Here's an interim update (not all cities have been updated at this stage) with a supplementary note to show how the newer Australian lines/systems sit in the overall picture. There are two tables to view below. First is the list of the 28 systems that move more than 100 million people per annum. The new Australian systems aren't in this list because their patronage is still pretty tiny. The second list uses the UITP method of assessing how busy or intensively used each system is based on number of passengers carried per route km. Some world systems moving less than 100 million ppa appear on this list because, even though they don't move a huge number of people in the overall picture, the number that they do move is concentrated very intensely into a small length of route km.
I've added all of the Australian systems into this second list (at the end) to show where they sit in terms of intensity of use. Their figures would be typical of many of the newer tram systems/lines opened around the world in recent decades ... from small beginnings and all that. Sydney (IWLR) has already made it into a world league, sitting between Sofia and Melbourne. When CSELR is opened, on the initially anticipated early figure of (hopefully) 30 million ppa, when added to IWLR it should sit somewhere in the vicinity of Moscow's figure, putting Sydney's tramways back in their rightful place! CSELR's potential is suggested closely by the Jerusalem system (one line at present) which has a similar single line operated likewise by coupled five-module Citadis. As you can see, it quickly became one of the world's busiest tram systems, the most stunningly succesful of the modern new lines in the international tram revival. I hope Sydney can emulate it. The low Melbourne figure may surprise some, as the system is obviously very intensively used in some areas, but it has to be borne in mind that the average is spread over very large route km.
If the second gen Sydney system were still alive today, it would be (based on its peak figures) the busiest system in the world and on its more typical figure (around 300 million ppa) and intensity of use (over large route km) it would sit roughly alongside Vienna today. Lists below....
Tony P
World tram and light rail systems transporting over 100 million passengers per annum
