Tramway de Rouen
Encyclopedia
The Rouen tramway or Rouen métro is a network of two tram
way lines in the city of Rouen
, Upper Normandy (France
).
The tramway operates on one line with two southern branches to Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray
and Le Grand-Quevilly
. The network runs for 1.7 km underground in the city centre and the remainder on the road surface and reserved track
.
On 19 June 1892 a funicular railway linking Rouen
to Bonsecours
opened. Two years later, in 1894, the decision to operate all tramways electrically was made.
A second company, the Compagnie Générale de Traction (CGT) was created in 1895 and opened lines to Bapeaume, Amfreville-la-Mi-Voie
and Bihorel
. The CTR electrifed its tramway network 22 March 1896 on time for Colonial Exposition of 1896, organised in Rouen
.
The CGT and CTR were supplemented by a third tramway company, the Compagnie du Tramway de Bonsecours, which in 1899 opened a line from Rouen's Pont Corneille to Bonsecours
. To reach Bonsecours
, the line had to climb a steep ramp, reaching 60 mm/m (6%) and 80 mm/m (8%). This made the total length of network 38 km long. In 1906, a short lived line linking le Trianon to the Forêt du Rouvray opened, this closed in 1908.
In 1910, The CGT, the Compagnie du Tramway de Bonsecours merged into the CTR. Two years later, the tramway was extended to Bois-Guillaume
. The last line was opened on 1 August 1915, this stretched between Rouen and Grand-Quevilly
, its purpose was to link military camps to the city-centre. A fire broke out in the Trianon depot on 30 November 1921.
In 1930, the first bus line began operations between Place Beauvoisine and Cimetière Nord. The first tramway line closure occurred the same year and was replaced by buses.
The trolleybus
made a discreet appearance in 1933 during tests, the first line opened in 1937 and linked Mont-Saint-Aignan
to the city.
For six years, between 9 June 1940 and 20 April 1946, crossing of the River Seine
was interrupted due to the World War II
hostilities. The line to Amfreville
was closed and replaced by buses in 1948.
On 28 February 1953, the last tramway line closed, followed in 1970 by the last trolleybus.
The tramway system was operated by three companies, all using standard gauge
tramcars.
Métrobus was opened on 17 December 1994. In light of the fact that the new mode of transport technically is a light railway/tramway, inhabitants of Rouen and its suburbs have taken the habit of calling it the 'métro'. In September 1997 the tramway was extended to the Technopôle
du Madrillet.
type; the GEC Alsthom
Tramway Français Standard
(TFS), identical to those used on the Grenoble tramway
(1987) and Paris Tramway Line 2
(1997).
In January 2010 Alstom
was awarded a €90m contract to supply 27 Citadis 402 trams in 2011–2012 to replace the TFS cars.
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
way lines in the city of Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
, Upper Normandy (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...
).
The tramway operates on one line with two southern branches to Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray
Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray
-Population:-Twin towns:Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray is twinned with Nordenham , Nova Kakhovka , and Gateshead, Tyne and Wear .-Places of interest:* The sixteenth century church of St.Étienne.* The church of St...
and Le Grand-Quevilly
Le Grand-Quevilly
- Heraldry :-Places of interest:* The ‘Zénith de Rouen’ concert hall.* The fifteenth century manor house at Grand Aulnay.* The church of St. Pierre, dating from the sixteenth century.-Notable people:* Laurent Fabius, politician....
. The network runs for 1.7 km underground in the city centre and the remainder on the road surface and reserved track
Reserved track
In tram transport terminology reserved track is track on ground exclusively for trams. Unlike track on streets and roads, reserved track does not need to take into account the transit of other wheeled vehicles, pedestrians, bicyclists or horses...
.
The old tramways
The first tramway was steam hauled, opened in 1874 and was owned by Gustav Palmer Harding. The Compagnie des Tramways de Rouen (CTR) was created on 11 September 1878. Steam hauling stopped in 1884 due to rising costs and the ineffectiveness of the system, the tramways then were horse drawn.On 19 June 1892 a funicular railway linking Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
to Bonsecours
Bonsecours
Bonsecours is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A southern residential suburb of Rouen situated at the junction of the D6014, D6105 and the D95 roads...
opened. Two years later, in 1894, the decision to operate all tramways electrically was made.
A second company, the Compagnie Générale de Traction (CGT) was created in 1895 and opened lines to Bapeaume, Amfreville-la-Mi-Voie
Amfreville-la-Mi-Voie
-Places of interest:* The church of St.Remi, dating from the early 20th century.* The mairie, built in 1884.* The Lacoste public park.-External links:* *...
and Bihorel
Bihorel
-Population:-Places of interest:* The church of Notre-Dame, dating from the nineteenth century.* A seventeenth century manor house.-Notable people:* Jules Michelet historian, stayed here many times....
. The CTR electrifed its tramway network 22 March 1896 on time for Colonial Exposition of 1896, organised in Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
.
The CGT and CTR were supplemented by a third tramway company, the Compagnie du Tramway de Bonsecours, which in 1899 opened a line from Rouen's Pont Corneille to Bonsecours
Bonsecours
Bonsecours is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A southern residential suburb of Rouen situated at the junction of the D6014, D6105 and the D95 roads...
