| Bordeaux tramway | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Overview | |||
| Native name | Tramway de Bordeaux | ||
| Locale | Bordeaux,Nouvelle-Aquitaine,France | ||
| Transit type | Light rail/tram | ||
| Number of lines | 4 | ||
| Number of stations | 130[1] | ||
| Annual ridership | 96.77 million (2018)[2] | ||
| Website | InfoTBM | ||
| Operation | |||
| Began operation | 2003 | ||
| Operator(s) | TBM | ||
| Number of vehicles | 130[3] | ||
| Technical | |||
| System length | 77.3 km (48.0 mi).[4][5] | ||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)standard gauge | ||
| Electrification | 750 V DC fromoverhead catenary (outside city centre) orAPS (city centre) | ||
| |||
TheBordeaux tramway network (French:Tramway de Bordeaux,pronounced[tʁamwɛdəbɔʁdo]) consists of four lines serving the city ofBordeaux inNouvelle-Aquitaine in southwesternFrance. The system has a route length of 77.5 kilometres (48.2 mi), serving a total of 133 tram stops.[1][4][5]
The first line of Bordeaux's modern tramway opened on 21 December 2003. The system is notable for using theAlstom APSground-level power supply system in the city centre. It has been operated by Keolis Bordeaux since 1 May 2009.[6]
The first public transport service in Bordeaux was ahorse-drawn omnibus, introduced in 1830. In 1880, the firsthorse-drawn tramway was introduced, and eventually 752 horses were used to pull 71 cars. The horse-drawn tramway was limited to the city of Bordeaux and, as a consequence, the firstelectric tramway was introduced in the neighbouring suburbs in 1890. The city's horse-drawn trams were replaced by electric trams in 1900.[7][8]
In 1920, the various tramways were unified, allowing expansion of the system.[7] By 1946, the public transportation system inBordeaux had 38tram lines with a total length of 200 kilometres (120 mi), carrying 160,000 passengers per day. A rudimentary system ofground-level power supply was used on some stretches with mixed success.[citation needed]
As in other French cities at the time the mayor,Jacques Chaban-Delmas (first elected in 1947), embraced anti-tram arguments and decided to terminate the operation of the tramway. He found the tramway to be old-fashioned compared to the bus and its attachment to set tracks on the ground hindered the increasing flow of cars. In 1958 the last line of tramway was closed.[citation needed]
By the 1970s the failure of the "all car" transport policy had become obvious, but Chaban was not prepared to backtrack. A grandiose automated underground railway scheme using theVéhicule Automatique Léger (VAL) system was promoted; it even received the backing of a majority of the city'scouncillors, 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.[citation needed]
Bordeaux had to wait until 1995 and the election ofAlain 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, theBordeaux 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.[citation needed]
Construction of the new tramway started in February 2000, with preliminary works for the tramway. In May 2000 a contract was signed withAlstom for the supply of the tram fleet, and in October the first track was laid. Construction and testing continued through 2001 to 2003, and the first section of the tramway opened on 21 December 2003 in the presence ofPresidentJacques Chirac, and the mayor of Bordeaux,Alain Juppé. The newly open section, known as line A, ran fromLormont-Lauriers andLa Morlette, toMériadeck.[9]
The opening of the first section of line A was followed by that of lines B and C, on 24 April 2004. At that stage line B ran fromQuinconces toSaint-Nicolas, whilst line C whilst line C ran fromQuinconces toGare St-Jean. On 3 July 2004, line B was extended fromSaint-Nicolas toBougnard. In September 2005, line A was extended fromMériadeck toSaint-Augustin.[9]
With the extension of line A toSaint-Augustin, the first phase of the new Bordeaux Tramway was complete. The system was 24.3 kilometres (15.1 mi) in length, served 53 tram stops, and cost 690 millioneuros to build.[9]
Preparatory work for a second phase of the tramway started in 2004, with construction work starting in October 2005. Phase 2 consisted of a series of incremental extensions to the existing three lines, opening throughout 2007 and 2008:[10]
When completed, phase 2 added 36 new stations and 19.6 kilometres (12.2 mi) of additional tracks to the tramway system.[10]
Planning and consultation for phase 3 of the tramway started in 2008. Thedéclaration d'utilité publique for the extensions of lines A, B and C was signed by the prefect on 24 December 2010, followed by that for the new line D on 30 November 2011. Preparatory work for the extensions of lines A, B and C started in early 2011, whilst the first preparatory work on line D started in August 2013 with an archaeological survey. There were some legal delays, with thedéclaration d'utilité publique for line D and the extension of line C toGare de Blanquefort tram stop being cancelled by theBordeaux Administrative Tribunal on 23 October 2014 before being reinstated by theAdministrative Court of Appeal of Bordeaux on 21 July 2015.[11]
