Montpellier tramway

The Montpellier tramway (French: Tramway de Montpellier) is a four-line tramway system in the city of Montpellier in Occitanie, France. The tramway is owned by the Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole, and is operated by the Transports de l'agglomération de Montpellier (TAM) authority.

Montpellier tramway
Overview
Native nameTramway de Montpellier
LocaleMontpellier, Occitanie, France
Transit typeTram
Number of lines4
Number of stations84
Daily ridership282,000 (2012)
Annual ridership66.32 million (2018)[1]
Operation
Began operation1 July 2000[1]
Operator(s)TAM
Technical
System length60.5 km (37.6 mi)[2]
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification750 V DC catenary
System map
Map of Montpellier tramway with envisaged stations at short term (Grisette, Hauts de la Lironde and Lez Market) and Montpellier airport shuttles.

The first line opened in July 2000 and the second in December 2006. Lines 3 and 4 opened in April 2012 along with an extension of line 1 and a diversion of line 2. The western section of line 4 opened in July 2016, thus completing the loop it makes around the city.

Line 1
An Alstom Citadis 401 tram on line 1 at Odysseum

Line 1 is 15.7 km long and runs entirely within the city limits of Montpellier, going on a looping route from the northwest, through the city centre, and going to the east end of the city, terminating at Odysseum, a shopping and entertainment district. There are 27 stations on the line, with 7 major interchanges. Currently, ridership on the line averages 130,000 passengers per day, exceeding initial ridership projections of 75,000 passengers per day. The line was completed on a budget of €348.8 million. The line is coloured blue.

Line 1 opened on 1 July 2000. The Millénaire station opened on 11 October 2003, and the Malbosc station opened on 18 November 2003. A one-station extension opened on 21 September 2009 from the former Odysseum station, which was renamed Place de France, to a new Odysseum station which serves an additional shopping centre. On 7 April 2012, the west end of the line was extended from Stade de la Mosson to Mosson to connect with the newly opened Line 3.[3]

For the line, stations, station platforms, and urban improvements were done by architect Antoine Garcia-Diaz. The livery of trams on Line 1 was decorated in blue with white swallows by stylists Élisabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti. Each tram is named after a community member of the Montpellier agglomeration community.

Rolling stock

All rolling stock on line 1 is stored at the Les Hirondelles depot in the western district of La Paillade, which is located between the Saint-Paul station and the Hauts de Massane station. The rolling stock comprises 30 Alstom Citadis 401 trams and 3 Citadis 402 trams.

Originally, Line 1 was operated with 28 3-section Citadis 301 trams with a length of 29.8 m. As ridership became successful on the line and trams had been filling up, between July 2002 and May 2003, the trams were extended from a length of 29.8 m and 3 sections to 40.9 m and 5 sections, and two additional Citadis 401 trams were delivered in January 2002, bringing the number of trams on Line 1 up to 30. The trams are numbered from 2001 to 2030.

In early 2007, three Citadis 302 trams, as used on Line 2, were delivered, and became operational for service on 2 May 2007. The three trams are numbered from 2031 to 2033. All trams on Line 1 have a width of 2.65 m.

Stations
  • Mosson
  • Stade de la Mosson
  • Halles de La Paillade
  • Saint-Paul
  • Hauts de Massane
  • Euromédecine
  • Malbosc
  • Château d'Ô
  • Occitanie (interchange with bus routes to northern communities in the Agglomeration)
  • Hôpital Lapeyronie
  • Universités des Sciences et des Lettres
  • Saint-Éloi
  • Boutonnet
  • Stade Philippidès
  • Place Albert 1er-Saint Charles (interchange with Line 4)
  • Louis Blanc (interchange with Line 4)
Trams from Line 1 and Line 2 meeting at Corum.
  • Corum (interchange with Line 2, Line 4 and bus routes to northeastern communities in the Agglomeration)
  • Comédie (interchange with Line 2)
  • Gare Saint-Roch (interchange with Line 2, Line 3 and Line 4, bus routes, Airport Bus and SNCF trains)
  • Du Guesclin
  • Antigone
  • Léon Blum
  • Place de l'Europe (interchange with Line 4)
  • Rives du Lez (interchange with Line 4)
  • Moularès - Hôtel de Ville
  • Port Marianne (interchange with bus routes to southern communities in the Agglomeration)
  • Mondial 98
  • Millénaire
  • Place de France (formerly Odysseum) (interchange with bus routes to eastern communities in the Agglomeration)
  • Odysseum

Future

There are plans for further extension of Line 1 in the future:

Line 2
Orange with flowers livery on Line 2.

