Rhône-Alpes is a major European transit hub, linking northern France and Europe to the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean area. Millions travel along its motorways in summertime from Paris to holidays at the sea. The European route E15, E15 Euroroute (UK, Britain to Spain) runs through the region. There are international airports at Lyon, Grenoble and Saint-Étienne and many other minor airports and airfields. The region is also a transport hub for the rail-network with the TGV running through Lyon from Paris and the north, to the Mediterranean. A trans-national, high-speed rail-link is projected from Lyon to Turin.

Rail

Numerous cities of the region Rhône-Alpes are served by TGV : * The LGV Méditerranée: Marseille, Gare de la Part-Dieu, Lyon Part-Dieu, Valence TGV, and Montélimar. * To Paris : Lyon Part-Dieu, Valence TGV, Montélimar, Chambéry, Grenoble, Bourg Saint-Maurice, Saint-Étienne * In construction, a line to the North-East: Besançon, Strasbourg and Lyon Part-Dieu) * In construction, a line to Turin: Lyon Part-Dieu, Challes-les-eaux, Grenoble-Université Gières The TGV line Paris-Grenoble serves the international airport Lyon Saint-Exupéry. Every weekend in winter, Bourg-Saint-Maurice becomes one of the busiest stations in the region, when it is served by TGV trains from Paris and from Brussels, and by Eurostar from London. When a project of RER called Réseau Express de l'Aire urbaine Lyonnaise (REAL) is built, it will be the first RER of the province, the only other one being in Paris. Another RER called CEVA is planned for 2017, for the region of The leman lake (Geneva, Annemasse, Thonon-les-bains, Evian-les-bains) with extensions to La roche / foron, Annecy. Another railroad project is in realisation in Grenoble to link the suburbs. There are also tourist train lines in Rhône-Alpes (in Ardèche, in the south of Grenoble and Mont-Blanc)

Road

Public transport

12 transport authorities of public transport are implanted in Rhône-Alpes * The Rhône-Alpes region * The department of Ain * The department of Isère * The department of Loire * The department of Rhône (department), Rhône * The department of Sytral * Saint-Etienne Métropole * The Port of Isère * The community of Pays Viennois * The community of Villefranche-sur-Saône * The community of Bourg-en-Bresse * The community of Grand Roanne The three largest cities of Rhône-Alpes are equipped with streetcars and have a large bus network. The largest, Lyon, has four metro lines. Lyon and Saint-Étienne have kept their lines of trolley buses and, Saint-Etienne is one of the few cities in France to have retained its trams (in use since 1881). Many cities also have their bus networks (Valencia the CTAV Chambéry the STAC, Villefranche-sur-Saône, Roanne, etc.). There are also networks of inter-departmental cars. In winter, additional lines open to connect the valleys to ski resorts. This is the case between Grenoble and Chamrousse. Finally, the airport Lyon Saint-Exupéry is accessible by regular shuttle bus from the major surrounding cities, including Lyon, Saint-Etienne, Grenoble and Chambéry. There are also links between Grenoble and Saint-Geoirs Grenoble and between Bouthéon Saint-Etienne and Saint-Etienne. The Rhône-Alpes region is undergoing profound changes with regard to its rail network and many projects are being developed to the [Express Network of the urban area of Lyons, The Project of the East Rail Lyon, the Tram-train from the west Lyonnais.

Public transport links in Lyonnais

Métro

The Lyon Metro, in Lyon, opened in 1978 and now consists of four lines. It is part of the Transports en commun lyonnais, 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 for lines A, B, and D is ,Loading gauge
more generous than the average for metros in Europe. The loading gauge for line C is . 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. The total track length is , 80% of which is underground. The métro system consists of four lines, A-B-C-D, each identified on maps by different colours:

Lines A and B

Lyon Metro Line A, Lines A (''Perrache - Laurent Bonnevay'') and Lyon Metro Line B, B (''Charpennes - Gare de Lyon-Part-Dieu, 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 2007.

Line C

The ''Croix-Rousse-Croix-Paquet'' rack railway, which was refurbished in 1974, was integrated into the Metro in 1978 as Lyon Metro Line C, 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%.

