Montpellier

Montpellier became a talking point in recent decades as an innovative centre of modern architecture and urban development. The tramway, opened in 2000, satisfies this reputation: It is without doubt one of the most stylish public transport systems in the world. Especially the design of the rolling stock is very extravagant: The vehicles for line 1 are blue and decorated with white swallows; those for line 2 are painted with colorful flowers, those for line 3 feature a maritime design and those for line 4 two different liveries in gold or black. You can like it or not, it attracts attention in any case. Line 1 crosses right through the heart of the Old Town; with more than 120,000 passengers per day it is the busiest tramway line in France. Line 3 holds a record too, it is the longest tramway line in France and it was opened as a whole in the present layout together with line 4 in 2012. Simultaneously line 2 was allocated on a more direct route via Comédie (before, this line was the longest line in France). All four lines intersect at Gare Saint-Roch. The outer sections of lines 2 and 3 are only single-track, and in the southwest of line 2 there is a short shared section with a branch railway. A fifth line is under development, as well as the ring closure of semi-circular line 4.

Lines

1 Mosson – Odysseum (15,8 km)
2 Saint-Jean de Védas - Jacou (17,5 km)
3 Juvignac - Lattes/Pérols (19,8 km)
4 Saint-Denis - Place Albert 1er (8,5 km)

History

30/06/2000   1 Mosson – Odysseum (14,7 km)
11/10/2003   1 Station Millénaire
18/11/2003   1 Station Malbosc
16/12/2006   2 Saint-Jean de Védas - Jacou (19,8 km) - between Corum and Gare Saint-Roch via Place de l'Europe and Rives du Lez
17/04/2007   2 Station Victoire 2
21/09/2009   1 Odysseum station renamed as Place de France
21/09/2009   1 Place de France - Odysseum (new station) (0,5 km)
17/12/2010   1 Station Mondial 98
11/11/2011   1 Hôtel de Ville station renamed as Du Guesclin
07/04/2012   1 Mosson station renamed as Stade de la Mosson
07/04/2012   1 Stade de la Mosson - Mosson (new station) (0,6 km)
07/04/2012   2 between Corum and Gare Saint-Roch rerouted via Comédie
07/04/2012   3 Juvignac - Gare Saint-Roch (7,7 km) - formal opening cermony for lines 3 and 4 hold on 06/04/2012
07/04/2012   3 Port Marianne - Boirargues (3,2 km)
07/04/2012   3 Boirargues - Pérols (4,1 km)
07/04/2012   3 Boirargues - Lattes (2,5 km)
07/04/2012   4 Nouveau Saint-Roch - Moularès (3,1 km) - further via existing tracks to Saint-Denis and Place Albert 1er

Projects

5 Prades-le-Lez - Lavérune (2017)
4 Saint-Denis - Place Albert 1er (2017) - ring closure via line 5 tracks

Rolling Stock

30 Citadis 401, No. 2001-2030, delivered as Citadis 301 as from 1999/2002 and extended to Citadis 401 in 2002
27 Citadis 302, No. 2031-2033 and 2041-2064, delivered as from 2006
26 Citadis 402, No. 2071-2096, delivered as from 2011

Initially, cars 2001-2030 and 2031-2033 were blue with swallows for line 1, 2041-2065 had flower design for line 2 and 2071-2093 were ordered with maritime design for line 3. In connection with the decision for the realization of line 4, three more cars were ordered and some displacements were made:

2001-2030 and 2090-2092 blue with swallows for line 1
2048-2064 and 2093-2096 flower design for line 2
2071-2089 maritime design for line 3
2031-2033 and 2041-2047 black for line 4

In this way, only long cars (>40m) run on lines 1 and 3 and only short cars (32m) on line 4, line 2 has both.

Links

Transports de l'Agglomération de Montpellier - http://www.montpellier-agglo.com/tam/index2.php
Tramway de Montpellier (independent site) - http://tramwaydemontpellier.net/

Photos

Please click here to visit the Montpellier Photo Gallery!

© http://www.trams-in-france.net by Christoph Groneck