This is a worldwide list of accidents involving trams (or streetcars in U.S. English) in which there was significant damage to the tramcar or involving severe injury or death to those in the tramcar. Pedestrian fatalities are outside the scope of this list.
Argentina On 12 July 1930, an electric tram no. 75 on Line 105 travelling from Temperley to Lanús in Greater Buenos Aires, Argentina, plunged into the Matanza River when the driver attempted to cross the Bosch Bridge without realising that the central bascule was raised. 56 out of 60 passengers died and only 4 survived, making this the deadliest tram accident anywhere in the world.
Australia On 15 January 1864, well-known Anglo-Australian musician and composer Isaac Nathan was hit and killed by a Sydney horse tram when his clothing was caught in the door, whilst he was attempting to alight. Nathan is reputed to be one of the first tram fatalities in the Southern Hemisphere (many sources claim that it was the first such accident).The London Jewish Chronicle of 25 March 1864 reported from Sydney:Mr. Nathan was a passenger by No. 2 tramway car [...] [he] alighted from the car at the southern end, but before he got clear of the rails the car moved onwards [...] he was thus whirled round by the sudden motion of the carriage and his body was brought under the front wheel.David Crowden, Isaac Nathan: the Biographical Puzzle: Part One – article in Australian Jewish Historical Society Journal, Volume XXIII Part 4, June 2018, AJHS Sydney. On 28 September 1913, a Rockhampton steam tram and its trailer capsized on a sharp bend while returning from the Rockhampton Botanic Gardens resulting in three fatalities. One man died instantly, while two women later died from their injuries in hospital.Tram Car Capsize; Passenger killed outright , The Morning Bulletin, 29 September 1913. Retrieved from National Library of Australia 4 April 2018.Tram Car Capsize: Two fatalities among passengers , The Capricornian, 4 October 1913. Retrieved from National Library of Australia 4 April 2018.Third victim dies: Rockhampton tram accident , The Daily Standard, 7 October 1913. Retrieved from National Library of Australia 4 April 2018. On 21 August 1924, a coupled set of Sydney tram E-class cars ran out of control near McMahon's Point, derailed and crashed into a house. There were two fatalities, and the trams were extensively damaged.D. R. Keenan, The North Sydney Lines of the Sydney Tramway system, Transit Press, Sans Souci, n.d., pp. 35, 104 with photographs On 22 May 2017, a Melbourne tram was hit by a truck in Parkville, hospitalising 14.
Austria On 2 August 1960, a tram ran away in Vienna, Austria and collided with another at a crossroads. Eighteen people were killed and 104 were injured. On 21 April 2015, twelve people were injured after two trams collided in Vienna.
Bosnia and Herzegovina On 12 February 2026, a tram derailed in Sarajevo, killing one and injuring four.
Brazil On 27 August 2011, a Santa Teresa Tram in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil derailed, killing six people and injuring at least fifty.
Canada On 26 May 1896, in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a Consolidated Electric Railway Company tram car carrying 143 people plunged into a harbour after the bridge it was crossing collapsed. The disaster killed 55 people and left an unknown number of others injured. On 7 July 1915, a severely overloaded Niagara Falls Park and River Railway open-sided car went out of control while descending the Niagara Escarpment near Queenston, Ontario. Fifteen people died, and many others were injured. On 11 December 1944, a major snowstorm caused a Toronto Transportation Commission streetcar to overturn near Queen and Mutual Streets. One person was killed, and 50 injured.
Croatia On 31 October 1954, a Zagreb tram ran away down Mirogoj Road and crashed. Nineteen people were killed and 37 were injured.
Czech Republic On 11 April 2008, two Ostrava trams crashed in a head-on collision in a single-track section of the Ostrava-Poruba – Kyjovice-Budišovice tram line near Vřesina. Three people were killed and 66 were injured. The tram driver of one of the trams, who ignored a stop signal, was later sentenced to three years in prison for reckless driving.
Finland On 15 September 1920, a Vyborg tram derailed and overturned at a junction. Five people, including the tram driver and a pedestrian, were killed and at least 10 were injured. On 15 June 1945 a freight train collided with a Helsinki tram in Sörnäinen harbour. 6 passengers were injured. On 13 September 2007 a Helsinki tram caught fire next to Pasila railway station. Nobody was injured but the tram suffered heavy damages.
France On 11 January 2025, two trams collided at the Gare Centrale, Strasbourg. At least 30 people were injured.
Germany On 17 December 1960, a Convair C-131D Samaritan airplane crashed into the city of Munich and struck a tram and people on the street. The tram's trailer burnt out, and all of its occupants died at the accident site or in hospitals. All 20 persons in the airplane and 32 on the ground were killed. On 23 August 1999, a "CitySprinter" prototype tram under evaluation by Cologne Stadtbahn (KVB) ran into the rear of another at Christophstrasse Station, an underground station. Seventy people were injured, seven seriously. The accident was initiated by the failure of the vehicle's electronics, thus blocking control over the brakes, and the passengers' emergency brake was inhibited, as required by safety regulations for tunnels. But the driver missed the opportunity to use a separate emergency halt button. KVB then decided to buy "Bombardier Flexity Swift" trams instead. In 2014, a Düsseldorf tram derailed and overturned at a junction. Several people were injured. On 15 March 2018 A collision between two trams in Cologne injures 43 people. The driver of one of the trams is suspected to have been driving under the influence of alcohol. On 4 February 2020 A tram operated by the Duisburger Verkehrsgesellschaft, derailed in Duisburg and hit a power pole frontally. Two passengers were lightly injured, the driver was stuck in his booth and was seriously injured. The tram itself got towed and was declared as destroyed. On 2 November 2020, two trams collided head-on in Cologne. At least 15 people were taken to hospital, including both drivers who suffered serious injuries.