Line 2 opened for service on 16 December 2006. It is the longest tram line in France, with a length of 17.5 km and with 28 stations.[5] The line is coloured orange. The Victoire 2 station opened 16 April 2007, being the 33rd station on the line. The line travels between Jacou in the northeast and Saint-Jean-de-Védas in the southwest, via Castelnau-le-Lez (on the boundary with Le Crès) and the centre of Montpellier. Line 2 was built at a cost of €450 million. In April 2007, with the opening of Lines 3 and Line 4, Line 2 was diverted to run from Corum to the SNCF station at Saint-Roch through Comédie.[3]

Part of Line 2, between Sabines and Saint-Jean-le-Sec, uses 2.5 km of an abandoned rail line. Line 2 is double tracked between Notre-Dame-de-Sablassou and Sabines; the remaining 3.5 km of the line is single tracked with passing loops.

As with Line 1, stations, station platforms, and urban improvements on Line 2 were done by architect Antoine Garcia-Diaz. The livery of trams on Line 2 is decorated in orange with flowers by Mattia Bonetti. Each tram is named for a historic person in the Montpellier region.

Rolling stock

Trams on Line 2 are stored at the La Jeune Parque depot, located near the Sabines station.

The rolling stock on Line 2 comprises 24 Citadis 302 trams manufactured by Alstom, with a length of 32.5 m, a width of 2.65 m, and five sections. The trams were delivered between March 2006 and February 2007 and are numbered from 2041 to 2064.

Stations
Line 2 tramway in Saint-Jean-de-Védas.
Line 2 in Castelnau-le-Lez along bicycle path.
  • Jacou (interchange with a suburban bus route to the northeast)
  • Georges Pompidou (interchange with suburban and departmental bus routes to the northeast)
  • Via Domitia
  • Aube Rouge
  • Notre-Dame-de-Sablassou (partial terminus; interchange with bus routes to the northeast of the Agglomeration and the east of the Department of Hérault)
  • Centurions
  • La Galine
  • Clairval
  • Charles de Gaulle (interchange with suburban bus routes)
  • Saint-Lazare
  • Aiguelongue
  • Jeu de Mail des Abbés
  • Beaux-Arts
  • Corum (interchange with Line 1 and 4 and bus routes to northeastern communities in the Agglomeration)
  • Comédie (interchange with Line 1)
  • Gare Saint-Roch (interchange with Line 1, Line 3 and 4, bus routes, Airport Bus and SNCF trains)
  • Rondelet (interchange with Line 4)
  • Nouveau Saint-Roch (inetchange with Line 4)
  • Saint-Cléophas (interchange with a suburban bus route to the south)
  • Lemasson
  • Mas Drevon
  • Croix d'Argent
  • Villeneuve d'Angoulême
  • Sabines (partial terminus; interchange with suburban and departmental bus routes to the south; parking; track connections to the La Jeune Parque depot)
  • Les Grisettes (located in the Mas d'Astre industrial park; opening subject to urbanization of the district)
  • Victoire 2
  • La Condamine
  • Saint-Jean-le-Sec (interchange with departmental bus routes to the west)
  • Amphitrite (expected to open following the urbanization of the ZAC de Roque-Fraisse)
  • Saint-Jean-de-Védas Centre (interchange with suburban bus routes to the west)

Line 3
Trams with underwater livery operating on Line 3 at Gare Saint-Roch.

Line 3 was inaugurated on 7 April 2012 with a length of 23.0 km and 29 stations. The line runs from Juvignac in the west to Pérols-Etang de l'Or in the southeast. There is also a three-station branch from Boirargues to Lattes-Centre. The line is coloured green. The rolling stock consists on 19 43m Alstom Citadis trams.[3] The route is as follows:

  • The line starts in Juvignac, in a new district, Caunelles, in the north of the village.
  • In Montpellier, Line 3 runs parallel to the Mosson.
    • The line goes through neighbourhoods in the west end of the city. A part of this segment loops to the north to serve the Alco neighbourhood.
    • Next, there is a connection to the existing Line 1 and Line 2 at Gare Saint-Roch.
    • After passing Gare Saint-Roch, the line forms a semicircle to serve southern neighbourhoods of the city. Part of this route shares track with Line 2 between Gare Saint-Roch and Nouveau Saint-Roch.
    • There is an interchange with Line 1 at Port Marianne, then the line travels southeast on Avenue de la Mer and Route de Carnon, and splits with a branch to Lattes and a branch to Pérols.
      • In the community of Lattes, the branch runs from a station in the community of Boirargues, going on its own right-of-way to the centre of Lattes.
      • In the community of Pérols, the branch runs in its own right-of-way parallel to Route de Carnon to a terminus in the southeast of Pérols. The terminus is 800 metres from the Mediterranean Sea.

Line 3 cost €530 million. Liveries of the trams on Line 3 were designed with an underwater theme by designer Christian Lacroix.[6]

An extension of the line to the Mediterranean coast at Carnon-Plage, or even as far as La Grande Motte, has been planned for years, but currently neither the route nor the funding has been secured for this plan.

