Tramways in Paris
Encyclopedia
The French
region of Île-de-France
, encompassing the capital city of Paris
, currently has four tram
lines, and is planning an additional line. Of the existing lines, three are operated by its public transport authority, RATP, which also operates the Paris Métro
and most bus services
. The fourth line is operated by the SNCF
, the French national rail operator. Two of the lines serve Paris. The four lines were unconnected, until the last extension of line T2 connected it with line T3.
Historically the city of Paris was served by an extensive tramway network, but this network had completely closed by the end of the 1950s. The current lines are all recent constructions, dating from the 1990s onwards.
by nearly a half-century. The last of these first generation tram routes, to Versailles
, was closed in 1957.
Originally horse-powered, Paris trams used steam
, and later pneumatic engines
, and electricity.
The funicular that operated in Belleville
from 1891 to 1924 is sometimes erroneously thought of as a tramway, but was actually a cable car system
.
The first of a new generation of trams in Paris, line T1 opened in 1992, with line T2 opening in 1997, line T4 on November 18, 2006, and line T3 on December 16, 2006. , construction on the line T8 has not yet begun.
Line T1 connects Saint-Denis to Noisy-le-Sec
, parallel to the Paris northern city limit. It opened in 1992, and the extension to Noisy-le-Sec was completed in December 2003. An extension west to Asnières
and Gennevilliers
is expected to open in 2011, and a continuation to Nanterre
is planned. An eastwards extension to Montreuil
and eventually to the Val de Fontenay RER station
is planned.
Line T2 (Trans Val-de-Seine) connects La Défense with Porte de Versailles
in the south of Paris. It opened in 1997, mostly on converted SNCF
right-of-way.
Because of the success of this line (80,000 people use it daily) the trams were doubled in length in 2005, raising the capacity of each tram to 440 passengers.
An extension project is planned for completion in 2012, northward to Bezons
.
Opened on December 16, 2006, line T3 is the first modern tramway in Paris proper. It is known as the tramway des Maréchaux because it follows the boulevards of the Marshals, which were built on the route of Thiers
' fortifications around Paris (built 1841-45) and named after many of Napoleon
's marshals
(maréchaux). It connects the Pont du Garigliano RER station in the western part of the 15th arrondissement with Porte d'Ivry metro station
in the 13th.
The line is expected to carry 100,000 passengers per day.
Planned extensions included a link to Porte de Charenton
in 2011 and eventually to Porte de la Chapelle
. This extension project was then split into a smaller extension from Porte d’Ivry and a separate tramway line to Porte de la Chapelle.
Line T4 is a tram-train
line, operating in part on SNCF
lines, connecting Bondy RER station with Aulnay-sous-Bois station
. It opened on November 18, 2006. Unlike the other tramways in Île-de-France, T4 is operated by SNCF
.
). Posters began to appear in the metro from April 2009 promoting the entire 8‑route T system.
Tramway T5 will run on tyres along a mainly segregated "track" on the busy Route Nationale 1 (similar to the systems in Nancy or Caen
), replacing the often busy bus lines 168 and 268. The 6.6 km route, already under construction, will serve 16 stops between Saint-Denis, Pierrefitte-sur-Seine, Sarcelles and Garges-lès-Gonesse by 2011. It will have an interchange with T1 at its southerly terminus marché de Saint-Denis.
A 14 km route on tyres (with 1.6 km in tunnel) serving 21 stations (including 2 underground) will be built from Châtillon - Montrouge (terminus of metro ligne 13
) to Viroflay - Rive Droite (Transilien railway station). The line is scheduled to open in 2013.
Am 11 km route serving 18 stations between Villejuif (terminus of metro ligne 7
) serving Rungis and Orly and terminating at Athis-Mons should open in 2013. Eventually the line could run further to Juvisy-sur-Orge.
Villetaneuse
Formerly to be known as "Tram'y", this 8.46 km line was planned to serve 17 stations by 2013. Villetaneuse is also planned to be a future station on the new Tangental North line. An extension was also planned to the future RER E station proposed at Évangile. Construction began in 2010, and services are expected to begin in 2014.
, is operated by RATP. Despite beginning with a T, it is not a part of the tramway network.
The page drawed heavily on the then corresponding French Wikipedia article "Tramway parisien", accessed 19 February 2006.
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...
region of Île-de-France
Île-de-France (région)
Île-de-France is the wealthiest and most populated of the twenty-two administrative regions of France, composed mostly of the Paris metropolitan area....
, encompassing the capital city of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, currently has four tram
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...
lines, and is planning an additional line. Of the existing lines, three are operated by its public transport authority, RATP, which also operates the Paris Métro
Paris Métro
The Paris Métro or Métropolitain is the rapid transit metro system in Paris, France. It has become a symbol of the city, noted for its density within the city limits and its uniform architecture influenced by Art Nouveau. The network's sixteen lines are mostly underground and run to 214 km ...
and most bus services
Bus (RATP)
RATP operates the majority of buses in Paris, and a significant number of lines in its suburbs. Other suburban lines are operated by private operators grouped in a consortium known as Optile ....
