TRAMWAYS played an important part in the borough's early transport infrastructure.o

In 1881 a horse tramway was opened by the North London Suburban Tramway Co between Stamford Hill and Ponders End with a depot at the aptly named Tramway Avenue.

The northernmost point of the line at Ponders End was barely used and was soon abandoned.

But elsewhere it was extended from Seven Sisters to Finsbury Park and later a branch was opened from Manor House to Wood Green.

In 1887 steam traction replaced horses on the tramways. Tramcars were pulled along by mini locomotives .

Steam trams were used for long periods but ultimately their existence was curtailed by the effect of heavy vehicles on lightly laid track. It resulted in a spate of broken rails while passengers on the top of an open deck often had to contend with being showered in cinders.

The persistent problems with the trams contributed to the bankruptcy of the North London Suburban Tramway Company in 1891 and its routes were taken over by the North Metropolitan Tramway Company, which soon abandoned steam trams and reverted to horse traction.

In 1901 a new company, Metropolitan Electric Tramways, was formed with a mission to rebuild, extend and electrify the existing system.

The section along Seven Sisters Road between Finsbury Park and Tottenham was electrified in 1904 and the programme was extended northwards through Edmonton to Tramway Avenue the following year.

The line was further extended north through Enfield along Hertford Road to Waltham Cross in 1908.

The tramway to Enfield Town via Green Lanes was completed in 1909 and served the north-western part of Edmonton.

In 1933 London's buses, trams and underground railways were taken over by the London Passenger Transport Board, run predominantly by the bus industry.

When it became apparent that improvements had to be made to the track for much of north London, the organisation decided to bring in trolleybuses.

These used the overhead power supply already in place and all tram routes through Edmonton, Green Lanes and New Southgate were taken over by trolleybuses in 1938.