Since as long ago as 1879, Public Transport needed to grow  with the ever increasing population of the Town. In 1879 Corporations were obliged to lease tramways to private companies but had no powers themselves to be able to self operate. One of those companies was the Sunderland Tramways Co. Ltd who began by running between  Monkwearmouth and Roker on 28th April 1879 using a horse driven Tram.

As the towns needs for more transport they extended over the Wearmouth Bridge into Fawcett Street continuing on to Christ Church.  They then continued on to Tatham Street via Grey Road returning back to the town. A branch would later come off at Borough Road, down Cousin Street to the Docks.

In there expansion, Sunderland would see the service extended up High Street and Hylton Road, Villers Street to the Workhouse and one from the Gas Office Corner  up Holmeside and Vine Place to Reynoldson Street. Southwick Urban District Council  would connect at the Sunderland Boundary and extend the line to the Green.

In 1884, Sunderland Tramways were refused permission to extend there lines up to the new housing developments of Chester Road for one of two reasons. One was that they only had 6 years of their lease left to run and secondly the Council wished to run the Public Transport themselves.