The extension to the existing lines eventually opened as follows:
The new Line D tramway opened in two phases, on 14 December 2019 and 29 February 2020. This new 9.8 kilometres (6.1 mi) line runs from Carle Vernet northwest from Bordeaux through Le Bouscat, Bruges and Eysines, ending at Eysines Cantinolle. The first 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) from Carle Vernet to Quinconces shares tracks with line C, the only part of the Bordeaux tram system where two lines share tracks. Construction of the new line starting in 2017.[4][5][20]
In May 2016, the stopBassins à Flot on line B was renamed toLa Cité du Vin, to coincide with the opening of the adjacentCité du Vin wine museum and tourist attraction.[21]
The network consists of four lines, with a total route length of 77.5 kilometres (48.2 mi). The routes serve a total of 130 tram stops, counting the nine stops on the section of track shared by lines C and D, and the three interchange points in the city centre (Hotel de Ville,Porte de Bourgogne andQuinconces) once only.[1][5]
| Line | Length[6][5] | Stations[1] | Route[1] |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 29.2 km (18.1 mi) | 51 | Le Haillan Rostand /Pin Galant /Aéroport ↔La Gardette Bassens Carbon-Blanc /Floirac Dravemont |
| B | 19.5 km (12.1 mi) | 37 | Berges de la Garonne /La Cité du Vin ↔France Alouette /Pessac Centre |
| C | 19.4 km (12.1 mi) | 35 | Gare de Blanquefort /Parc des Expositions ↔Gare de Bègles /Villenave Pyrénées |
| D | 9.8 km (6.1 mi) | 24 | Eysines Cantinolle /Hippodrome ↔Carle Vernet |
 | North West Branch, towards Le Haillan | |
|---|---|---|
| West Branch, towards Airport | ||
| ||
| East Branch, towards Floirac | ||
| North East Branch, towards Lormont | ||
Line A of the Bordeaux tramway starts fromLe Haillan Rostand in the western suburbs of Bordeaux or from the Bordeaux airport, the first common stop isQuatre Chemins in Mérignac. Then, it runs in an easterly direction towards the city centre, where it crosses and has an interchange with lineB atHôtel de Ville, and with linesC andD atPorte de Bourgogne. It then crosses theGaronne river on thePont de pierre bridge and runs east toButtinière. Here the line divides into two branches again, one running north-east toLa Gardette Bassens Carbon-Blanc and the other south-east toFloirac Dravemont.[1][22]
The line is 29.2 km (18.1 mi) in length and serves 51 tram stops. The line is double track throughout, with the exception of the approach to and terminal platform atLe Haillan Rostand andMérignac-Aéroport, which takes the form of a single-track stub.[5][6][22]
For most of the day on Mondays to Fridays, trams run at least every five minutes betweenPin Galant andButtinière, with services every ten minutes on the branches and outer sections. Services run less frequently in the early morning, late evenings, weekends and public holidays.[23]
Line B of the Bordeaux tramway starts atBerges de la Garonne in the north of Bordeaux and runs in a southerly direction towards the city centre, running parallel to the left bank of theGaronne river. An intermediate terminus is passed atClaveau, where some trams from the south terminate. In the city centre it crosses and has an interchange with linesC andD atQuinconces and with lineA atHôtel de Ville. It then runs south-west toBougnard. Here the line divides into two branches, one running north toPessac Centre and the other west toFrance Alouette.[1][22]
The line is 19.5 km (12.1 mi) in length and serves 37 tram stops. The line is double track betweenLa Cité du Vin andBougnard, but includes significant stretches of bi-directional single track in its branches and outer sections. Just north ofLa Cité du Vin the line crosses over theentrance lock to theBassins à flot, with trams normally using a route over aswing bridge at the downstream end of the lock, but with an alternative route available via the other end of the lock if the main bridge is swung open.[5][6][22]
For most of the day on Mondays to Fridays, trams run at least every five minutes betweenClaveau andBougnard, with services every ten minutes on the branches and outer sections. Services run less frequently in the early morning, late evenings, weekends and public holidays.[24]
 | North-West Branch, towards Blanquefort | |
|---|---|---|
| North Branch, towards Bordeaux-Lac | ||
| Branch in common with line D | ||
Line C of the Bordeaux tramway commences with two branches to the north of Bordeaux. One branch starts atParc des Expositions and runs south toCracovie. The other branch starts atGare de Blanquefort and runs alongside theSNCFline toPointe-de-Grave [fr] as far asAusone, from where it follows a disused railway line toCracovie. From here the combined line runs south to the city centre. In the city centre it joins and shares tracks with lineD atQuinconces, where it also has an interchange withB. Lines C and D continue to run south together, and share an interchange with lineA atPorte de Bourgogne and with the city's main railway station atGare Saint-Jean. AtCarle Vernet, line D terminates, leaving line C to continue by itself. An intermediate terminus is passed atGare de Bègles, where some trams from the north terminate, before the final terminus is reached atVillenave Pyrénées.[1][22]
The line is 19.4 km (12.1 mi) in length and serves 35 tram stops. The line is double track betweenCracovie andGare de Bègles, but includes significant stretches of bi-directional single track in its branches and outer sections. In particular the section alongside the line toPointe-de-Grave is single-track sharing the same right of way as the (also single-track) main line railway. This section is sometimes called theTram train du Médoc, although strictly speaking it does not meet thenormal definition of a tram-train as the tram and train do not share track.[5][17][18][22]
For most of the day on Mondays to Fridays, trams run at least every five minutes betweenCracovie andGare de Bègles, with services every ten minutes on the branches and outer sections. Services run less frequently in the early morning, late evenings, weekends and public holidays.[25]
 | ||
| Branch in common with line C | ||
Line D of the Bordeaux tramway starts atEysines Cantinolle to the north-west of Bordeaux and runs in a south-easterly direction towards the city centre. An intermediate terminus is passed atHippodrome, where some trams from the south terminate. In the city centre it joins and shares tracks with lineC atQuinconces, where it also has an interchange withB. Lines C and D continue to run south together, and share an interchange with lineA atPorte de Bourgogne and with the city's main railway station atGare Saint-Jean. The line terminates atCarle Vernet, leaving line C to continue by itself.[1][22]
The line is 9.8 km (6.1 mi) in length and serves 24 tram stops. The line is double track betweenHippodrome andCarle Vernet, but includes significant stretches of bi-directional single track betweenEysines Cantinolle andHippodrome.[5][6][22]
For most of the day on Mondays to Fridays, trams run at least every eight minutes betweenHippodrome andCarle Vernet, with services every fifteen minutes beyondHippodrome. Services run less frequently in the early morning, late evenings, weekends and public holidays.[26]
| Transports Bordeaux Métropole |
|---|
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| Tramway lines |
| Bus lines |
A particular feature of the new Bordeaux tram network is its ground-level power supply system which is used in the city centre to avoid overhead wires spoiling the view of buildings. 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 were extended in 2007 and 2008 to reach severalhousing estates as well as thesuburb ofMérignac. The whole system is undervideo surveillance, with a camera installed inside each vehicle.[citation needed]
Trams operate on all lines from around 4.30am until midnight, seven days a week with later service on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays until around 1.30am. All stops have panels showing the waiting time until the next tram. On Sunday and holiday mornings, trams run every 30/40 minutes until around 1000am then every 20 minutes. Weekday and Saturday services operate every 10 – 12 minutes with additional service during 'rush hour' and for special events. However, there is no service at all on May 1, Labour Day holiday.[citation needed]
In 2018, the tram system carried 96.77 million passengers.[2]
By demand of the Municipality of Bordeaux (CUB), part of the system uses theAlstom APS system ofground-level power supply. There is no overhead wire, and electric power to the tram is supplied by a segmented center rail. Only the segment directly under the tram is electrically live.[27][28] The French government reports no electrocutions or electrification accidents on any tramway in France from as early as 2003[29] until as recently as December 31, 2022.[29][30][31]
As of February 2020[update], the fleet is composed of 130Alstom Citadis trams delivered between 2000 and 2020:[3][6]
All trams are air conditioned and have alow floor. The rails are1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)standard gauge and power is 750 V DC. The maximum speed is 60 km/h (37 mph) with an acceleration of 1.15 m/s2 (3.8 ft/s2). The deceleration obtained from emergency braking is 2.85 m/s2 (9.4 ft/s2).[citation needed]
There are tram depots at:[22]
