Wynyard Quarter's historic trams to resume this summer

The historic tram service, which was introduced in 2011, has struggled to attract passengers.

Auckland's historic trams at Wynyard Quarter are set to resume service this summer.

Auckland Council has advertised for an operator to run the service on a 1.5km circular track around the popular Wynyard Quarter.

It follows a decision by the council's governing body in November last year to reinstate the route until the America's Cup in 2021 at a cost of $1.8 million, then review its future.

The tram's operator, Panuku Development Auckland, had wanted to scrap the service, which was introduced in 2011 and struggled to attract passengers. Numbers fell from a peak 52,653 during the Rugby World Cup to a few hundred before the loop was decommissioned in August last year.

Puneet Dhall, who has campaigned to keep the trams, welcomed the return of the trams in Wynyard Quarter.

"The joy of travel is amazing. We need to get people onto the trams," said Dhall, saying there needs to be a stronger emphasis on marketing.

He said the bigger vision has always been for the old trams and light rail, or modern-day trams, to connect the districts of Wynyard Quarter and Britomart.

He plans to bring a business case to council for a wider service within a year.

Auckland Mayor Phil Goff said last year his gut feeling was he did not want to destroy the tram before it is given a fair go.

"If we rip it up it is gone forever and we will die wondering," said Goff, who said it could be a magnet for people from all around the world.

An image of how light rail could look like in Wynyard Quarter.

Last year, Dhall believed the service could make a profit of $100,000 a year and $700,000 with HOP card technology and extending the line to Britomart. The figures were based on discussions with tram line operators in Christchurch, Melbourne and Bendigo in Victoria, he said.

Panuku has been cool on keeping the trams running, viewing them as something to activate Wynyard Quarter, not provide a transport service.

Panuku chief operating officer David Rankin told councillors last year the board believed there were only two options for the trams, cease operations or reinstate the full original loop and relocate the tram depot to a new site costing $6.6m.

The board believed the money would be better spent on a new park at the end of Wynyard Quarter or in suburban areas it is looking to develop.

"This came down to a matter of priorities in a restrained resource environment," Rankin said.