Lyon tramway

Lyon tramway is a tram system serving the city of Lyon, France, operated by TCL (Lyon), a public transport company owned by Sytral. The system has a long history, dating back to 1879, with Hippomobile and steam tram services introduced by Compagnie des Tramways de Lyon. Over the years, the network has undergone significant changes, with the introduction of electric trams in 1894, and the closure of the first generation network in 1957. The current network, which is the third generation, was reopened in 2001, with the help of Alstom and Siemens.

History

The history of the Lyon tramway dates back to 1879, when the first horse-drawn trams were introduced by Compagnie des Tramways de Lyon, with the support of Lyon City Council and Rhône Department. The network was later electrified in 1894, with the introduction of electric trams built by Société française de constructions mécaniques. The first generation network was closed in 1957, due to the rise of automobiles and buses, but the idea of reintroducing trams was revisited in the 1990s, with the help of European Union funding and the support of French government agencies, such as Ministry of Transport (France) and Agence de l'Environnement et de la Maîtrise de l'Énergie. The second generation network was opened in 1991, but it was closed in 2001, due to technical issues and low ridership, despite the efforts of SNCF and RATP Group.

Network

The current Lyon tramway network is the third generation, which was reopened in 2001, with the help of Alstom and Siemens. The network has a total length of 73.7 km, with 83.6 km of track, and 107 stations, including Lyon Part-Dieu and Lyon Perrache stations, which are also served by TGV and TER Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes trains. The network is operated by TCL (Lyon), which is owned by Sytral, a public transport authority that also operates Lyon metro and Lyon bus services, in partnership with Keolis and Transdev. The network is integrated with other public transport modes in Lyon, such as Vélo'v and Lyon bike-sharing system, which are managed by JCDecaux and Clear Channel Outdoor.

Lines

The Lyon tramway network consists of six lines, which are designated by the letters T1 to T6, and are operated by TCL (Lyon), with the support of Alstom and Siemens. The lines are: T1, which runs from Lyon Part-Dieu to IUT Lyon 1, with 27 stations, including Lyon Perrache and Lyon Jean Macé; T2, which runs from Lyon Perrache to Saint-Priest Bel Air, with 24 stations, including Lyon Grange Blanche and Lyon États-Unis; T3, which runs from Lyon Part-Dieu to Meyzieu ZI, with 27 stations, including Lyon Dauphiné and Lyon Sans Souci; T4, which runs from Lyon Part-Dieu to Feyzin, with 24 stations, including Lyon Montrochet and Lyon Thiers; T5, which runs from Lyon Grange Blanche to Eurexpo, with 17 stations, including Lyon Porte des Alpes and Lyon Saxe Gambetta; and T6, which runs from Lyon Part-Dieu to Debourg, with 15 stations, including Lyon Brotteaux and Lyon Foch.

Rolling_stock

The Lyon tramway network is operated by a fleet of Alstom Citadis and Siemens Avanto trams, which were introduced in 2001, with the support of European Investment Bank and Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations. The trams are 32.4 meters long, and have a capacity of 218 passengers, with a top speed of 70 km/h, and are equipped with air conditioning and Wi-Fi, provided by Orange S.A. and Bouygues Telecom. The trams are maintained by TCL (Lyon), with the help of Alstom and Siemens, at the Lyon tramway depot in Vénissieux, which is also used by SNCF and RATP Group.

Operations

The Lyon tramway network is operated by TCL (Lyon), which is owned by Sytral, a public transport authority that also operates Lyon metro and Lyon bus services, in partnership with Keolis and Transdev. The network is open from 5:00 AM to 12:30 AM, with a frequency of 5-10 minutes, depending on the line and the time of day, and is used by over 200 million passengers per year, including University of Lyon students and Lyon Chamber of Commerce and Industry members. The network is integrated with other public transport modes in Lyon, such as Vélo'v and Lyon bike-sharing system, which are managed by JCDecaux and Clear Channel Outdoor, and is also connected to the Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport by the Rhônexpress tram-train, which is operated by TCL (Lyon) and SNCF.