Lyon Metro
Encyclopedia
The Lyon metro, in Lyon
, France
, first opened in 1978 and now consists of four lines. It is part of the Transports en Commun Lyonnais
(TCL) system of public transport, and is supported by a network of tramways
.
Unlike all other French metro systems (except one, the RER), Lyon metro trains run on the left like the SNCF
. This is the result of an unrealised project to run the metro into the suburbs on existing railway lines. The loading gauge
for lines A, B, and D is 2.9 metre, more generous than the average for metros in Europe. The loading gauge for line C is 2.78 metre. The Lyon Metro owes its inspiration to the Montreal Metro
which was built a few years prior, and has similar (wider) rubber-wheel
cars and station design.
The total track length is 30 km (18.6 mi), 80% of which is underground and it has over 708,000 daily weekday boardings.
(Perrache - Laurent Bonnevay) and B
(Charpennes - Part-Dieu
) were constructed using the cut-and-cover method, and went into service on May 2, 1978. Trains on both lines run on tyres rather than steel wheels.
Line B was extended to Jean Macé on September 9, 1981, then to Gerland on September 4, 2000. A further extension to Oullins is expected to open in 2013.
An extension to Vaulx-en-Velin La Soie on Line A opened in October 2007.
By 2013, line B will be automated with the same system as line D. Line A will also be automated, however not until 2017.
, which was refurbished in 1974, was integrated into the Metro in 1978 as line C
, running from (Hôtel-de-Ville to Croix-Rousse). It was extended to Cuire on December 8, 1984.
The line was constructed using various methods; the incline rising through a deep tunnel, the portion on the flat at Croix-Rousse using cut-and-cover, while the section beyond Hénon runs on the surface. The Croix Paquet station claims to be the steepest metro station in Europe, with an incline of 17%.
Line C uses an overhead wire, while Lines A, B and D uses a third rail
.
commenced operation under human control on September 4, 1991 between Gorge-de-Loup and Grange-Blanche. The line was extended to Gare de Vénissieux on December 11, 1992, at which time it switched to automatic operation. Rubber-tyred trains run automatically with no driver on board, controlled by a system known as MAGGALY (Métro Automatique à Grand Gabarit de l’Agglomération Lyonnaise). On April 28, 1997, it was extended again to Gare de Vaise.
Being the deepest of the lines in Lyon, it was constructed mainly using boring machines
and passes under both rivers, the Rhône
and the Saône
. At 13 km (8.08 mi) long, it is also the longest of the lines in Lyon.
.
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, first opened in 1978 and now consists of four lines. It is part of the Transports en Commun Lyonnais
Transports en commun lyonnais
The Transports en commun lyonnais is the Lyon public transport agency. It is the second largest public transport system in France , and covers 62 communes, including all 57 communes of the Urban Community of Lyon, spread over .- Network :The TCL manages:*4 metro lines...
(TCL) system of public transport, and is supported by a network of tramways
Tramways in Lyon
The current tramway network in Lyon comprises four lines. Line T1 opened in 2001; T2 opened in 2001; T3 opened at the end of 2006; and line T4 opened in 2009. The tramway system complements the Lyon metro and forms an integral part to the public transportation system in Lyon. The tramway network...
.
Unlike all other French metro systems (except one, the RER), Lyon metro trains run on the left like the SNCF
SNCF
The SNCF , is France's national state-owned railway company. SNCF operates the country's national rail services, including the TGV, France's high-speed rail network...
. This is the result of an unrealised project to run the metro into the suburbs on existing railway lines. The loading gauge
Loading gauge
A loading gauge defines the maximum height and width for railway vehicles and their loads to ensure safe passage through bridges, tunnels and other structures...
for lines A, B, and D is 2.9 metre, more generous than the average for metros in Europe. The loading gauge for line C is 2.78 metre. The Lyon Metro owes its inspiration to the Montreal Metro
Montreal Metro
The Montreal Metro is a rubber-tired metro system, and the main form of public transportation underground in the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada....
which was built a few years prior, and has similar (wider) rubber-wheel
Rubber-tyred metro
A rubber-tyred metro is a form of rapid transit system that uses a mix of road and rail technology. The vehicles have wheels with rubber tyres which run on rolling pads inside guide bars for traction, as well as traditional railway steel wheels with deep flanges on steel tracks for guidance through...
cars and station design.
The total track length is 30 km (18.6 mi), 80% of which is underground and it has over 708,000 daily weekday boardings.
Routes
The métro system consists of four lines, A-B-C-D, each identified on maps by different colours:| Line | Colour | Opened | Terminus |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Lyon Metro Line A Line A of the Lyon Metro was constructed using the cut-and-cover method, and went into service on May 2, 1978... |
Red | 1978 | Perrache Gare de Lyon-Perrache Gare de Lyon-Perrache station is a large railway station in the quarter Perrache, in the 2nd arrondissement of Lyon, France. It is situated on the Paris–Marseille railway, and it is the western terminus of the Lyon–Geneva railway and the southeastern terminus of the Moret–Lyon railway. It was built... - Vaulx en Velin La Soie |
| B Lyon Metro Line B Line B of the Lyon Metro was constructed using the cut-and-cover method, and went into service on May 2, 1978... |
Blue | 1978 | Charpennes - Stade de Gerland |
| C Lyon Metro Line C Lyon Metro Line C is the modern incarnation of an old cable-hauled railway operating on part of the current alignment. In 1891, the Funiculaire Croix-Rousse - Croix-Paquet was opened, running between its namesake stations... |
Orange | 1981 | Hôtel de Ville - Cuire |
| D Lyon Metro Line D Line D of the Lyon Metro, with automatic trains running on tires and with no driver, and also known as MAGGALY commenced operation under human control on September 4, 1991, between Gorge-de-Loup and Grange-Blanche... |
Green | 1991 | Gare de Vaise - Gare de Vénissieux |
Lines A and B
Lines ALyon Metro Line A
Line A of the Lyon Metro was constructed using the cut-and-cover method, and went into service on May 2, 1978...
