Strasbourg

If Grenoble was such a thing as a first prototype for modern tramway systems, Strasbourg was the city that brought the basic guidelines of Grenoble’s tramway to perfection. In this way, Strasbourg became the blueprint for many following systems and acts as a worldwide reference for public transportation to date. The tramway convinces in a nearly perfect urban insertion and in futuristic rolling stock design. Large areas in the city centre were pedestrianized together with the implementation of the project, and the tramway was directed just through the heart of the city. Result: Today, in the centre there is less car traffic, whereas the retail shops benefit from more customers. After the opening of the first line in 1994, ridership in public transportation increased by 43% in only three years. Many more new passengers could be gained with the frequent opening of new sections. Today there are six lines and approximately 40 km of double track. Lines A/D and B/C/F both have a common trunk route and intersect at the central station Homme de Fer. Line E follows a tangential route, mostly on the tracks of the other lines. 1.4 km and the station Gare Centrale are underground to cross the main railway station. Strasbourg can definitely be proud to boast one of the best modern tramway systems in the world; anyone, who wants to visit just one French tramway city and does not know which, is strongly recommended to visit Strasbourg.

Lines

A Parc des Sports - Illkirch Lixenbuhl (13,0 km)
B Hoenheim Gare - Lingolsheim Tiergaertel (14,3 km)
C Neuhof Rudolphe Reuss - Gare Centrale (8,0 km)
D Poteries - Aristide Briand (8,8 km)
E Robertsau Boecklin - Baggersee (10,0 km)
F Elsau - Place d'Islande (5,6 km)
G Gare Centrale - Espace Européen de l'Enterprise (5,2 km) - Bus Rapid Transit

History

25/11/1994   A Hautepierre Maillon - Baggersee (9,4 km)
04/07/1998   A Baggersee - Illkirch Lixenbuhl (2,6 km)
31/08/1998   D Etoile Polygone - Etoile Bourse (0,1 km) - further via line A to Rotonde
01/09/2000   B Hoenheim Gare - République - Elsau (9,3 km)
01/09/2000   C Esplanade - République (1,6 km) - further via line B to Elsau
25/08/2007   C Esplanade - Neuhof Rudolphe Reuss (4,6 km)
25/08/2007   D Etolie Polygone - Aristide Briand (1,1 km) - +0,6 km shared section with line C
25/08/2007   E Baggersee - Wacken - parallel to lines B, C, D and A
23/11/2007   E Wacken - Robertsau Boecklin (1,6 km)
30/01/2008   B Elsau - Ostwald Hôtel de Ville (2,9 km)
23/05/2008   B Ostwald Hôtel de Ville - Lingolsheim Tiergaertel (2,1 km)
27/11/2010   C Gare Centrale - Homme de Fer (0,8 km) - rerouted to Gare Centrale (surface) instead of Elsau
28/11/2010   F Place d'Islande - Oberservatoire (0,7 km)
28/11/2010   F Observatoire - Elsau - parallel to lines B and C
30/11/2013   A Hautepierre Maillon station renamed as Cervantès
30/11/2013   A Cervantès - Parc des Sports (1,0 km)
30/11/2013   D Dante - Poteries (1,1 km)
30/11/2013   G Gare Centrale - Espace Européen de l'Enterprise (5,2 km) - Bus Rapid Transit

Projects

D Aristide Briand - Kehl Bahnhof (2014/15)
A Illkirch Lixenbuhl - Illkirch Graffenstaden (2015)

Rolling Stock

36 Eurotram 8x, delivered as from 1994/1998
17 Eurotram 10x, delivered as from 1998
41 Citadis 403, delivered as from 2005

Links

Compagnie des Transports Strasbourgeois - http://www.cts-strasbourg.fr/
Communauté Urbaine de Strasbourg - http://www.strasbourg.fr/deplacement/tram

Photos

Please click here to visit the Strasbourg Photo Gallery!

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