. To reach Bonsecours
Bonsecours
Bonsecours is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A southern residential suburb of Rouen situated at the junction of the D6014, D6105 and the D95 roads...
, the line had to climb a steep ramp, reaching 60 mm/m (6%) and 80 mm/m (8%). This made the total length of network 38 km long. In 1906, a short lived line linking le Trianon to the Forêt du Rouvray opened, this closed in 1908.
In 1910, The CGT, the Compagnie du Tramway de Bonsecours merged into the CTR. Two years later, the tramway was extended to Bois-Guillaume
Bois-Guillaume
Bois-Guillaume is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:The town is a wealthy, residential hilltop suburb of Rouen, semi-rural, semi-suburban with a little farming and some light industry...
. The last line was opened on 1 August 1915, this stretched between Rouen and Grand-Quevilly
Le Grand-Quevilly
- Heraldry :-Places of interest:* The ‘Zénith de Rouen’ concert hall.* The fifteenth century manor house at Grand Aulnay.* The church of St. Pierre, dating from the sixteenth century.-Notable people:* Laurent Fabius, politician....
, its purpose was to link military camps to the city-centre. A fire broke out in the Trianon depot on 30 November 1921.
In 1930, the first bus line began operations between Place Beauvoisine and Cimetière Nord. The first tramway line closure occurred the same year and was replaced by buses.
The trolleybus
Trolleybus
A trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles. Two wires and poles are required to complete the electrical circuit...
made a discreet appearance in 1933 during tests, the first line opened in 1937 and linked Mont-Saint-Aignan
Mont-Saint-Aignan
-People:*Birthplace of Jacques Anquetil , the first cyclist to win the Tour de France five times.*Viviane Asseyi footballer*Jackson Mendy footballer*Matthieu Louis-Jean footballer*Mohamed Sissoko, Juventus F.C footballer, was born here....
to the city.
For six years, between 9 June 1940 and 20 April 1946, crossing of the River Seine
Seine
The Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...
was interrupted due to the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
hostilities. The line to Amfreville
Amfreville-la-Mi-Voie
-Places of interest:* The church of St.Remi, dating from the early 20th century.* The mairie, built in 1884.* The Lacoste public park.-External links:* *...
was closed and replaced by buses in 1948.
On 28 February 1953, the last tramway line closed, followed in 1970 by the last trolleybus.
The tramway system was operated by three companies, all using standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
tramcars.
Depots
The Compagnie des Tramways de Rouen (CTR) kept its rolling stock in three tramway depots;- Trianon, situated on the south bank of the river Seine
- BonsecoursBonsecoursBonsecours is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A southern residential suburb of Rouen situated at the junction of the D6014, D6105 and the D95 roads...
, situated at the top of the incline of the same name. - MarommeMaromme-Population:-People with links to the commune:* Aimable Pélissier , Marshall of France, was born here.* Georges Chedanne , architect, was born here.* Georges Bradberry , artist, was born here....
, situated in the north of the city.
The new tramway
In 1991, construction of a new tramway system began.Métrobus was opened on 17 December 1994. In light of the fact that the new mode of transport technically is a light railway/tramway, inhabitants of Rouen and its suburbs have taken the habit of calling it the 'métro'. In September 1997 the tramway was extended to the Technopôle
Technopole
Technopole refers to a center of high-tech manufacturing and information-based quaternary industry.These may be developed by the private sector or by the co-operation or partnership between the public and private sectors. Governments of all levels promote them as a panacea for economies hurt by...
du Madrillet.
Rolling stock
Rolling stock is of light railLight rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
type; the GEC Alsthom
Alstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
Tramway Français Standard
Tramway Français Standard
The Tramway Français Standard, or TFS, is a type of tramcar used on tramway systems in France. It was manufactured by Alstom, the France-based multinational company whose businesses are power generation and transport...
(TFS), identical to those used on the Grenoble tramway
Tramway de Grenoble
The Grenoble tramway network is 35 km long, and comprises four lines: lines A, B, C and D. Line A was opened in 1987, line B in 1990, line C on 20 May 2006 and line D on October 2007. There previously existed a network of tramways in Grenoble, between 1894 and 1952...
(1987) and Paris Tramway Line 2
Paris Tramway Line 2
Tramway line T2 is a tramway in France. It connects Porte de Versailles, Paris, with La Défense, just outside the limit of Paris...
(1997).
In January 2010 Alstom
Alstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
was awarded a €90m contract to supply 27 Citadis 402 trams in 2011–2012 to replace the TFS cars.
Data
- Length of the network : 18.2 km (11.3 mi)
- Number of stops : 31
- Number of tramcars : 28
- Tramcar capacity : 178
- Average commercial speed : 19.125 km/h (11.9 mph)
- Maximum speed: 80 kilometres per hour (49.7 mph)
- Daily traffic: 65,000 journeys
- Opening hours: 5am to 11.30pm
- Frequency of service: every 3 minutes (peak); every 20 minutes (off peak)
See also
- Transportation in Rouen
- Trams in FranceTrams in FranceTrams in France go back to 1837 when a 15 km steam tram line connected Montrond-les-Bains and Montbrison in the Loire. With the development of electric trams at the end of the 19th century, networks proliferated in French cities over the next 15 years...
- List of town tramway systems in France