Lyon tramway

History: the original network (1879 - 1957)

The first steam-driven tram line, the number 12, linked Lyon and Vénissieux in 1888. The network was electrified between 1893 and 1899. Extensions to the suburbs were built until 1914. This was the height of the network - high quality service, low price, high frequency and high profitability for shareholders. The inflation after World War II made the network unprofitable. Beginning in the 1930s, tramways were progressively replaced with trolleybuses and later buses. A modernization plan, including underground sections in the city centre, planned in the 1940s was rapidly abandoned. The last urban tram ran on line 4 in January 1956 and the last suburban tram, the "Train bleu" in Neuville-sur-Saône, was abandoned in June 1957.

Original OTL network

The first tram network was built and operated by the Compagnie des Omnibus et tramways de Lyon (OTL), founded in 1879. It consisted of ten 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) (standard gauge), horse-drawn lines with a total length of 44 km serving Lyon, Villeurbanne, La Mulatière et Oullins .

In 1894, new electric trams were in service with these lines:

The first line to open was line 5, from Place Bellecour to Vaise along the Saône river, competing with riverboats. Lines 1 and 7 followed the approximate routes of the current metro lines D and A, respectively. The network was gradually extended, by the OTL and by acquisitions of competing operators, between 1894 and 1914.

OTL extensions

La Société du Tramway d'Écully

1,000 mm (3 ft 3 ³⁄₈ in) (Metre gauge) lines to the northwest, acquired by the OTL in 1894.

La Compagnie Lyonnaise des Tramways (CLT)

Metre gauge, steam powered lines on the left bank of the Rhône river. Became the Nouvelle Compagnie Lyonnaise des Tramways (NLT) in 1902, then acquired by the OTL in 1906.

La Compagnie du Fourvière Ouest Lyonnais (FOL)

Fourvière and Saint-Just funiculars and trams in the west plateau. Acquired by the OTL in 1910.

La Compagnie du Tramway de Caluire (CTC)

Acquired by the OTL in 1914. Originally metric gauge, converted to standard gauge in 1925.

Tramway de l'Ouest du Dauphiné

This company reach Lyon in 1909.The meter gauge line leading to the east suburb was used on 6 km after being electrified in 1925.

The current network (since 2001)

Following a decline in the 1950s and 1960s, public transit in Lyon was revived in the 1970s with the opening of the Lyon Metro. In 1996 a decision was made to build a new tram network to complement the metro. The first two lines were opened on January 2, 2001: Line T1 from Perrache to IUT-Feyssine via Part-Dieu and Charpennes and Line T2 from Perrache to Porte des Alpes via Jean-Macé and Grange-Blanche. Line T2 was extended to Saint-Priest on October 27, 2003 and Line T1 was extended to Montrochet on September 15, 2005. Line T3 (codenamed LEA) was opened on December 4, 2006 along the former Chemin de Fer de l'Est Lyonnais tracks from Part-Dieu Villette to Meyzieu. Line T4 opened on April 20, 2009, running from Jet d'eau - Mendès France to Hôpital Feyzin - Vénissieux.

Line T1

Operates from 04:40 to 00:35, maintained by the Centre de Maintenance de Saint-Priest - Porte des Alpes.

Line T2

Operates from 04:55 to 00:34, maintained by the Centre de Maintenance de Saint-Priest - Porte des Alpes.

Line T3

Operates from 04:32 to 00:06, maintained by the Centre de Maintenance de Meyzieu.

Codenamed "LEA" (Ligne de L'Est de l'Agglomération), Line T3 runs along a portion of the former CFEL (Compagnie des chemins de fer de l'Est de Lyon) train line from the Gare de l'Est de Lyon to Saint-Genix-d'Aoste (via Crémieu, Jallieu et Montalieu).

Line T3, which is 14.6 km long, runs largely on ballasted railroad track. It takes 23 minutes to go from Part-Dieu Villette to Meyzieu - ZI, and runs at a maximum speed of 70 km/h (60 km/h at intersections, of which 26 are equipped with crossing gates). 7 km run near residential areas and are equipped with a noise barrier.

Line T4

Operates from 04:39 to 00:45, maintained by the Centre de Maintenance de Saint-Priest - Porte des Alpes.

Line T5

Operates from 05:00 to 00:00 between Grange-Blanche and Parc du Chêne. Calls at Eurexpo Convention Centre (8am-10pm) on every exhibition day. Will connect Chassieu René Cassin roundabout and permanently call at all stations as of 2014.

Rhônexpress

The Rhônexpress is an express line which links Part-Dieu Villette to Saint-Exupéry airport, with intermediate stops at Vaulx-en-Velin – La Soie (transfer to Metro Line A) and Meyzieu ZI. It only serves four stations (including the airport). The route is served by 6 tram trains, constructed by the Swiss builder Stadler Rail. Its route consists of the existing T3 tram line, which is built with passing tracks to allow express service, and an extension of 8.5 kilometres (5.3 mi) of new track to the airport from Meyzieu. The total length of track is 22 kilometres (14 mi) and it takes approximately 30 minutes to go from Part-Dieu to the airport. Service runs from morning until night, with departures every 15 minutes at peak times.

Work began on October 9, 2008 and was completed August 9, 2010. The Conseil général of the Rhône department franchised the operation rights for 30 years to Rhônexpress, a consortium including Vinci SA (28.2%), Veolia Transport (28.2%), Vossloh Infrastructure Service (4.2%), Cegelec Centre Est (2,8%) and the Caisse des dépôts et consignations. Unlike the Lyon tramways, the Rhônexpress is not run by TCL. Stadler's Tangos are used as rolling stock.

Rolling stock

The TCL fleet is composed of 73 articulated Alstom Citadis 302 trams built between 2000 and 2009. They have production numbers N°801 - 873. There are ten articulated Alstom Citadis 402 which are only on the T3 line.

Six Stadler Tango trainsets are used for the Rhônexpress service.