Stations
  • Juvignac
  • Mosson (interchange with Line 1)
  • Celleneuve
  • Pilory
  • Hotel du Departement
  • Pergola
  • Tonnelles
  • Jules Guesde
  • Astruc
  • Les Arceaux
  • Plan Cabane
  • Saint Denis
  • Observatoire (interchange with Line 4)
  • Gare Saint-Roch (interchange with Line 1, Line 2 and Line 4, bus routes, Airport Bus and SNCF Trains)
  • Place Carnot
  • Voltaire
  • Rives du Lez (interchange with Line 1 and 4)
  • Moularès - Hôtel de Ville (interchange with Line 1)
Trams from Line 3 at Lattes Centre.
  • Port Marianne (interchange with Line 1)
  • Pablo Picasso
  • Pont Trinquat
  • Boirargues
  • Hauts de Lirondes (envisaged)
  • Cougourlude
  • Lattes Centre
  • ÉcoPôle
  • Parc Expo
  • Pérols Centre
  • Pérols Étang de l'Or

Line 4
Tram operating for Line 4 with golden sunshine livery.

In June 2009, plans for a fourth line were published. Line 4 was put into service on 7 April 2012. The line is a 9.2 km circular route and consists of 18 stations. It partially runs on parts of lines 1,2 and 3. It is expected to serve 14000 daily riders. 12 40m Alstom Citadis tram will ply the route.[3] The livery for Line 4 reflects the sunshine of the Languedoc-Roussillon region. The livery was inspired from old engravings, with a blaze of gold set off by pearls, stones and jewels forms the backdrop for a series of architectural motifs borrowed from the Château du Peyrou and the Three Graces fountain, two nearby monuments.[7]

Line 4 makes an effective loop around the city since its last segment, at the west of the medieval city center (L'Écusson), is operational on 1 July 2016.

Stations
  • Garcia Lorca
  • Restanque
  • Saint-Martin
  • Nouveau Saint-Roch (interchange with Line 2)
  • Rondelet (interchange with Line 2)
Trams from Line 4 at Georges Frêche-Hôtel de ville station.
  • Gare Saint-Roch (interchange with Line 1, Line 2 and Line 3, bus routes, Airport Bus and SNCF Trains)
  • Observatoire
  • Saint-Guilhem-Courreau
  • Peyrou-Arc De Triomphe
  • Albert 1er-Cathédrale (interchange with Line 1)
  • Louis Blanc (interchange with Line 1)
  • Corum (interchange with Line 1 and 2)
  • Les Aubes
  • Pompignane
  • Place de l'Europe (interchange with Line 1)
  • Rives du Lez (interchange with Line 1 and 3)
  • Georges Frêche-Hôtel de Ville
Trams from Line 4 at Hôtel de Ville.
  • La Rauze
  • Garcia Lorca

Line 5

Proposals for a fifth line were made in 2005, and the current project was officially presented in January 2009.

The route was determined in late 2012 after a public consultation: the 20.5 km long project was divided up into two phases, the first one consisting of a 15.5 km long light rail between Lavérune, West of Montpellier, and Clapiers, North of town. The second phase, consisting of a northward extension of the first phase towards Prades-le-Lez in the outer suburbs, is expected for 2020, but remains unfunded as of 2013. The initial cost for the new infrastructure was 350 million euros, with the majority of the funding coming from the Montpellier metropolitan authorities, complemented by subsidies from the State, the Region and the Département of Hérault. The public inquiry for the first phase took place in April–May 2013.

Construction was expected to begin in late 2013-early 2014, but a moratorium was established between 2014 and 2016 due to funding issues and protests along part of the route within the Parc Montcalm. But in April 2016, the mayor of Montpellier Philippe Saurel announced that the project is envisaged for 2025 with a shorter and cheaper route. Works started on April 15th 2019.

See also

References
  1. "Rapport annuel 2018 sur le parc, le trafic et les événements d'exploitation des tramways" (PDF) (in French). STRMTG - Service Technique des Remontées Mécaniques et des Transports Guidés. 20 December 2019. p. 11. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  2. "Vivre > Transport > Tramway" [Living > Transport > Tramway] (in French). Montpellier-agglomération. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  3. "Lines 3 and 4 take Montpellier tram network to 56 km". Railway Gazette International. 12 April 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
  4. "Bouygues selected to build Nîmes - Montpellier line". Railway Gazette International. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  5. "La ligne 2, de Saint-Jean de Védas Centre à Jacou". Transport de L'Agglomeration de Montpellier. Archived from the original on 3 July 2012.
  6. "Water tram brings a splash of colour". Railway Gazette International. 4 July 2011. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
  7. "Christian Lacroix has designed the livery for Montpellier's new Citadis tramways".

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