Opened in 1894, the network has been operated since 1991 by Städtische Verkehrsbetriebe Zwickau [de] (SVZ), and is integrated in the Verkehrsverbund Mittelsachsen (VMS).

Between Stadhalle and Zwickau Zentrum stations, Die Länderbahn operates mainline diesel services alongside trams, sharing two intermediate stations.

[2] The reason for this is the poor condition of the track on the tram line to the railway station, which is closed until further notice.

[1] The KT4D trams were originally built from 1983 to 1990 and modernised in 1992-1996 and again from 2001, when they received new chopper control systems.

A contract was signed in December 2021 with LEIWAG (a consortium of HeiterBlick [de] and Kiepe Electric) and Zwickau will receive six new 30 m long trams.