After four years of steam tram exploitation the plans for electrification were realised. They became possible after founding two new public power plants - in Zabrze (1897) and in Chorzow (1898). In 1898 Kramer&Co. was given a licence for building and exploitation of an electric local railway from the centre of Katowice to Zawodzie. Other plans for electric lines were:
*) It seems quite necessary to explain the political situation of Upper Silesia before World War I. Since 1795 Poland did not exist as an independent State. It was divided between Prussia (Germany), Russia and Austria. The borders of the mentioned States moved over the years, but since the end of the Napoleon's Wars (1815) they became quite stable, and they met in today's Upper Silesian Industrial Region. What we call Upper Silesia belonged to Germany before 1914 and today is the central and western part of the region (towns west of Piekary Slaskie, Siemianowice Slaskie, Katowice and Myslowice). Dabrowa Coal Basin (Russian until 1914) is the north-eastern part consisting of Sosnowiec, Bedzin, Czeladz and Dabrowa Gornicza. Jaworzno and Chrzanow (east of Myslowice) were the Austrian part of the region.None of the lines mentioned above were built by Kramer&Co. Instead the company focused on electrifying the existing lines. The original 34.5 km long line from Gliwice to Piekary Slaskie through Zabrze, Ruda Poludniowa, Chebzie, Lipiny, Chorzow, Bytom and Szarlej was electrified as the first one together with the line Katowice - Alfred - Siemianowice. Both lines were re-opened on October 3rd 1898. One month later electric trams started operation on line Katowice - Dab - Chorzow. In February 1899 the line from Zabrze to Bytom through Biskupice was electrified. Minor parts of the system in Gliwice were electrified in the same year, putting the last horse-drawn trams out of service. On November 11th 1899 a new electric-powered line was opened - from Szombierki near Bytom through Chebzie to Wirek. The last main steam line from Chorzow to Alfred (Siemianowice) disappeared on July 12th 1900. Between 1898 and 1900 a new depot was opened in Lagiewniki between Bytom and Chorzow. The new rolling stock was of course narrow gauge (785 mm) with seats of 2nd and 3rd class. Its electric part was constructed by German company Schuckert, while the body was most probably American or on American licence (four axles on two bogies, trolley pole instead of pantograph and overall appearance quite similar to early American interurban cars). The cars were called Walker, most probably after the body producer's name. |
 One of the first photos of a Walker type car.  The terminus on the Market Square (Rynek) in Katowice.  Walker cars on a passing loop in Bytom.  Today's Piastow Sq. in Gliwice. |
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Competition and Co-operation In 1898 competition appeared. A new company - Schikora&Wolff from Katowice - received a licence to build the following electric tram lines:
The competition led to problems. There were constant arguments about usage of common tracks, and the profits were endangered. After some negotiations the competitors decided to co-operate instead. On July 7th 1899 another company was formed in Bytom - Schlesische Kleinbahn AG (SK, Silesian Local Railways). It bought all shares of Oberschlesische Dampfstrassenbahn GmbH and Oberschlesische Kleinbahnen und Elektrizitats Werke AG and started the exploitation of trams. Properties like tracks (100 km in 1900), stations on Gliwice - Raciborz railway, depots and the small power-plant in Chorzow Batory still belonged to two old companies. |
 One of the earliest pictures of OKEW trams.  The terminus near the railway station in Bytom.  The junction in Chorzow Batory (near the railway station).  19th century electric poles in Katowice. |
Oberschlesische Dampfstrassenbahn kept expanding its tracks. The following lines were opened in 1901:
On January 1st 1904 Schlesische Kleinbahn moved from Bytom to Katowice. At that moment it was the only tram operator in Upper Silesia carrying ca. 9-10 million passengers yearly, and the total length of tracks belonging to ODS and OKEW was over 120 km (not including the 50 km long Gliwice - Raciborz railway). The rolling stock included 120 motor cars and 203 trailers, as well as 10 steam locomotives, 29 passenger rail cars, 126 goods cars, 19 luggage vans and 8 special (works) cars. The new company building in Katowice on today's Matejki Street served different tram (and bus) companies for the following 80 years. On November 1st 1907 came the first case of abandonment of a line. Due to lack of passengers, service on a short (3.7 km) line between Ruda Poludniowa and Rudzka Kuznica stopped after just 6 years of operation. After a short time the line was dismantled and Ruda waited for trams for another 50 years. |
 Walker type car in the centre of Gliwice.  3 Maja street in Katowice. |
