburg was one of only two cities in Sweden to maintain its city-centre tramway, the other such network to survive being the Norrköping Tramway.

The expansion of the net through the Kringen Project is gradually creating a tramway ring around the city centre. In 1999, the first step was started, which most notably included Chalmers Tunnel which was opened for traffic in 2002, connecting the Chalmers tram stop with the Korsvägen tram stop. The second and third steps are currently in the planning stage.

An M32 at Redbergsplatsen, November 2009. The traditional landshövdingehus can be seen in the background.

Since 2010, the previously used magnetic stripe cards have been replaced with RFID cards. Ticket machines taking coins and credit cards have also been installed on the trams, along with a text message system where tickets may be purchased with mobile phones.^[1] From about 2019, a phone app has become the leading mode of ticket purchase.

Network overview

Most tram lines pass through Brunnsparken, which is effectively the central hub of public transport in Gothenburg. The exception is Line 8. The Central Station is also a major stop, especially because it is the nearest stop not only for train passengers but also passengers coming from the neighbouring Nils Ericson Terminal, where coaches, airport buses to Landvetter Airport and Säve Airport and regional buses stop. Korsvägen is another major stop, where Line 6 and Line 8 meet lines going into the city centre and out to Mölndal. Most tram lines are on the south side of the river, but Line 5, Line 6, and Line 10 cross Hisingsbron to the north side.

Line	Route	Stops
	Tynnered – Frölunda – Högsbotorp – Marklandsgatan – Linnéplatsen – Järntorget – Stenpiren – Brunnsparken – Centralstationen – Redbergsplatsen – Härlanda – Östra Sjukhuset	29
	Högsbotorp – Marklandsgatan – Linnéplatsen – Annedal – Vasaplatsen – Grönsakstorget – Brunnsparken – Centralstationen – Skånegatan – Korsvägen – Krokslätt – Mölndal	27
	Marklandsgatan – Mariaplan – Vagnhallen Majorna – Stigbergstorget – Järntorget – Vasa Viktoriagatan – Valand – Brunnsparken – Centralstationen – Redbergsplatsen – Härlanda – Kålltorp	30
	Mölndal – Krokslätt – Korsvägen – Valand – Brunnsparken – Centralstationen – express route – Gamlestadstorget – Angered	21
	Östra Sjukhuset – Torp – Lisebergs Station – Korsvägen – Valand – Brunnsparken – Lilla Bommen – Eketrägatan – Biskopsgården – Länsmansgården	36
	Kortedala – Kviberg – Gamlestadstorget – Redbergsplatsen – Skånegatan – Korsvägen – Chalmers – Sahlgrenska – Linnéplatsen – Järntorget – Grönsakstorget – Brunnsparken – Nordstan – Eketrägatan – Biskopsgården – Länsmansgården	46
	Tynnered – Frölunda – Högsbotorp – Marklandsgatan – Sahlgrenska – Chalmers – Vasaplatsen – Valand – Brunnsparken – Centralstationen – express route – Gamlestadstorget – Kortedala – Bergsjön	35
	Frölunda – Högsbotorp – Marklandsgatan – Sahlgrenska – Chalmers – Korsvägen – Skånegatan – Redbergsplatsen – Gamlestadstorget – Angered	25
	Kungssten – Vagnhallen Majorna – Stigbergstorget – Järntorget – Brunnsparken – Centralstationen – express route – Gamlestadstorget – Angered	21
	Guldheden – Chalmers – Vasaplatsen – Valand – Brunnsparken – Lilla Bommen – Eketrägatan – Biskopsgården	23
	Saltholmen – Kungssten – Mariaplan – Ekedal – Stigbergstorget – Järntorget – Stenpiren – Brunnsparken – Centralstationen – express route – Gamlestadstorget – Kortedala – Bergsjön	35

Rolling stock

The types of tramcars currently running in Gothenburg are:

