After negotiations, the VR Group was chosen as the operator of the Tampere light rail in 2019.

The company Tampereen Raitiotie Oy (TRO), owned by the city of Tampere, is responsible for the vehicle stock and infrastructure.

After a bidding contest, the Kajaani-based company Škoda Transtech was chosen as the provider of the vehicle stock in October 2016.

[14] A competing provider complained to the market court about this decision, where the complaint was rejected in October 2017.

After this Transtech and the city of Tampere signed an agreement about delivery of the Artic X34 tram vehicles.

[20] In September 2024 an agreement was made for Transtech to extend eleven of the trams with an extra 10 m long module, increasing the vehicles' capacity by 30%.

[22] The model of the Tampere tram is ForCity Smart Artic X34 and they are 37.3 metres long, low-floored and drivable in both directions.

[26] After the war, subsequent plans for a tram system in Tampere were made as late as 1929, but these, again, were not realised.

[27] In 2001, the city took the initiative in planning a light rail network when a rail traffic project group was formed to study the construction of such a system by the Finnish Ministry of Traffic & Communication, VR Group and various cities in the Greater Tampere area.

The group completed its work in 2004, recommending a tram-train system utilising pre-existing railroad sections, newly built track and a tunnel section under central Tampere to avoid traffic jams.

The tunnel under the center of the city was also found problematic, as constructing such a tunnel would have forced the light rail lines to completely bypass important traffic hubs such as TAYS (Tampere University Hospital).

According to these recommendations, the initial parts of the light rail system would be opened in 2015.

[32] A subsequent intermediary report submitted on 5 March 2009 proposed four different alternatives for the future development of public transport in Tampere, all of which included the realisation of a light rail system.

[9][36] The city of Tampere asked for tenders from consultants with experience in designing light rail/tram systems during the summer of 2010.

The plan was that the consultant's report should be ready by the end of April 2011, after which the city council will make the decision on whether or not to proceed with the construction of a light rail system.

[37] A final decision was made in the city council on 7 November 2016 to start construction and to purchase trams.