1. Budapest: tram 396 mill pass p.a., 156 route km, 2,530,000 pass per route km.
2. Prague: tram and light rail 360 mill pass p.a., 142 route km, 2,535,211 pass per route km.
3. Bucharest: tram and light rail 322 mill pass p.a., 145 route km, 2,220,680 pass per route km.
4. St Petersburg: tram 312 mill pass p.a., 205 route km, 1,521,950 pass per route km.
5. Vienna: tram and light rail 305 mill pass p.a., 223 route km, 1,367,713 pass per route km.
6. Warsaw: tram 270 mill pass p.a., 120 route km, 2,250,000 pass per route km.
7. Moscow: tram 252 mill pass p.a., 163 route km, 1,546,010 pass per route km.
8. Paris: tram and Translohr 233 mill pass p.a., 104 route km, 2,240,380 pass per route km.
9. Zagreb: tram 214 mill pass p.a., 148 route km, 1,445,940 pass per route km.
10. Zurich: tram 212 mill pass p.a., 126 route km, 1,682,539 pass per route km.
11. Cologne: light rail 210 mill pass p.a. 195 route km, 1,076,920 pass per route km.
12. Hong Kong: tram and light rail 206 mill pass p.a. (estimated), 49 route km, 4,204,080 pass per route km.
13. Melbourne: tram and light rail 204 mill pass p.a., 250 route km, 816,000 pass per route km.
14. Brno: tram 188 mill pass p.a., 139 route km, 1,352,510 pass per route km.
15. Yekaterinburg: tram 180 mill pass p.a., 180 route km, 1,000,000 pass per route km.
16. Berlin: tram 173 mill pass p.a., 192 route km, 901,040 pass per route km.
17. Stuttgart: light rail 170 mill pass p.a., 192 route km, 885,410 pass per route km.
18. Istanbul: tram and light rail 151 mill pass p.a., 34 route km, 4,441,170 pass per route km.
19. Krakow: tram 150 mill pass p.a., 90 route km. 1,666,666 pass per route km.
20. London: tram and light rail 144 mill pass p.a., 61 route km, 2,360,655 pass per route km.
21. Dresden: tram 145 mill pass p.a., 134 route km, 1,082,080 pass per route km.
22. Gothenburg: tram 140 mill pass p.a., 144 route km, 972,220 pass per route km.
23. Basel: tram 135 mill pass p.a., 103 route km, 1,310,679 pass per route km.
24. Leipzig: tram 134 mill pass p.a., 148 route km, 905,400 pass per route km.
25. Amsterdam: tram 130 mill pass p.a., 138 route km, 942,020 pass per route km.
26. Brussels: tram 123 mill pass p.a., 139 route km, 884,890 pass per route km.
27. Munich: tram 105 mill pass p.a., 79 route km, 1,329,110 pass per route km.
28. Sofia: tram 102 mill pass p.a., 154 route km, 662,377 pass per route km.
World’s busiest tram and light rail systems by passengers per route km
Ranked by passengers per route km. Information from left to right is: ranking by total patronage per annum (if ranking not shown, the system carries below 100 million pass p.a.), route km of system, passengers per route km.
18. Istanbul: tram 151 mill pass p.a., 34 route km, 4,441,170 pass per route km.
12. Hong Kong: tram and light rail 206 mill pass p.a. (estimated), 49 route km, 4,204,080 pass per route km.
Tokyo: 66 mill pass p.a. (estimated), 17 route km (estimated), 3,920,000 pass per route km.
Sarajevo: 88 mill pass p.a. (estimated), 23 route km, 3,840,000 pass per route km.
Jerusalem: 39 mill pass p.a., 14 route km, 2,826,000 pass per route km.
2. Prague: tram and light rail 360 mill pass p.a., 142 route km, 2,535,211 pass per route km.
1.Budapest: tram 396 mill pass p.a., 156 route km, 2,530,000 pass per route km.
20. London: tram and light rail 144 mill pass p.a., 61 route km, 2,360,655 pass per route km.
6. Warsaw: tram 270 mill pass p.a., 120 route km, 2,250,000 pass per route km.
8. Paris: tram and Translohr 233 mill pass p.a., 104 route km, 2,240,380 pass per route km.
3. Bucharest: tram and light rail 322 mill pass p.a., 145 route km, 2,220,680 pass per route km.
10. Zurich: tram 212 mill pass p.a., 126 route km, 1,682,539 pass per route km.
19. Krakow: tram 150 mill pass p.a., 90 route km. 1,666,666 pass per route km.
7. Moscow: tram 252 mill pass p.a., 163 route km, 1,546,010 pass per route km.
4. St Petersburg: tram 312 mill pass p.a., 205 route km, 1,521,950 pass per route km.
9. Zagreb: tram 214 mill pass p.a., 148 route km, 1,445,940 pass per route km.
5. Vienna: tram and light rail 305 mill pass p.a., 223 route km, 1,367,713 pass per route km.
14. Brno: tram 188 mill pass p.a., 139 route km, 1,352,510 pass per route km.
27. Munich: tram 105 mill pass p.a., 79 route km, 1,329,110 pass per route km.
23. Basel: tram 135 mill pass p.a., 103 route km, 1,310,679 pass per route km.
21. Dresden: tram 145 mill pass p.a., 134 route km, 1,082,080 pass per route km.
11. Cologne: light rail 210 mill pass p.a. 195 route km, 1,076,920 pass per route km.
15. Yekaterinburg: tram 180 mill pass p.a., 180 route km, 1,000,000 pass per route km.
22. Gothenburg: tram 140 mill pass p.a., 144 route km, 972,220 pass per route km.
25. Amsterdam: tram 130 mill pass p.a., 138 route km, 942,020 pass per route km.
24. Leipzig: tram 134 mill pass p.a., 148 route km, 905,400 pass per route km.
16. Berlin: tram 173 mill pass p.a., 192 route km, 901,040 pass per route km.
17. Stuttgart: light rail 170 mill pass p.a., 192 route km, 885,410 pass per route km.
26. Brussels: tram 123 mill pass p.a., 139 route km, 884,890 pass per route km.
13. Melbourne: tram 204 mill pass p.a., 250 route km, 816,000 pass per route km.
28. Sofia: tram 102 mill pass p.a., 154 route km, 662,377 pass per route km.
Other Australian systems for comparison:
Sydney (IWLR): tram and light rail 10 mill pass p.a., 13 route km, 769,230 pass per route km.
Adelaide: tram and light rail 8 mill pass p.a., 15 route km, 533,333 pass per route km.
Gold Coast: tram 6 mill pass p.a., 13 route km, 461,000 pass per route km.