. The fourth line is operated by 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...
, the French national rail operator. Two of the lines serve Paris. The four lines were unconnected, until the last extension of line T2 connected it with line T3.
Historically the city of Paris was served by an extensive tramway network, but this network had completely closed by the end of the 1950s. The current lines are all recent constructions, dating from the 1990s onwards.
History
From 1855 to 1938, Paris was served by an extensive tramway network, predating the metroParis Métro
The Paris Métro or Métropolitain is the rapid transit metro system in Paris, France. It has become a symbol of the city, noted for its density within the city limits and its uniform architecture influenced by Art Nouveau. The network's sixteen lines are mostly underground and run to 214 km ...
by nearly a half-century. The last of these first generation tram routes, to Versailles
Versailles
Versailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
, was closed in 1957.
Originally horse-powered, Paris trams used steam
Steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...
, and later pneumatic engines
Pneumatics
Pneumatics is a branch of technology, which deals with the study and application of use of pressurized gas to effect mechanical motion.Pneumatic systems are extensively used in industry, where factories are commonly plumbed with compressed air or compressed inert gases...
, and electricity.
The funicular that operated in Belleville
Belleville funicular tramway
The Belleville funicular tramway was a cable car which from 1891 to 1924 connected the Place de la République in Paris to the Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Belleville, on a hill in the Belleville quarter...
from 1891 to 1924 is sometimes erroneously thought of as a tramway, but was actually a cable car system
Cable car (railway)
A cable car or cable railway is a mass transit system using rail cars that are hauled by a continuously moving cable running at a constant speed. Individual cars stop and start by releasing and gripping this cable as required...
.
The first of a new generation of trams in Paris, line T1 opened in 1992, with line T2 opening in 1997, line T4 on November 18, 2006, and line T3 on December 16, 2006. , construction on the line T8 has not yet begun.
T1
Line T1 connects Saint-Denis to Noisy-le-Sec
Noisy-le-Sec
Noisy-le-Sec is a commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-Heraldry:-Transport:Noisy-le-Sec is served by Noisy-le-Sec station on Paris RER line E.-Personalities:*Hassoun Camara,footballer...
, parallel to the Paris northern city limit. It opened in 1992, and the extension to Noisy-le-Sec was completed in December 2003. An extension west to Asnières
Asnières-sur-Seine
Asnières-sur-Seine is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France, along the river Seine. It is located from the center of Paris.-Name:...
and Gennevilliers
Gennevilliers
Gennevilliers is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-History:On 9 April 1929, one-fifth of the territory of Gennevilliers was detached and became the commune of Villeneuve-la-Garenne.-Transport:...
is expected to open in 2011, and a continuation to Nanterre
Nanterre
Nanterre is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located west of the center of Paris.Nanterre is the capital of the Hauts-de-Seine department as well as the seat of the Arrondissement of Nanterre....
is planned. An eastwards extension to Montreuil
Montreuil, Seine-Saint-Denis
Montreuil is a commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. It is the third most populous suburb of Paris...
and eventually to the Val de Fontenay RER station
Val de Fontenay (Paris RER)
The RER station Val de Fontenay is a station in the Paris suburb Fontenay-sous-Bois. It is situated on the Paris–Mulhouse railway and is an important correspondence between the RER lines A and E.- The station :...
is planned.
T2
Porte de Versailles (Paris Metro)
Porte de Versailles is a station on line 12 of the Paris Métro and a stop on tramway lines 2 and 3.The station was opened on 5 November 1910 as part of the stage of the Nord-Sud Company's line C from Porte de Versailles to Notre-Dame-de-Lorette. The line was taken over by the metro in 1930 and...
in the south of Paris. It opened in 1997, mostly on converted 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...
right-of-way.
Because of the success of this line (80,000 people use it daily) the trams were doubled in length in 2005, raising the capacity of each tram to 440 passengers.
An extension project is planned for completion in 2012, northward to Bezons
Bezons
Bezons is a commune in the north-western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris.-Transport:Bezons is currently served by no station of the Paris Métro, RER, or suburban rail network. The closest station to Bezons is Houilles – Carrières-sur-Seine station on Paris...
.
T3
Opened on December 16, 2006, line T3 is the first modern tramway in Paris proper. It is known as the tramway des Maréchaux because it follows the boulevards of the Marshals, which were built on the route of Thiers
Adolphe Thiers
Marie Joseph Louis Adolphe Thiers was a French politician and historian. was a prime minister under King Louis-Philippe of France. Following the overthrow of the Second Empire he again came to prominence as the French leader who suppressed the revolutionary Paris Commune of 1871...
