At the end of the 19th century, rapid urbanisation took place in Zagreb. As many European cities already had a tram network, Zagreb city officials started discussing the idea of installing a
horsecar system as well. Zagreb newspaper Bič satirically wrote in 1885 “Trams have been introduced, but, of course, in Vienna, Graz and Budapest.”
Trams should have been put in service on 15 August 1891, on the opening day of the Jubilee Economic-Forestry Exhibition. Due to vehicle delivery delay, however, the tram was instead put in service on 5 September 1891, with a ticket costing 6
Hellers. In 1910, by the time the horse-drawn trams started being phased out because of the electrification of the network, the rolling stock had risen up to 17 closed and 15 open-air units. What is now the
Nikola Tesla Technical Museum was previously the location of the first tram depot in Zagreb, opened in 1891 on Savska street. The first tram tracks spanned from
Eugen Kvaternik Square to Mandaličina Street, branching off to
West Railway Station and Sava Bridge. In the first year of operation, the network transported more than a million people, despite Zagreb having a population of only around 40,000. 28 electric T-50 trams replaced the old fleet, produced by
Ganz in
Hungary. In 1911, an additional 7 T-70 trams were delivered, featuring a stronger engine and better brakes. In 1916, because of a lack of investment caused by the
World War I, the service worsened, prompting the
City Savings Bank to buy the majority of the shares of
Zagreb Electric Tram, the transit authority in Zagreb, placing it in the hands of the city. Soon in 1924, the M-24 started production, an upgraded version with a steel frame. In the 40s and 50s, they were converted from double-end to single-end, and were put out of service in 1977, replaced by the
Tatra T4YU trams. In the following years, the tram network expanded, even during
World War II, under the leadership of Dragutin Mandl. The first units built after the war were the two-axle
TMK 101 trams, a big upgrade from the M-24 trams. Also designed by Mandl, the first three prototype units (TMK 100) were built by ZET workshops in 1951, but after it was concluded that ZET did not have the capacity to build that many trams, the work was given to the
Đuro Đaković factory. A few of them were replaced by the GT6 series, but they were in regular use until the
TMK 2200 series came in 2005, Built from 1973 to 1975 by Đuro Đaković,
TMK 201 trams were the successors of TMK 101 trams, being similarly designed, but technically significantly different. They were in use until 2025, being replaced by
TMK 2400 trams. , 2003 The first trams crossed the Sava river in 1979, when
Sopot, in the
Novi Zagreb district, was connected with Držićeva Street by the Youth Bridge. From 1976 to 1983, 95 Tatra T4YU units with corresponding B4YU trailers were manufactured for Zagreb by
ČKD. The T4YU units are a type of the
T4 series made for Yugoslavia, and have the same equipment as T4D units, which were used in Germany. They were nicknamed "Čeh", meaning "a Czech". After the
Croatian War of Independence, from 1994 to 1998, ZET bought and received 35 used
Duewag GT6 trams (5 of them are GT6 "type Mannheim") from
Mannheim, Germany. They were brought as a temporary solution, as the lack of funds prevented the buying of new vehicles. They did not last long on the streets and were eventually replaced by the new TMK 2200 trams and scrapped. In May 2005, the first prototype was delivered. It features air-conditioning, cameras inside and outside (instead of rear view mirrors), and a maximum speed of . The last tram of the original order was delivered on 28 May 2007, and on 7 June, Zagreb organised a tram parade where all 70 TMK 2200 trams drove through the streets of Zagreb, to celebrate a new generation of low-floor trams. In July 2007, a contract for an additional 70 TMK 2200 vehicles was signed, which would have a redesigned seat layout allowing wider passages and additional handrails on the ceiling. The 140th unit entered service on 30 June 2010, featuring a redesigned seat layout allowing wider passages, and additional handrails on the ceiling. In 2009 and 2010, ZET received 2
TMK 2300 (TMK 2200-K) trams, shorter versions of the TMK 2200s. They operate on less busy and nighttime lines. ZET received the first unit on 1 December, and after testing, the tram went into service on 27 December. In 2023 and 2024, ZET signed two contracts with Končar to buy a total of 40 new
TMK 2400 trams, an upgraded version of the TMK 2300 model, worth around €80 million. The first unit entered service on 10 March 2025.
Construction of tram tracks ==Network==