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Construction work began in 1897 and was undertaken by the local company George Law of Comberton Hill,<ref name=Voice9>[[Bibliography#Other Publications | Voice (2017)]] p. 9.</ref> who also built the Bridgnorth Cliff Railway and many years later would build [[The Engine House]] for the SVR. The tramway was built to a gauge of 3'6" and subject to a speed limit of 5mph in town and 12mph in open country.<ref>[https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MWR7562&resourceID=1035 Kidderminster and Stourport Electric Tramway on the Heritage Gateway web site]</ref> Unusually for a tramway, the majority of the main line outside the urban areas was on sleeper track at the side of the road,<ref>Great British Tramway Networks, Wingate H. Bett & John C. Gillham, 1940</ref> running on its own right of way with a macadam surface. This rural part of the system was referred to as a "tramroad" as opposed to the "tramways" of the urban road sections.<ref>[[Bibliography#Other Publications | Voice (2017)]] p. 8.</ref>
Services were advertised to begin on Monday 23 May 1898, although a last minute decision that more test running was required meant that passengers were not carried until Wednesday 25 May 1898.<ref>[[Bibliography#Other Publications | Voice (2017)]] p. 12.</ref> The fare from Comberton Hill, near Kidderminster Station the Stourport river bridge was 3d.<ref>[https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001005/18980528/095/0007 Dudley Herald - Saturday 28 May 1898 on the British Newspaper Archive]</ref> Services were initially provided by six single-deck power cars, with a carrying capacity of 24 passengers, and three trailer cars with a capacity of 40 passengers.<ref> The Engineer, June 24 1898</ref> The first six power cars were Brush-built and were an unusual design, being fully enclosed and the first tramcars with windscreens to operate in Britain. The open-sided trailer cars proved unsuitable and were converted to independent power cars around September 1899. Later various other new and second-hand rolling stock was used, with several of the power cars being converted to double-deck.<ref>[[Bibliography#Other Publications | Voice (2017)]] Appendix 1 – ''The Tramway Fleet''</ref>
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