The Dresden tramway network (German: Straßenbahnnetz Dresden) is a network of tramways forming the backbone of the public transport system in Dresden, a city in the federal state of Saxony, Germany. Opened in 1872, it has been operated since 1993 by Dresdner Verkehrsbetriebe (DVB), and is integrated in the Verkehrsverbund Oberelbe (VVO).

As of 2008^[update], the network comprised 12 tram lines, with a total line length of approximately 210 kilometres (130 mi) and a total route length of 132.7 kilometres (82.5 mi). There was 291.6 kilometres (181.2 mi) of track, which translated into 132.7 kilometres (82.5 mi) of actual tram line, serving 154 tram stops.

1872-1906

The origins of the Dresden tramway network can be traced back to the year 1872, when the first horse-drawn line opened between the city centre and the former village of Blasewitz, now a borough of Dresden. London based entrepreneur Arnold von Etlinger acquired the licence to build and operate the line that remained the only tram line in Dresden until 1880. In that year, British entrepreneur Alfred Parrish successfully negotiated with the city of Dresden for the concession to expand the city's tram network. In the following years, his enterprise 'Tramway Company of Germany Limited' build several new tram lines. A competing tram line company was founded in 1889. The 'Deutsche Straßenbahngesellschaft in Dresden' (German Tramline Company in Dresden) opened its first line in 1892. Dresden's first electric tram line from Blasewitz to Laubegast was opened in 1893. Between 1893 and 1900, all of the horse-tram lines were substituted for electric ones. By 1906, both tram companies had been bought by the city of Dresden to be merged into the 'Städtische Straßenbahnen zu Dresden'. At the highpoint of their usage, up to 1455 horses were used at the same time as part of the cities horsetram network.

The Dresden tramway network is a mixed system of traditional street running, especially in the inner city boroughs close to the city centre, and modern light rail. The network uses the unique gauge of 1,450 mm (4 ft 9+3⁄32 in), which is just 15 mm or 19⁄32 inch wider than 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge. This gauge is sometimes called the Dresden Gauge.

In recent years, street running has been replaced by independent right-of-way arrangements wherever possible, and new extensions created in the same form. In November 2008, a 2.8-kilometre (1.7 mi) extension of line 7 was opened from Gorbitz to Pennrich, in Dresden's south eastern suburbs. In May 2011, a 1.6-kilometre (0.99 mi) extension of line 10 opened from Friedrichstrasse to the city's Messe or exhibition centre, involving construction of a 315-metre (1,033 ft 6 in) long, 15-metre (49 ft 3 in) wide and 5.4-metre (17 ft 9 in) high bridge across the floodplain of the River Elbe. In July 2019, routes 9 and 13 were realigned along a 1.1-kilometre (0.68 mi) section to provide better connections with regional trains at Dresden-Strehlen station.

Unlike various other German cities of comparable size, no stadtbahn style tunnel sections or high platform stops have been created. Many tram stops have been rebuilt so as to be fully accessible to physically disabled persons, and to allow level boarding to the newer low floor trams that now operate most services.^{[citation needed]}

Different lines can be identified by a line number and a colour code. As of 2017^[update] the lines are: