Lyon Metro
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| Lyon Metro | |
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| Locale | Lyon |
|---|---|
| Transit type | Rapid transit |
| Began operation | 1978 |
| System length | 30 km (19 mi) |
| Number of lines | 4 |
| Number of stations | 39 |
| Operator(s) | SLTC |
The Lyon Metro, in Lyon, France, first opened in 1978 and now consists of four lines. It is part of the Transports en Commun Lyonnais (TCL) system of public transport.
Like the SNCF, but unlike all other French metro systems (excluding the RER), Lyon metro trains run on the left, the result of an unrealised project to run the metro into the suburbs on existing railway lines. The loading gauge is 2.90 metres (9 ft 6 in), more generous than the average for metros in Europe. The Lyon Metro owes its inspiration to the Montreal Metro which was built a few years prior, and has the same rubber-wheel cars and station design.[citation needed] The total track length is 30 km (18.75 mi), 80% of which is underground.
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[edit] Routes
The métro system consists of four lines, A-B-C-D, each identified on maps by different colours:
| Line | Colour | Opened | Terminus |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Red | 1978 | Perrache - Vaulx en Velin La Soie |
| B | Blue | 1978 | Charpennes - Stade de Gerland |
| C | Orange | 1981 | Hôtel de Ville - Cuire |
| D | Green | 1991 | Gare de Vaise - Gare de Vénissieux |
[edit] Lines A and B
Lines A (Perrache - Laurent Bonnevay) and B (Charpennes - Part-Dieu) were constructed using the cut-and-cover method, and went into service on May 2, 1978. Trains on both lines run on tyres rather than steel wheels.
Line B was extended to Jean Macé on September 9, 1981, then to Gerland on September 4, 2000. A further extension to Oullins is expected to open in 2013.
An extension to Vaulx-en-Velin La Soie on Line A opened in October of 2007.
[edit] Line C
The Croix-Rousse-Croix-Paquet rack railway, which was refurbished in 1974, was integrated into the Metro in 1978 as line C, running from (Hôtel-de-Ville to Croix-Rousse). It was extended to Cuire on December 8, 1984.
The line was constructed using various methods; the incline rising through a deep tunnel, the portion on the flat at Croix-Rousse using cut-and-cover, while the section beyond Hénon runs on the surface. The Croix Paquet station claims to be the steepest metro station in Europe, with an incline of 17%.
[edit] Line D
Line D commenced operation under human control on September 4, 1991 between Gorge-de-Loup and Grange-Blanche. Rubber-tyred trains run automatically with no driver on board, controlled by a system known as MAGGALY (Métro Automatique à Grand Gabarit de l’Agglomération Lyonnaise). The line was extended to Gare de Vénissieux on December 11, 1992, at which time it switched to automatic operation. On April 28, 1997, it was extended again to Gare de Vaise.
Being the deepest of the lines in Lyon, it was constructed mainly using boring machines and passes under both rivers, the Rhône and the Saône. At 13 km (8.12 mi) long, it is also the longest of the lines in Lyon.
[edit] Operation
The Metro, like the rest of the local public transport system, is operated by SLTC - the Société lyonnaise de transports en commun (Lyon public transport company), under the TCL brand - Transports en commun lyonnais (Lyon public transport). It is operated on behalf of SYTRAL - the Syndicat de transports de l'agglomération lyonnaise (Lyon metropolitan transport syndicate), a Syndicat Mixte.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Transports en Commun Lyonnais (TCL) -- Official Lyon public transportation site
- Lyon Metro on UrbanRail.net
- Comprehensive map of the Lyon metro network
- Picture library of transport in Lyon
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