Line D

Lyon Metro 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 Tunnel boring machine, 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.

Operation

The Metro, like the rest of the local public transport system, is operated by SLTC - the ' (Lyon public transport company), under the TCL brand - ' (Lyon public transport). It is operated on behalf of SYTRAL - the ' (Lyon metropolitan transport syndicate), a Syndicat Mixte.

Tramways

Line T1

Operates from 4:52am to 12:27am, maintained by the Centre de Maintenance de Saint-Priest, Rhône, Saint-Priest - Porte des Alpes. *''Musée des Confluences'' ''extension to Musée des Confluences once the museum opens'' *Montrochet *Sainte-Blandine *Suchet *Gare de Lyon-Perrache, Perrache train station (transfers : Gare de Lyon-Perrache SNCF, Lyon Metro Line A, Metro A, #Line T2, Tram T2, Bus 8 - 31 - 32 - 46 - 49 - 49D - 55 - 63 - 73 - 91 / Navette Presqu'Île - 96 - N4 - 101 - 105 - 125 - 175 / Airport shuttle - 182 - 184 - 185) *Quai Claude Bernard *Rue de l'Université (transfers : Bus 53) *Saint-André *Guillotière (transfers : Lyon Metro Line D, Metro D, Bus 12 - 23) *Liberté *Saxe - Préfecture (transfers : Bus 4 - 18 - 23 - 28 - 99) *Palais de Justice - Mairie du 3ème (transfers : Lyon Metro Line B, Metro B at Place Guichard - Bourse du Travail, Bus 28 - 99) *Part-Dieu - Servient () **Part-Dieu (transfers: Gare de Lyon-Part-Dieu, Part-DieuSNCF, Lyon Metro Line B, Metro B, Bus C1 - 25 - 28 - 36 - 37 - 41 - 47 - 59 - 59E - 70 - 99 - 175 / Navette Gares Aéroport - Express Crémieu Bourgoin, #Line T3, Tram T3, Bus 198 - 296) *Thiers - Lafayette (transfer : Bus 1) *Collège Bellecombe (transfers : Bus 34) *Charpennes - Charles Hernu (transfers : Lyon Metro Line B, Metro B - Lyon Metro Line A, Metro A, Bus 27 - 34 - 37 - 59 - 59E - 70) *Le Tonkin *Condorcet (transfer : Bus 38) *Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Université Lyon I *La Doua - Gaston Berger *Institut national des sciences appliquées de Lyon, INSA - Einstein (transfer : Bus 69) *Croix-Luizet *IUT - Feyssine. P+R Tramway.

Line T2

Operates from 4:55am to 12:35am, maintained by the Centre de Maintenance de Saint-Priest, Rhône, Saint-Priest - Porte des Alpes. *Gare de Lyon-Perrache, Perrache train station (transfers : Gare de Lyon-Perrache SNCF, Lyon Metro Line A, Metro A, #Line T1, Tram T1, Bus 8 - 31 - 32 - 46 - 49 - 49D - 55 - 63 - 73 - 91 / Navette Presqu'Île - 96 - N4 - 101 - 105 - 125 - 175 / Airport shuttle - 182 - 184 - 185) *Centre Berthelot *Jean Macé (transfers : Lyon Metro Line B, Metro B, Gare de Lyon-Jean Macé, Bus 4 - 11 - 18 - 35 - 47 - 53 - 96 - 175 / Navette Gares Aéroport) *Garibaldi - Berthelot (transfers : Bus 12 - 35) *Route de Vienne (transfers : Bus 12 - 35) *Jet d'Eau - Mendès France (transfers: Bus 36 - 53 - 296) *Villon *Bachut - Mairie du 8ème (transfers: Bus 23 - 24 - 26) *Jean XXIII - Maryse Bastié *Grange-Blanche (transfers: Lyon Metro Line D, Metro D, Bus 9 - 28 - 34 - 38 - 79 - 175 / Navette Gares Aéroport) *Ambroise Paré (transfers: Bus 28 - 38) *Vinatier *Essarts - Iris *Boutasse - Camille Rousset (transfers: Bus 81) *Hôtel de Ville - Bron (transfers: Bus 9 - 24 - 79) *Les Alizés *Rebufer (transfers: Bus 52 - 78) *Parilly - Université (transfers: Bus 81) *Europe - Université *Porte des Alpes (transfers: Bus 26 - 81). P+R Tramway *Parc Technologique *Hauts de Feuilly *Salvador Allende *Alfred de Vigny (transfers: Bus 62 - Zi1) *Saint-Priest, Rhône, Saint-Priest - Hôtel de Ville (transfers: Bus 50 - 53 - 54 - 62 - 94 - Zi1) *Esplanade des arts (transfers: Bus 50 - 62) *Jules Ferry (transfers Bus 50 - 53 - 94) *Cordière *Saint-Priest, Rhône, Saint-Priest - Bel Air (transfers: Bus 50E - 53). P+R Tramway.

