World Tramdriver Championship


The TRAM-WM World Tramdriver Championship is the world championship for competitive tram driving.

History

In 2012, the first Tram-EM was created for the 140th anniversary of the Dresden tram network. The championship is hosted yearly in Europe by rotating local transit companies in cooperation with the Dresden-based production company that created the concept.
TRAM-EM has been a registered trademark since 2014.

Going from European to World Championship

In 2022, a non-European team was invited to compete for the first time, with Melbourne, Australia joining the event in Leipzig and finishing 10th. In 2024, Wiener Linien announced on their website that they planned to host the event in 2025 and to turn it into a World Championship by inviting teams from Africa, South America, Southeast Asia and Australia. In September 2025 it was confirmed that the 2025 iteration of the competition in Vienna was to be the first World Championship. Melbourne, Australia will host the next World Championship in 2027, with Warsaw, Poland hosting a European Championship the year prior.

Concept

The Tram-EM competition is a team competition where each team consists of one female tram driver, one male tram driver and one team supervisor. The competition is open to European public transport agencies, who may submit one team each.
The championship is split into two rounds, with each driver taking the controls once. Each round consists of 6 disciplines. The disciplines could be stopping at a target, emergency braking, measuring side clearance during a curve, stopping exactly at a tram stop, speed estimation with a hidden speedometer, precision driving past a gate, "tram billiards," or "tram bowling." The skill at each discipline, in addition to the time to complete each discipline, influences the score. The event includes a team procession, practice rounds, social events for drivers, competition, and award ceremony.
The competitions have long been tied-in to public celebrations of the hosting transit agency, such as the 140th anniversary of the Dresden tram network, the 10th anniversary of the Barcelona tram network, and the 150th anniversary of the Viennese tram network. The goal of the competition is to give tram operators an international platform to share experience.

Events

YearHost countryLocationWinning countryWinnerDate
2012Germany

2023 edition

The 2023 edition was hosted in Oradea, Romania, after the planned 2020 edition had to be postponed and ultimately canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
PositionCountryCityPoints
1Austria

2024 edition

The 2024 edition was held in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. 26 teams of two members each took part. The rolling stock used was Bombardier Flexity Classic which are designated Baureihe S by the Frankfurt tramway operator. Each competitor partook in six tasks worth a maximum of 500 points each with the overall time taken worth another 500 points. Each team of two participants did the whole tournament once each, resulting in a total theoretical maximum of 7,000 points per team. Here are the final results:
PositionCountryCityPoints
1Hungary

2025 edition

The 2025 championship was the first to invite teams from multiple countries outside Europe. It was thus renamed "TRAM-WM World Tramdriver Championship". The championship took place in Vienna on 13 September.
The championship featured two drivers representing each country, with a team's overall score finalised after two runs of the each challenge; points were also awarded for overall speed. The structure of the championship was not significantly different from other years.
ChallengeDescription
Stop and GoA container of water is attached to the front of the tram. The driver has to stop in three target areas while trying to avoid spilling the water. More points are awarded the less water is spilt.
Speed and target brakingThe driver must accelerate to 25 km/h, without the use of a speedometer, then stop in a target area.
Tram BowlingThe driver must hit a large ball into five pins. Points are awarded for each pin knocked over, but if the tram itself hits a pin, no points are awarded.
Precision reversingThe driver must reverse the tram, while receiving audio cues from their teammate, with points awarded based on how close the tram stops to the centre of the target area.
Lateral distanceThe driver and their teammate place an obstacle at the side of the track. Points are awarded for how close to the side of the tram the object is after the driver drives toward it. Zero points are awarded if the tram hits the obstacle.
Exact stopThe driver must stop the tram, with points awarded for how close the second door is to the centre of the target area.
Tram CurlingA trolley is placed in front of the tram and pushed. Points are awarded for how close the trolley is to the centre of the target area after it stops.

Results
PositionCountryCityPoints
1Austria