 | Parts of this article (those related to 2013) need to be updated.(November 2019) |
There are several rapid transit systems in France. Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Paris, Rennes and Toulouse all have metro systems. Twenty-six French cities have light rail and tram systems.
| Location | Name | Year opened | Stations | Total route length | Year of last extension |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lille | Lille Metro | 1983 [1] | 60 [2] | 45 km (28 mi) [2] | 2000 [1] |
| Lyon | Lyon Metro | 1978 [3] | 42 [3] | 34.4 km (21.4 mi) [3] | 2023 [3] [note 1] |
| Marseille | Marseille Metro | 1977 | 31 [4] | 22.7 km (14.1 mi) [4] | 2019 |
| Paris | Paris Métro | 1900 [5] | 320 [6] [7] | 245.6 km (152.6 mi) [6] [7] | 2024 |
| Rennes | Rennes Metro | 2002 | 28 | 22.4 km (13.9 mi) | 2022 |
| Toulouse | Toulouse Metro | 1993 [8] | 37 [8] | 28.2 km (17.5 mi) [8] | 2007 [8] [note 2] |
Trams in France go back to 1837 when a 15 km (9.32 mi) steamtram line connected Montrond-les-Bains and Montbrison in the Loire. [9] With the development of electric trams at the end of the 19th century, networks proliferated in French cities over a period of 15 years. Although nearly all of the country's tram systems were replaced by bus services in the 1930s or shortly after World War II, France is now in the forefront of the revival of tramways and light rail systems around the globe. Only trams lines in Lille and Saint-Étienne have operated continuously since the 19th century. Since the opening of the Nantes tramway in 1985, more than twenty towns and cities across France have built new tram lines. As of 2013, there are 25 operational tram networks in France, with 3 under construction and 4 more planned. France is also home to Alstom, a leading tram manufacturer. [10]
The RATP Group is a French state-owned enterprise (EPIC) that operates public transport systems. Headquartered in Paris, it originally operated under the name Régie autonome des transports parisiens. Its logo represents, in a stylized version, the Seine's meandering through the Paris area as the face of a person looking up. The company had described itself as the fourth-largest presence in public transport.
The Lyon Metro is a rapid transit system serving Lyon Metropolis, France. First opened in 1974, it currently consists of four lines, serving 42 stations and comprising 34.4 kilometres (21.4 mi) of route. Part of the Transports en Commun Lyonnais (TCL) system of public transport, it is supported by two funiculars and a tramway network.
Line A is a line on the Lyon Metro that runs between Perrache and Vaulx-en-Velin–La Soie. It was constructed using the cut-and-cover method, and went into service on 2 May 1978. It, together with Line B, were the inaugural lines of the Lyon Metro. An extension of Line A from Laurent Bonnevay–Astroballe to Vaulx-en-Velin–La Soie opened in 2007. The line currently serves 14 stations, and is 9.2 kilometres (5.7 mi) long. Line A trains run on tires rather than steel wheels; it is a rubber-tired metro line.
Line B is a line on the Lyon Metro in France that runs between Charpennes–Charles Hernu and Saint-Genis-Laval–Hôpital Lyon Sud. It was constructed using the cut-and-cover method, and went into service on 2 May 1978. Together with Line A, it was one of the inaugural lines of the Lyon Metro. It has since been extended three times: from Part-Dieu to Jean Macé in 1981, from Jean Macé to Stade de Gerland in 2000, from Stade de Gerland to Oullins railway station in 2013 and to Saint-Genis-Laval–Hôpital Lyon Sud in 2023. The line serves 12 stations, and is 10.2 kilometres (6.3 mi) long. Line B trains run on tires rather than steel wheels; it is a rubber-tired metro line.
Line C of the Lyon Metro is the modern incarnation of the Funiculaire Croix-Rousse – Croix-Paquet, an old cable-hauled railway operating on part of the current alignment.
