The City of Birmingham Tramways Company Ltd was formed on the 29^th September 1896 to take over the assets of the Birmingham Central Tramways Company, with the intention of converting the whole system to overhead electric traction. It was anticipated that the approval of Birmingham Corporation would be forthcoming, however negotiations broke down on the 7^th June 1898 without agreement. Nevertheless the conversion went ahead.

On the 14^th May 1901 the battery-electric cars on the Bristol Road route were replaced by overhead electric traction, the initial service being operated by Nos. 151-165, open-top double-deckers from the Electric Railway, Tramway and Carriage Works of Preston.

In June 1902, control of the Company passed to the BET, who began negotiations with the surrounding authorities in consequence of Birmingham’s decision (reached on 7^th March 1899) to work all the tramways in the city themselves. The BET maintained that if this came to fruition then it would be necessary to change cars every time one reached the boundary and through running could only be guaranteed if the BET were in control of all the tramways. In 1903 they promoted a Bill, which would have given them compulsory running powers over Birmingham Corporation track. The Corporation, however, realising that through running was required were prepared to come to some agreement, but argued against compulsion – and the Bill was defeated.

On the 9^th June 1903 the Company was granted a 21-year lease of the tracks of the former Birmingham and Aston Tramways Company by Aston Manor UDC, and cars 189-216, delivered in 1903 and 1904 in a crimson and cream livery, actually carried the coat of arms of Aston Manor UDC on the sides, even though they were owned by the Company. Services commenced on 19^th September 1904, when the first car in Aston ran between Aston Church and Steelhouse Lane, Birmingham (by arrangement with Birmingham Corporation). Further routes in Aston were opened on 27^th October 1904 (Victoria Road to Six Ways) and 14^th November 1904 (Aston Cross to Gravelly Hill – extended to Erdington on 22^nd April 1907).

However, most of the Company’s leases in Birmingham expired on the 31^st December 1906 (which was also the last day of steam operation in Birmingham), and, on the 30^th June 1911, the Company’s lease on the routes to Cotteridge via Pershore Road, Selly Oak via Bristol Road and the cable tramway to Handsworth, expired. The remaining services passed to Birmingham Corporation on the 30^th December 1911, along with 61 electric cars, leaving the way clear for the Corporation to unify and expand the tramway system.

Nos. 1-10 ex-Birmingham Central Tramways Co. Ltd. (Nos. 1-10, new 1884) in 1896.
Withdrawn 1906 (1-10).

Nos. 1-56, 58-82 ex-Birmingham Central Tramways Co. Ltd. (Nos. 1-56, 58-82, new 1884 (1-14), 1885 (15-50), 1886 (51-56, 58-70), 1893 (71-72), 1894 (73-82)), in 1896.
Nos. 91-92 ex-Birmingham & Aston Tramways Co. Ltd. (Nos. 22-23, new 1886), in 1904.
Nos. 93-97 ex-Birmingham & Midland Tramways Co. Ltd. (Nos. 13, 29, 30, 27, 28 respectively, new 1899, 1896, 1895, 1899 and 1900 respectively), in 1904.
Withdrawn 1898 (60-62 [ex-Birmingham Central Beyer Peacock locos]), by 1907 (1-97; all scrapped – except 85, 86, 89, 90, 96, 97 which were retained for shunting cable cars until 1911).

Nos. 11-74 ex-Birmingham Central Tramways Co. Ltd. (Nos. 11-74, new 1884 (11-23), 1885 (24-54), 1886 (55-74)), in 1896.
Nos. 125-136 were single-ended.
(Nos. 137-140 were to have been similar to 131-136 but were never built).
Withdrawn by 1907 (11-74, 125-136).

Nos. 75-100, 113-118 ex-Birmingham Central Tramways Co. Ltd. (Nos. 75-100, 113-118, new 1888 (75-94), 1889 (95-100), 1895 (113-118)), in 1896.
Nos. 141-150 rebuilt as electric cars in 1905.
Withdrawn 1905 (141-150), 1911 (75-100, 113-124, 172-177).

Battery Electric Cars

Nos. 101-112 ex-Birmingham Central Tramways Co. Ltd. (Nos. 101-112, new 1890), in 1896.
Withdrawn 1901 (101-112).

Nos. 151-171, 178-192 had reversed staircases.
Nos. 193-256 had direct staircases.
Nos. 181-188 re-trucked with 4-wheel Brush L&C radial trucks in 1904.
Nos. 189-192 ex-Sheerness & District (Nos. 9-12, new 1903) in 1904.
Nos. 193-208 re-trucked with Brush 8ft flexible wheelbase trucks in 1909-10.
Nos. 257-262 rebuilt from withdrawn cable cars Nos. 141-150; to Dudley & Stourbridge Tramways Co. (re-numbered 63-68) in 1912.
Nos. 152, 154, 156, 158, 160, 162, 164, 166, 168, 170, 178, 180, 181-188, 193-208, 212-214, 220, 222-227, 229, 231, 233-234, 236-242, 246, 247, 249, 251 to Birmingham Corporation Tramways in 1912 (re-numbered (502-511, 451-452, 473-480, 453-468, 481-497, 469-472, 498-501 respectively).
The remaining cars were distributed by the BET to other subsidiaries (including at least 23 to the South Staffordshire Tramways and 4 to Devonport & District).