▁the ▁operation ▁of ▁public ▁trans it ▁was ▁un pop ular , ▁and ▁resulted ▁in ▁a ▁ 4 6 - day ▁trans it ▁strike . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁tram , ▁horse ▁drawn , ▁ran ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 6 ▁on ▁Can eb ière . ▁The ▁elect r ification ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 9 ▁and ▁preced ed ▁he ▁delivery ▁of ▁new ▁electric ▁tram c ars , ▁all ▁similar ▁as ▁to ▁keep ▁a ▁consistent ▁pool ▁of ▁cars . ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 5 , ▁a ▁batch ▁of ▁bog ie - tr am c ars ▁was ▁purchased , ▁these ▁were ▁equ ipped ▁with ▁tra ilers ▁and ▁were ▁used ▁on ▁sub urban ▁lines . ▁ ▁The ▁system ▁compr ised ▁purely ▁urban ▁lines ▁and ▁sub urban ▁lines , ▁which ▁stretch ed ▁to ▁out lying ▁villages . ▁Many ▁tram ▁lines ▁joined ▁in ▁the ▁centre ▁of ▁Marse ille ▁on ▁the ▁Can eb ière ▁and ▁har bour , ▁resulting ▁in ▁head ways ▁of ▁less ▁than ▁a ▁minute ▁in ▁the ▁centre ▁city . ▁ ▁This ▁huge ▁network ▁was ▁modern ised ▁by ▁the ▁constant ▁introduction ▁of ▁newer ▁tram c ars , ▁to ▁replace ▁the ▁older ▁ones . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 8 , ▁thirty - three ▁tra ilers ▁were ▁recuper ated ▁from ▁Paris . ▁ ▁These ▁meant ▁that ▁revers ible ▁con vo ys ▁could ▁be ▁operated . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 9 , ▁the ▁tram way ▁company ▁owned ▁and ▁operated ▁ 4 3 0 ▁tram c ars ▁and ▁ 3 5 0 ▁tra ilers ▁and ▁