' fortifications around Paris (built 1841-45) and named after many of Napoleon
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
's marshals
Marshal of France
The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
(maréchaux). It connects the Pont du Garigliano RER station in the western part of the 15th arrondissement with Porte d'Ivry metro station
Porte d'Ivry (Paris Métro)
Porte d'Italie is a station of the Paris Métro, serving Line 7 and Tramway Line 3.The station opened on 26 April 1931 when Line 7 took over the Line 10 route from Place Monge to Porte de Choisy and was extended to Porte d'Ivry. Tramway Line 3 opened on 16 December 2006...
in the 13th.
The line is expected to carry 100,000 passengers per day.
Planned extensions included a link to Porte de Charenton
Porte de Charenton (Paris Métro)
Porte de Charenton is a station on line 8 of the Paris Métro.The station opened on 5 May 1931 with the extension of the line from Richelieu - Drouot for the Paris Colonial Exposition, held in the nearby Bois de Vincennes. It was the eastern terminus of the line until its extension to Charenton -...
in 2011 and eventually to Porte de la Chapelle
Porte de la Chapelle (Paris Metro)
Porte de la Chapelle is a station on line line 12 of the Paris Métro in the districts of La Chapelle and Goutte d'Or and the 18th arrondissement....
. This extension project was then split into a smaller extension from Porte d’Ivry and a separate tramway line to Porte de la Chapelle.
T4
Line T4 is a tram-train
Tram-train
A tram-train is a light-rail public transport system where trams run both on an urban tramway network and on main-line railways to combine the tram's flexibility and availability and the train's greater speed...
line, operating in part on 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...
lines, connecting Bondy RER station with Aulnay-sous-Bois station
Aulnay-sous-Bois (SNCF)
Aulnay-sous-Bois is the major railway station of the commune Aulnay-sous-Bois . It is served by the RER B and the Transilien K line. The station is also the terminus for tramway T4.-See also:...
. It opened on November 18, 2006. Unlike the other tramways in Île-de-France, T4 is operated by 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...
.
Planned lines
Several new lines of tramway and trams on tyres have been planned in the region and on 11 February 2009 every project was re-assessed and given a "T" number by the STIF (the regional transport council of the Île-de-FranceÎle-de-France (région)
Île-de-France is the wealthiest and most populated of the twenty-two administrative regions of France, composed mostly of the Paris metropolitan area....
). Posters began to appear in the metro from April 2009 promoting the entire 8‑route T system.
T5
Saint-Denis - Garges-SarcellesTramway T5 will run on tyres along a mainly segregated "track" on the busy Route Nationale 1 (similar to the systems in Nancy or Caen
Caen
Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
), replacing the often busy bus lines 168 and 268. The 6.6 km route, already under construction, will serve 16 stops between Saint-Denis, Pierrefitte-sur-Seine, Sarcelles and Garges-lès-Gonesse by 2011. It will have an interchange with T1 at its southerly terminus marché de Saint-Denis.
T6
Châtillon - ViroflayA 14 km route on tyres (with 1.6 km in tunnel) serving 21 stations (including 2 underground) will be built from Châtillon - Montrouge (terminus of metro ligne 13
Paris Metro Line 13
Line 13 is one of the sixteen lines of the Paris Métro rapid transit system. The result of the fusion of the now-extinct Line B of the Nord-Sud Company and the old Line 14 of the CMP. Their creation was destined to be replaced by a north-south RER line before the reorganisation of the...
) to Viroflay - Rive Droite (Transilien railway station). The line is scheduled to open in 2013.
T7
Villejuif - Athis-MonsAm 11 km route serving 18 stations between Villejuif (terminus of metro ligne 7
Paris Metro Line 7
Paris Métro Line 7 is one of sixteen lines of the Paris Métro system. Crossing the capital from its north-eastern to south-eastern sections via a moderately curved path, it links La Courneuve – 8 Mai 1945 in the north with Mairie d'Ivry and Villejuif – Louis Aragon in the south, while passing...
) serving Rungis and Orly and terminating at Athis-Mons should open in 2013. Eventually the line could run further to Juvisy-sur-Orge.
T8
Saint-Denis (Porte de Paris) - Épinay-sur-Seine (Quartier d'Orgemont) and a branch toVilletaneuse
Formerly to be known as "Tram'y", this 8.46 km line was planned to serve 17 stations by 2013. Villetaneuse is also planned to be a future station on the new Tangental North line. An extension was also planned to the future RER E station proposed at Évangile. Construction began in 2010, and services are expected to begin in 2014.
TVM
The bus line, which runs in a designated bus lane and is intended to provide rapid transit southeast of Paris in the département of Val-de-MarneVal-de-Marne
Val-de-Marne is a French department, named after the Marne River, located in the Île-de-France region. The department is situated to the southeast of the city of Paris.- Geography :...
, is operated by RATP. Despite beginning with a T, it is not a part of the tramway network.
See also
- Transportation in Paris
- 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
External links
Tram line routes at the RATP official website T3 official website RATP official extension information Comprehensive map of the Paris tramways networkThe page drawed heavily on the then corresponding French Wikipedia article "Tramway parisien", accessed 19 February 2006.