Leipziger Verkehrsbetriebe GmbH (LVB, 'Leipzig Transport Company, LLC') operates one of Germany's largest tramway networks. The tramway network history is presented below in tabular form, including opening, electrification, and closing dates by segment. Street names of the time are used in the tables, with current names in (parentheses).

On 20 April 1871, the Leipzig local authority granted to Count ("Graf") Gabriel Diodati and Geneva banker Adolph Schaeck a concession for construction of horse tramway lines. Construction was started in February 1872. On 24 May 1872, six days following the opening of the initial segment, the company, its property and concession was taken over by the Leipzig Tramways Company Ltd., organized in London by the British engineer Hutton Vignoles. The undertaking continued to use the LPE title in the German Empire. The LPE was taken over on 1 January 1896 by the Großen Leipziger Straßenbahn (GLSt, "Greater Leipzig Tramway") undertaking.

After the new transport system had worked satisfactorily and enjoyed increasing popularity with Leipzig citizens, the company planned extensions to link surrounding districts of Leipzig with the tramway network.

The second tramway undertaking in Leipzig, the LESt, was founded on 3 April 1893 and entered into the municipal Trade Register (Handelsregister) on 7 May 1895. The electrical-equipment manufacturer AEG served as the principal financial backer of the new undertaking. Because LESt cars were painted red, the company was known colloquially as the Rote ("Red One"). The competing tramway enterprise (LPE, from 1896 the GLSt) operated blue cars, and was known as the Blaue ("Blue One"). The concession for construction and operation of electric tramways was granted to LESt on 28 February 1895. Construction began after a short planning period on 11 June 1895. Because of the regulation limiting the length of each LESt segment in the same road as competing lines to just 400 meters, the company built a substantial length of lines in parallel roads and unreasonable workings in nearby side streets, which remain today

After the backbone network of the LESt was developed, the company built only shorter extensions at various extremities and the town center. Issues related to the struggle between competing tramway enterprises proved burdensome to the local authority, and so merger of the companies was sought during the First World War. This was accomplished from 1 January 1917, when the LESt was absorbed by its larger competitor, the GLSt.

The course of events prompted the LPE to convert its network to electric traction. For this purpose, on 15 November 1895 the Große Leipziger Straßenbahn AG was entered into the municipal Trade Register. Effective 1 January 1896, the LPE, together with its contracts with the electrical manufacturer Union-Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft (UEG) and the banking house of Becker & Co, was handed to GLSt.

Because the competing enterprise was already busy with construction of an extensive electric tramway network, electrification of the horse tramway lines had to be advanced hastily. Within 18 months, the entire horse traction network had been changed to overhead electric traction.

The company also built new lines, because many districts were not yet served by the Leipzig tramway network.