- Horse-Drawn Era (1880–1902): The network first opened on March 25, 1880, using horse-drawn cars to link the city centre with surrounding suburban corridors like Point Road and Florida Road.
- Electrification (1902–1935): The system was fully electrified starting May 1, 1902, introducing iconic double-decker electric trams that became a defining feature of central streets such as West Street (now Dr Pixley Kaseme Street) and Smith Street (now Anton Lembede Street).
- Transition & Trolleybuses (1935–1949): Beginning February 24, 1935, the city began phasing out electric rail trams in favour of electric trolleybuses, which offered greater flexibility on growing road networks.
The Final Run
The last electric tram in Durban—tram No. 7015, fondly nicknamed “Old Faithful”—made its final run on August 2, 1949 along Musgrave Road, officially bringing the rail tram era to an end. Trolleybuses continued to serve Durban until they were phased out in April 1968.
