In 1992 trams (LRT) returned to Paris, after their abandonment in 1938. The new tram line, Line T1 ran from La Courneuve to Bobigny and was extended few months later to Gare St. Denis. So successful was line T-1, that it tripled the ridership of the bus route it replaced. In 1997, after the success of the new tramway, Line T2 opened, running from Issy Val de Seine-La Defense and runs on the former track of a local regional electric railway, with electric hauled passenger cars replaced by trams.
In 2003 T1 (which route lies in the north-eastern part of the city) was extended 3 km east to Noisy-le-Sec . Line T1 interchanges with local railways (RER) at Gare St. Denis, Noisy-le-Sec, and with 3 metro lines at Bobigny, Corneuve and Basilique St. Denis. Further extensions are planned: a western extension from Saint Denis to Asnières and Gennevilliers, southern extension from Noisy-le-Sec to Montreuil and Val de Fontenay RER station.
Line T2 (which route runs south-west) interchanges with local railways at Issy Val de Seine and La Defense, and with one of the metro lines at La Defense. Two extensions are in advanced planning phase: eastern extension from Issy Val de Seine to Porte de Versailles (transfer point to and from metro L12, tram T3), northern extension from La Defense to Bezons.
What is interesting is that both lines that they cost about CAD $16 million per km. to build and combined, carry over 50 million passengers annually.
| Country | France |
| Line | T1 |
| Inhabitants | City 2.150.000, District 11.175.000 |
| Date opening | 1992 |
| Future development: | western extension (2011) from Saint Denis to Asnières, Gennevilliers and Ile-Saint-Denis; eastern extension (2013) from Noisy-le-Sec to Montreuil and Val de Fontenay RER station |
| Length (km) | 11 |
| Track sections | ground level mostly in reserved lanes |
| Stops | 26, average distance m 450 |
| Platforms | heigth 35 cm |
| Platform doors | — |
| General characteristics | — |
| n. of vehicles | 35 |
| n. of cars per vehicle | 3 |
| Type | steel wheels, bi-directional |
| Vehicle dimensions (m) | length 29.4; width 2.30 |
| Vehicle capacity (pax) | 178 (52 seated) |
| Frequency | 5’/8′ |
| Current/Voltage | 750 V DC overhead |
| Type of guide/gauge | standard gauge rails (1435 mm) |
| Speed Km/h | Comm 24, Max — |
| Accel./Decel. (m/sec2) | |
| System capacity | — |
| Ridership | 30 millions pax/year |
| Total cost | 10 M Euro/km |
| Staff | — |
| System builder | ALSTOM |
| Model | TFS |
| NOTE | construction phases: Gras St. Denis-Bobigny Picasso (1992); Bobigny-Noisy-le-Sec (2003) |
Line T2
| Country | France |
| Line | T2 |
| Inhabitants | City 2.150.000, District 11.175.000 |
| Date opening | 1997 |
| Future development: | eastern extension (2009) Issy Val de Seine-Porte de Versailles (transfer point to and from metro L12, tram T3); northern extension (2011) La Defense-Bezons |
| Length (km) | 11.3 |
| Track sections | ground level mostly in reserved lanes |
| Stops | 13, average distance m 950 |
| Platforms | heigth 35 cm |
| Platform doors | — |
| General characteristics | — |
| n. of vehicles | 26 |
| n. of cars per vehicle | 5 |
| Type | steel wheels, bi-directional |
| Vehicle dimensions (m) | length 32.2; width 2.40 |
| Vehicle capacity (pax) | 231 (48 seated) |
| Frequency | 5’/8′ |
| Current/Voltage | 750 V DC overhead |
| Type of guide/gauge | standard gauge rails (1435 mm) |
| Speed Km/h | Comm 24, Max — |
| Accel./Decel. (m/sec2) | |
| System capacity | — |
| Ridership | 20 millions pax/year |
| Total cost | 10 M Euro/km |
| Staff | — |
| System builder | ALSTOM |
| Model | Citadis |
| NOTE | further 34 Alstom Citadis trams for the future extensions (16 for Issy Val de Seine-Porte de Versailles, 18 for La Defen |
Tags: C-train, commuter rail, cost per km, economic stimulus, Evergreen Line, gateway, infrastructure, Karlsruhe, Langley, light rail, LRT, NDP, Paris LRT, passenger rail, Rail for the Valley, skytrain, study, Surrey, transit, Translink, UBC SkyTrain, VALTAC, Vancouver
Rail For The Valley 
October 4, 2009 at 1:01 am
I rode all the Tramways in Paris recently, and it reinforces my belief that any critics of LRT simply haven’t ridden LRT, and lack any serious knowledge. LRT works. It works really well. It’s one thing to talk about stats, and talk about 90 seconds(like serisously, most riders are not that impatient), but at least experience the mode before critizing. I am looking forward to when the first Transit City opens up, so it can shut the LRT critics up.
October 4, 2009 at 2:28 pm
I am sure that LRT will work in Vancouver, just as well as skytrain, WCE, trolleys and regular buses.
Paris is planning expansions of all their modes for transport, including four métro extensions, one RER expansion, and nine tramways.
Of note the Arc Express, a planned ring route around Paris, will be automated metro.
http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2009/03/18/paris-announces-biggest-rapid-transit-investment-since-rer/
http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/03/17/ambitious-30-billion-rail-system-to-be-installed-in-paris/
Zweisystem replies: Yes but compare populations of Paris, 2.2 million with a regional population of 10.1 million with Vancouver, 578,000 and a regional population of 2.1 million, the greater population means there is a need for metro and has the tax base to pay for it. TransLink is in trouble because we squandered $8 billion on 3 metro lines that in essence, has only given the bus rider a questionably faster travel time at greater inconvenience. We could have built at least 9 LRT lines, serving more people, for the same amount of cash. There is precious little monies left for more transit in the region like valley rail.
October 4, 2009 at 11:35 pm
[…] latest series of post of zweisystem listing some features of the tram line of Paris area, T1, T2 in one post and T3 in a second one, and noticeabily claiming construction price as low as €10millions / […]