Tramway de Bordeaux
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The Bordeaux tramway network consists of three lines serving the capital of the Aquitaine Region in southwestern France. The power supply, which uses a ground-level power supply of the Alimentation par Sol (APS) system, was opened on 21 December 2003. It is operated by Tram et Bus de la CUB (TBC).
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[edit] History
Bordeaux had had a tramway system before. In 1946, there were 38 lines, more than 200 km of tracks, partially equipped with conduit current collection, and 160,000,000 users. However, mayor Jacques Chaban-Delmas (first elected in 1947) embraced the arguments of a powerful anti-tram-lobby and the lines were closed one after another, until services on the last remaining route were withdrawn in 1958.
By the 1970s the failure of the "all car" transport policy had become obvious, but Chaban was not prepared to backtrack. A grandiose automatic light underground railway (VAL) scheme was promoted; it even received the backing of a majority of the city's councillors, but fell victim in the end not just to the fierce opposition of the local transport users' association TRANSCUB but to the hard reality of the fine sandy nature of the city's soil. The VAL idea was dropped. Chaban remained.
Bordeaux had to wait until 1995 and the election of Alain Juppé as mayor – as well as the total strangulation of the city by its transport problems – before the situation was tackled. Following two years of studies, the Bordeaux Urban Community adopted the tramway plan in 1997. Recognized by the central government in 2000 as a Public Interest Project, the scheme got under way and by 21 December 2003 was carrying passengers on three routes, one of which was extended on 25 September 2005.
[edit] The system today
A particular feature of the new Bordeaux tram network is its ground-level power supply system. This was the source of many difficulties and breakdowns when first introduced. Improvements since then, however, have increased reliability and the network is now one of Bordeaux's principal plus points, valued not just for enabling the people of the city to get about easily but also for its contribution to the aesthetics of the city and its quality of life. The new trams are an essential part of Bordeaux's current tourist redynamization strategy. The three lines will be extended in 2007 to reach several housing estates as well as the suburb of Mérignac. The whole system is under video surveillance, with a camera installed inside each vehicle.
[edit] The network
As of May 2006, the network has a total route length of 27.4 km.
The first line (Line A) was opened on 21 December 2003 in the presence of President Jacques Chirac, and the mayor of Bordeaux, Alain Juppé. It ran between Mériadeck and Lormont/Cenon. It was extended on 26 September 2005 to new termini at the Pellegrin Hospital and Saint-Augustin.
Line C was the next to open: on 24 April 2004, following delays.
Line B was partially opened on 15 May 2004 and throughout on 3 July 2004.
The current routes of the three lines are:
- A - Saint Augustin <-> Lormont Lauriers / Cenon La Morlette (15.3 km)
- B - Quinconces <-> Pessac Bougnard (via the campus) (9.3 km)
- C - Quinconces <-> Gare Saint-Jean (2.8 km)
The three lines will be extended by 15.9 km in 2007 with the opening of the second phase, bringing the network's total route length to 43.3 km (with 84 stops).
Line A will be extended from Saint-Augustin to Mérignac Centre, from Lormont to Bassens and from Cenon to Floirac.
Line B will be extended from Pessac Bougnard to Pessac Centre and from Quinconces to Bacalan.
Line C will be extended from the Gare Saint-Jean to Bègles and from Quinconces to Les Aubiers.
The tramway system sees some 110,000 passenger journeys daily:
- 40,000 using Line A
- 52,000 using Line B
- 18,000 using Line C
On average, 45% of journeys on the combined bus and tram network of the TBC are by tram. Good Look
[edit] External links
- Official site of the Bordeaux bus and tramway network (in French)
- Official site of the users' group TRANSCUB (in French)
| Tramways and métros of France | ||
|---|---|---|
| Métros: Lille • Lyon • Marseille • Paris • Rennes • Toulouse | ||
| Tramways: Angers* • Bordeaux • Brest* • Grenoble • Le Havre • Le Mans* • Lille • Lyon • Marseille* • Montpellier • Mulhouse • Nantes • Nice* • Orléans • Paris • Reims* • Rouen • Saint-Étienne • Strasbourg • Toulon* • Tours* • Le Havre • Valenciennes | ||
| Guided trolleybuses: Caen • Clermont-Ferrand • Nancy | ||
| * Under Construction | ||
| Transport in France • Trams in France • Railways in France | edit | |
