Birmingham Corporation Tramways

Birmingham Corporation Tramways
Birmingham Corporation Tram in 1953, shortly before the service was scrapped.
Operation
Locale	Birmingham
Open	4 January 1904
Close	4 July 1953
Status	Closed
Infrastructure
Track gauge	3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)
Propulsion system(s)	Electric
Electrification	(600 V DC)
Statistics
Route length	80.5 miles (129.6 km)

Birmingham Corporation Tramways operated a network of tramways in Birmingham from 1904 until 1953. It was the largest narrow-gauge tramway network in the UK, and was built to a gauge of 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm). It was the fourth largest tramway network in the UK behind London, Glasgow and Manchester.

There were a total of 843 trams (with a maximum of 825 in service at any one time), 20 depots, 45 main routes and a total route length of 80+1⁄2 miles (129.6 km).^[1]

Birmingham Corporation built all the tramways and leased the track to various companies.

Birmingham was a pioneer in the development of reserved trackways which served the suburban areas as the city grew in the 1920s and 1930s.