(Perrache - Laurent Bonnevay) and B
Lyon Metro Line B
Line B of the Lyon Metro was constructed using the cut-and-cover method, and went into service on May 2, 1978...
(Charpennes - Part-Dieu
Gare de Lyon-Part-Dieu
Gare de la Part-Dieu is the primary railway station in Lyon, France. It is situated on the Lyon–Geneva railway.This zone is served by the metro line and -History:...
) were constructed using the cut-and-cover method, and went into service on May 2, 1978. Trains on both lines run on tyres rather than steel wheels.
Line B was extended to Jean Macé on September 9, 1981, then to Gerland on September 4, 2000. A further extension to Oullins is expected to open in 2013.
An extension to Vaulx-en-Velin La Soie on Line A opened in October 2007.
By 2013, line B will be automated with the same system as line D. Line A will also be automated, however not until 2017.
Line C
The Croix-Rousse-Croix-Paquet rack railwayRack railway
A rack-and-pinion railway is a railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail...
, which was refurbished in 1974, was integrated into the Metro in 1978 as line C
Lyon Metro Line C
Lyon Metro Line C is the modern incarnation of an old cable-hauled railway operating on part of the current alignment. In 1891, the Funiculaire Croix-Rousse - Croix-Paquet was opened, running between its namesake stations...
, running from (Hôtel-de-Ville to Croix-Rousse). It was extended to Cuire on December 8, 1984.
The line was constructed using various methods; the incline rising through a deep tunnel, the portion on the flat at Croix-Rousse using cut-and-cover, while the section beyond Hénon runs on the surface. The Croix Paquet station claims to be the steepest metro station in Europe, with an incline of 17%.
Line C uses an overhead wire, while Lines A, B and D uses a third rail
Third rail
A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...
.
Line D
Line DLyon Metro Line D
Line D of the Lyon Metro, with automatic trains running on tires and with no driver, and also known as MAGGALY commenced operation under human control on September 4, 1991, between Gorge-de-Loup and Grange-Blanche...
commenced operation under human control on September 4, 1991 between Gorge-de-Loup and Grange-Blanche. The line was extended to Gare de Vénissieux on December 11, 1992, at which time it switched to automatic operation. Rubber-tyred trains run automatically with no driver on board, controlled by a system known as MAGGALY (Métro Automatique à Grand Gabarit de l’Agglomération Lyonnaise). On April 28, 1997, it was extended again to Gare de Vaise.
Being the deepest of the lines in Lyon, it was constructed mainly using boring machines
Tunnel boring machine
A tunnel boring machine also known as a "mole", is a machine used to excavate tunnels with a circular cross section through a variety of soil and rock strata. They can bore through anything from hard rock to sand. Tunnel diameters can range from a metre to almost 16 metres to date...
and passes under both rivers, the Rhône
Rhône River
The Rhone is one of the major rivers of Europe, rising in Switzerland and running from there through southeastern France. At Arles, near its mouth on the Mediterranean Sea, the river divides into two branches, known as the Great Rhone and the Little Rhone...
and the Saône
Saône
The Saône is a river of eastern France. It is a right tributary of the River Rhône. Rising at Vioménil in the Vosges department, it joins the Rhône in Lyon....
. At 13 km (8.08 mi) long, it is also the longest of the lines in Lyon.
Operation
The Metro, like the rest of the local public transport system, is operated by SLTC - the (Lyon public transport company), under the TCL brand - (Lyon public transport). It is operated on behalf of SYTRAL - the (Lyon metropolitan transport syndicate), a Syndicat MixteSyndicat Mixte
In France, a Syndicat Mixte is a joint venture between various public authorities of different types. Typically these might include a département together with a communauté d'agglomération or several communes....
.
See also
- Funiculars of LyonFuniculars of LyonThe Funiculars of Lyon is a network of funicular railways in Lyon, France. Of the five lines once in existence, only the two routes on the Fourvière hill remain in operation, with the rest of the network now either closed, converted to road vehicle use, or integrated within the Lyon underground...
- List of Lyon metro stations
- REAL
- Buses in LyonBuses in LyonThe TCL surface network is used by Keolis Lyon on behalf of SYTRAL. It includes over 140 lines of buses and trolleybuses. Four nocturnal lines operate from 1:00 am to 4:00 am from Thursday to Saturday during university periods....
- Rhônexpress
- Transportation in Lyon
- List of metro systems
- French Wikipedia - a much more detailed description of the Lyon Metro http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A9tro_de_Lyon