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First standard gauge trams In the first decade of the 20th century the expansion of tramways ceased. Instead, in cooperation with Allgemeine Elektrizitats Gesellschaft (AEG, General Electricity Company) the power system was upgraded in 1910-12. In order to avoid the use of high voltage supply straight from power plants, 18 substations were built. The small power plant in Chorzow Batory had to stop operation. At the same time re-gauging the tracks to standard gauge (1435 mm) together with adding a second track on main lines were considered. The estimated cost was 7.5 million German Marks. In 1908 the first double-track was built on the present day 3 Maja Street in Katowice (0.5 km long). The first standard gauge line (single-track though) from Katowice to Kosciuszki Park (southern part of Katowice) was opened on June 12th 1912. It was only 2 km long. A small depot was built next to Kosciuszki Park. The plan was to extend the line to Brynow and Ligota, but after 1912 the scheme was abandoned. |
 One of the first standard gauge cars in Upper Silesia. |
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In the same time the authorities of Bytom decided to build a separate tram system connecting the villages located west of Bytom with the town centre. On October 23rd 1913 a standard gauge system started operation under a new company - Stadtische Strassenbahn Beuthen (SSB, Bytom Municipal Tramways). The system included three lines: I Bytom (Market Square) - Karb - Miechowice II Karb - Dabrowa Miejska (Bytom (Market Square) - Karb - Dabrowa Miejska on market days and Sundays) III Bytom (Market Square) - Depot (on today's Piekarska street) For the first time numeration (with Roman numbers instead of Arabic) of lines was introduced. New rolling stock was bought from Linke Hofmann Busch - short cars with two axles (20 motor cars and 14 trailers), most probably produced in Gorlitz (another plant still in operation - now owned by Siemens). The total length of the tracks was just 7.5 km. After less than a year Line III was suspended due to lack of passengers, but the tracks on the present Piekarska Street were not dismantled as they were the only way to the depot. The service started again in 1939 with number 33, later changed to 35, and then to the now famous Line 38. |
 An LHB-Gorlitz car ordered by SSB.  An LHB-Gorlitz trailer in the Bytom depot. |
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In the summer of 1914 the World War I broke out. Though the military operations went on far from Upper Silesia, the war caused many changes in the tram service. Firstly the number of passengers went down - for example since 1915 the service on line Katowice - Kosciuszki Park was available only on summer afternoons. In 1917 the service ceased completely, and it was not restored till 1926. Secondly for the first time women were allowed to work in trams (mostly as ticket inspectors, but also as drivers). Obviously, no investments were made during the war. But the most important effect of the war was the rebirth of Polish State (officially on November 11th 1918) which claimed its rights to Upper Silesia. Since the region was highly industrialised and after the war it became the main German source of coal and steel, the German authorities would not listen to any Polish demands. After a long argument, including a plebiscite and three uprisings (in 1919, 1920 and 1921), in 1921 the international authorities (with strong French influences) decided to divide the region. From that moment just Gliwice, Zabrze and Bytom remained in Germany. Poland received the rest of Upper Silesia, and whole Dabrowa Coal Basin (formerly Russian). That of course caused the division of the tramway system. Schlesiche Kleinbahn AG tram routes in 1920: Katowice - Dab - Chorzow - Bytom (service every 30 minutes) Bytom - Chebzie - Wirek - Chorzow (service every 30 minutes) Chorzow - Chorzow Batory (service every 10 minutes) Katowice - Chorzow Batory - Swietochlowice - Bytom (service every 30 minutes) Zabrze - Biskupice - Bobrek - Bytom (service every 30 minutes) Katowice - Szopienice - Myslowice (service every 10 minutes to Zawodzie, every 20 minutes to Szopienice, every 40 minutes to Myslowice) Katowice - Welnowiec - Siemianowice (service every 30 minutes) Katowice - Kosciuszki Park (service suspended since 1917) Chorzow - Chorzow Stary - Siemianowice (service every 30 minutes) Bytom - Lagiewniki - Chropaczow - Lipiny (service every 30 minutes) Bytom (Pogoda) - Szarlej - Piekary (service every 20 minutes) Gliwice (railway station) - Wojtowa Wies (today's Puszkina Street) (service every 10 minutes) Gliwice (today's Zygmunta Starego Street) - Zabrze - Lipiny - Chorzow (service every 30 minutes, every 15 minutes between railway station in Gliwice and Poremba) Gliwice (railway station) - Trynek (service every 15 minutes) |
 Polish insurgents checking a tram on a temporary border during one of the uprisings.  Walker car on today's Jagiellonska Street in Bytom.  Another Walker car on today's Krakowska Street in Bytom.  Today's Zwyciestwa Street in Gliwice.  Narrow and standard gauge tracks on Kosciuszki Sq. in Bytom. |