 | 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] | 321 [6] [7] | 245.6 km (152.6 mi) [6] [7] | 2025 |
| 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 primarily in Paris, France. 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 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 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 Toulouse Metro is a rapid transit system serving Toulouse Métropole, France. It is the only metro system in Occitania. The city's public transport system was initially managed by the Société d'économie mixte des voyageurs de l'agglomération toulousaine, which was a company 80% owned by local government bodies and 20% privately owned. It has been managed by Tisséo Voyageurs, under the authority of Tisséo Collectivités, also named the Syndicat Mixte des Transports en Commun, an authority established by various local government bodies, since 2003.
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.
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 Lyon, France, with its main airport, Lyon–Saint-Exupéry Airport, and the TGV railway station located there. At its opening in 2010, it became one of the most expensive airport-to-city lines in Europe per kilometre.
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 2024, it consists of four lines - T1 from Sidi Moumen to Lissasfa, T2 from Sidi Bernoussi to Aïn Diab, T3 from Casa Port Station to Hay El Wahda, and T4 from Arab League Park to Mohammed Erradi—which intersect at nine points
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.
The MCL 80 is the Electric Multiple Unit type used on the Lyon Metro's Line C. All five trains were built by Alstom and Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works (SLM) and were delivered and entered service in 1984. This train model is the only model of the Lyon Metro using steel wheels, rather than rubber tyres.
Île-de-France tramway Line 8 is part of the modern tram network of the Île-de-France region of France. Line 8 connects two branches beginning at Villetaneuse-Université station and Épinay-Orgemont and Saint-Denis–Porte de Paris Paris Métro station in Saint-Denis, in the northern suburbs of Paris. The line has a length of 8.46 km (5.26 mi) and 17 stations. It opened to the public on 16 December 2014.