Image	Name	Notes
	M29	It was manufactured by Hägglund & Söner in Örnsköldsvik and delivered between 1969–1972. Numbered 801–860. Each tramcar weighs circa 17 tonnes, is 14.16 metres long, and has the capacity of 38 seated and 88 standing. It has a Bo'Bo' wheel arrangement, and normally operates in duo-unit. Currently, 51 vehicles are in use. It will be decommissioned on 1 June 2026.
	M31	Being the reconstructed version of the M21, it was rebuilt by Mittenwalder Gerätebau GmbH in Germany. It was delivered between 1998–2002. The new model was articulated with low floor intermediate. Numbered 301–380. The tram weighs 34.5 tonnes, is 30.66 metres long, and has the capacity of 77 seating and 111 standing. It has a Bo'+1'1'+Bo' wheel arrangement. Currently, 80 vehicles are in use. It will be decommissioned 15 years after its revision (estimated circa 2038–2042).
	M32	It was manufactured by AnsaldoBreda in Italy and delivered between 2004–2013. Numbered 401–465. The tram weighs 39.8 tonnes, is 29.55 metres long, and has the capacity of 82 seating and 104 standing. It has a Bo'+0+2'+0+Bo' wheel arrangement. Currently, 62 vehicles are in use. It will be decommissioned 20 years after its delivery (estimated circa 2025–2033).
	M33	It was manufactured by Alstom in Germany and delivered between 2020–2023. The unidirectional (M33A) and bidirectional (M33B) version is numbered 490–499 and 500–530 respectively. The tram weighs circa 40 tonnes, is circa 33 metres long, and has the capacity of 75 seating and 155 standing. It has a Bo'+2'2'+Bo' wheel arrangement. Currently, 30 unidirectional and 10 bidirectional vehicles are in use. It will be decommissioned 30 years after its delivery (estimated circa 2050s).
	M34	Being the longer version of the M33 (M33C), it is manufactured by Alstom in Germany and will be delivered between 2025–2027. Numbered 601–660. The tram weighs circa 67 tonnes, is circa 45 metres long, and has the capacity of 303 people. It has a Bo'Bo'+0+2'2'+0+Bo'Bo' wheel arrangement. Currently, 60 vehicles are ordered and 14 are in use.

In 2013 work with deciding new tram stocks began. By April 2016, it was announced that a minimum 40 trams of the new model M33 had been ordered from Bombardier Transportation Sweden AB/Vossloh Kiepe GmbH for delivery by year 2019.^[2] In 2022, Västtrafik ordered 40 more trams of the same model, an order that was later expanded to 60, to be designated M34. They were first put in service on 19 January 2025.^[3] When all M33 and M34 trams are delivered in 2026, the old M29 trams still in service will be decommissioned.^[4][5]

There is a fleet of heritage trams used in the network. One of the oldest trams, M1 15, which was built in 1902, is preserved in operational condition.

Depots

The depots in Gothenburg are:

• Ringön Depot (RÖX) - in the Tingstadsvassen district, opened at the beginning of June 2020, space for approx. 100 trams in full build-out.^[6]
• Majorna Depot (MX) - oldest and largest depot, opened in 1921, space for approx. 70 trams, all M28 vehicles are stationed here in 2025.^[7]
• Rantorget Depot (RTX) - former name Vagnhallen Gårda, opened in 1985, there is a car park on the roof of the depot.^[8]
• Slottsskogen Depot (SLX) - belonged to Säröbanan, which was shut down in 1965, used as a tram depot from 2012; the open spaces were cleared in 2025.^[9], space for 48 15-metre trams or 24 30-metre-long trams.
• Gårda Depot (GX) - built in 1930, 8 tracks, length approx. 90 metres, home to the Gothenburg Tram Museum since 2011.

Accidents

• On the morning of 12 March 1992, a major tram accident occurred at Vasaplatsen, injuring 46 and killing 13.
• In the evening of 19 June 2025, a tram crashed into a restaurant, injuring several people.^[10]

See also

• Norrköping Tramway
• Stockholm Metro