Hong Kong In 2013 a Light Rail vehicle was derailed after attempting to take a bend too fast. Seventy-seven people were injured. On 6 April 2017, Hong Kong tram No. 123 was in an accident on Des Voeux Road. It was reported to have been travelling too fast and to have collided with a bus and overturned on a bend. Fourteen people were injured. The driver was consequently jailed for eleven months and disqualified from driving any vehicle for two years.
Japan On March 25, 2025, According to Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Tourism has officially confirmed in a report that two tram vehicles have collided at Kumamoto Castle station, operated by Kumamoto City Transportation Bureau in Kyushu Island. Seven people were injured. (Source: Japan Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation, Tourism)
Isle of Man On 5 April 1930, the tram depot at Laxey, Isle of Man was destroyed by fire. Manx Electric Railway trams 3, 4, 8 and 24, plus trailers 34, 35, 38–41 and 44 were destroyed. Trailer 60 was damaged. On 30 March 2016, Snaefell Mountain Railway car No. 3 ran away from with nobody on board. The tram derailed before reaching Bungalow station and was destroyed.
Italy On 23 September 1890, a number of tram cars left the track between Florence and Fiesole; five passengers were killed. On 16 August 2016 two trams had a head-on accident in Trieste, causing the suspension of the only line still active in the city. Since that day the line has been suspended and has currently never been restored. On 27 February 2026, a tram derailed in Milan, crashing into a building. Two people were killed and 39 people were wounded.
Netherlands On 3 June 1902, a Haarlemsche Tramway-Maatschappij tram derailed at the Raambrug, Haarlem, North Holland and plunged into a canal. On 7 August 1927, two trams of the "Gooische Stoomtram" tramway company crashed in a head-on collision in a single-track section near Laren, North Holland. Four people were killed and seven seriously injured. On 27 October 1943, two trams of the "Rotterdamsche Tramweg Maatschappij" tramway company collided with each other on a crossroads near Spijkenisse. Eight people were killed and about forty injured.http://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010317023:mpeg21:a0007 Nieuwe Tilburgsche Courant, 30 October 1943 On 2 September 2018, a RET tram ran into the rear of another tram on Dwarsdijk, Rotterdam, injuring nine people. On 16 March 2021, an Utrecht sneltram tram carrying six passengers collided with a van and was derailed in Herculeslaan, Utrecht. On 17 April 2021, an Utrecht sneltram collided with a car and was derailed in Koekoeslaan, Nieuwegein, Utrecht. On 11 July 2025, two trams collided in the Kruisplein, Rotterdam. Eight people were injured. On 22 July 2026, two trams collided on the Erasmus Bridge, Rotterdam. More than eighteen people were injured.
Norway
On 15 May 1937, an Oslo Tramway tram derailed in Sannergata street and crashed with a taxi and a timber truck. The taxi driver and a passenger in the truck were killed, and several people injured. On 2 August 1958, an Oslo Tramway tram caught fire in Strømsveien Street. Five people were killed, seventeen were injured. On 28 March 2023, the Bergen light rail crashed into its end stop. All twelve passengers were reported injured. On 29 Oct 2024 an Oslo Tramway tram derailed in Oslo, crashing into Eplehuset, an Apple computer reseller shop. Four people injured.
Poland On 7 December 1967, a heavily loaded tram in Szczecin, Poland, consisting of one power car and two trailers, ran away downhill after the dynamic brakes failed, and derailed and overturned on a bend. The accident killed 15 people and injured around 150, 40 of them seriously. On 3 September 1987 two trams collided in Warsaw, resulting in 7 fatalities and 73 injured. The young motorman of the tram heading eastbound did not realize the track was switched to take a left turn and caused a head-on collision with a tram heading westbound. Just a few hours later another serious crash occurred in Warsaw. Two trains collided at the Warszawa Włochy station, resulting in another 8 fatalities and several dozen wounded. This day was later called "The Black Thursday". In Poznań on 8 September 1993 the motorman of tram No. 10 mistook which route the line was set for and went off the track. The tram fell on its side and then hit the wall of a building. Five people were killed and sixty wounded, the driver was sentenced to three years in prison.
Portugal On 15 December 2018, a tram derailed and overturned in Lisbon. Twenty-eight people were injured. On 7 April 2019, an electric tram in Lisbon injures seven ‘mainly foreign’ passengers. Four people injured on 3 February 2021 due to the derailment of a tram, followed by a collision with another, in downtown Lisbon. On 17 August 2023, a collision between two trams in Lisbon causes 13 minor injuries to several tourists and three children. On 3 September 2025, the Ascensor da Glória derailed in Lisbon, killing 16.
Romania On 15 February 1994, a V3A tram heading towards Piața Muncii derails at Piața Iancului in Bucharest due to a faulty switch. The last (third) section of the tram tips over and falls over several passengers waiting at the station for the opposite direction, killing between 1 and 3 people (the exact number is unknown)