Line D is a rapid-transit line on the Lyon Metro. It runs east–west underneath the two major rivers of Lyon, France, connecting Vieux Lyon with the Presqu'ile and the Part-Dieu region. Line D commenced operation under human control on 4 September 1991, between Gorge de Loup and Grange Blanche. It was extended from Grange Blanche to Gare de Vénissieux on 11 December 1992, when it switched to automatic (driverless) operation, also known as MAGGALY. On 28 April 1997, the line was extended from Gorge de Loup to Gare de Vaise.
The Lille Metro is a driverless light metro system located in Lille, France. It was opened on 25 April 1983 and was the first to use the VAL system. While often referred to as the first fully automated driverless metro of any kind in the world, the Port Liner in Kobe, Japan predates it by two years. The light metro system is made up of two lines that serve 60 stations, and runs over 45 kilometres (28 mi) of route.
The Nantes tramway is a tramway system operating in the city of Nantes in Pays de la Loire, France. The first tramway in Nantes opened in 1879 and closed in 1958 due to bombing damage during World War II, while the present tramway was re-introduced to the city in 1985.
The Nice tram is a 27.5-kilometre (17.1 mi), triple-line tram in the city of Nice in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France. It is operated by the Société nouvelle des transports de l'agglomération niçoise division of Transdev under the name Lignes d'azur.
The Transports en commun lyonnais is the Lyon public transport agency. It is the second largest public transport system in France, and covers 72 communes, including all 58 communes of the Metropolis of Lyon, spread over 746 square kilometres (288 sq mi).
The Lyon tramway comprises eight lines, seven lines operated by TCL and one by Rhônexpress, in the city of Lyon, France. The original tramway network in Lyon was developed in 1879; the modern network started operation in 2001.
The Toulouse tramway is a two-line tram system in Toulouse, Midi-Pyrénées, France, and operates from Toulouse to the suburb of Beauzelle, passing through Blagnac. The Line T1 tramway serves 24 stations, and runs over of a route that is 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) long. Including the three-station, 2.4-kilometre (1.5 mi) branch line of Line T2 which opened in April 2015, the entire Toulouse tramway serves 27 stations and is based on the Alstom Citadis 302 family of low-floor trains.
Semitan is the company responsible for the comprehensive public transport network of Nantes Métropole, the urban community of the French city of Nantes. The network operated by Semitan is marketed under the name and logo TAN and this abbreviated form is also sometimes used to refer to the company. Semitan is itself an acronym for the Société d'Economie Mixte des Transports de l'Agglomération Nantaise. The TAN network comprises three Tramway lines, two Busway lines, an extensive network of buses, an airport shuttle bus line, two Navibus lines and a night bus network. A single common fare system covers all these modes and also extends to suburban trains within the Métropole boundaries, although these trains are not operated by Semitan.
The Lille tramway is a public transit system in the city of Lille in Hauts-de-France, France. The tramway is often called the Mongy, after Alfred Mongy, the engineer who created the interurban lines that make up the current system.
Rhônexpress is an express tram-train service which links central Lyon, France, with its airport, Lyon–Saint-Exupéry Airport, and the TGV railway station located there. In 2010, it is one of the most expensive airport-to-city lines in Europe per kilometer.
Rhône-Alpes is a major European transit hub, linking northern France and Europe to the Mediterranean area. Millions travel along its motorways in summertime from Paris to holidays at the sea. The E15 Euroroute runs through the region. There are international airports at Lyon, Grenoble and Saint-Étienne and many other minor airports and airfields.
The Compagnie des Transports Strasbourgeois is the company responsible for the comprehensive public transport network of the Eurométropole de Strasbourg, the urban community of the French city of Strasbourg.
The Casablanca Tramway is a low-floor tram system in Casablanca, Morocco. As of 2019, it consists of two lines - T1 from Sidi Moumen to Lissasfa, and T2 from Sidi Bernoussi to Aïn Diab—which intersect at two points and form a 47 km (29 mi) network with 71 stations. Two additional lines, T3 and T4, are scheduled to open in 2024.
RCP Design Global or RCP is an independent design agency based in Tours and Paris (France) founded by Régine Charvet-Pello in 1986. RCP is predominantly based in the transport and mobility design, and specialises in urban transport, High-speed rail, interiors, public spaces and street furniture. RCP is the French leader on sensory design.