Line T3

Operates from 4:27am to 12:08am, maintained by the Centre de Maintenance de Meyzieu. Codenamed "LEA" (Ligne de L'Est de l'Agglomération), Line T3 runs along a portion of the former CFEL (''Compagnie des chemins de fer de l'Est de Lyon'') train line from the Gare de l'Est de Lyon to Saint-Genix-sur-Guiers, Saint-Genix-d'Aoste (Isère), Aoste (via Crémieu, Jallieu et Montalieu-Vercieu, Montalieu). *Gare Part-Dieu (transfers : Gare de Lyon-Part-Dieu, Part-Dieu SNCF, Bus 198 - 296. Lyon Metro Line B, Metro B, #Line T1, Tram T1, Bus C1 - 25 - 28 - 36 - 37 - 41 - 47 - 59 - 59E - 70 - 99 - 175 / Navette Gares Aéroport - Express Crémieu Bourgoin) *Dauphiné - Lacassagne (transfers: Bus 25 - 28 - 34) *Reconnaissance - Balzac (transfer: Bus 99) *Gare de Villeurbanne (transfer: Bus 38). P+R Tramway *Bel Air - Les Brosses (transfer: Bus 81) *Vaulx-en-Velin - La Soie (transfer: Lyon Metro Line A, Metro A, opening September 20, 2007, Bus 16 - 64 - 68 - Direct Eurexpo). P+R Métro et Tramway *Décines - Centre (transfer: Bus 67). P+R Tramway *Décines-Charpieu - Grand Large (transfers: Bus 7 - 16 - 67 - 85 - 95). P+R Tramway *Meyzieu - Gare (transfer: Bus 67). P+R Tramway *Meyzieu - ZI (transfer: Bus Zi2). P+R Tramway. Line T3, which is 14.6 km long, runs largely on ballasted railroad track. It takes 23 minutes to go from Part-Dieu Villette to Meyzieu - ZI, and runs at a maximum speed of 70 km/h (60 km/h at intersections, of which 26 are equipped with crossing gates). 7 km run near residential areas and are equipped with a noise barrier.

Line T4

Line T4 runs between Jet d'Eau and Cliniques Feyzin. A future extension is planned from Gare Part-Dieu to Jet d'Eau. *Jet d'Eau - Mendès France (Revised bus network when new line opens to be determined later : #Line T2, Tram T2) *Lycée Lumière *États-Unis - Musée Tony Garnier *Professeur Beauvisage - CISL *États-Unis - Viviani *Joliot Curie - Marcel Sembat *La Borelle *Gare de Vénissieux (transfer: Lyon Metro Line D, Metro D). P+R Métro *Croizat - Paul Bert *Marcel Houël - Hôtel de Ville *Lycée Jacques Brel *Herriot - Cagne *Vénissy *Division Leclerc *Maurice Thorez *Lénine - Corsière *Darnaise *Hôpital Feyzin - Vénissieux.

Rhônexpress

Rhônexpress is an express line which will link Part-Dieu Villette to Saint-Exupéry airport, with intermediate stops at Vaulx-en-Velin – La Soie (transfer to Metro Line A) and Meyzieu ZI. It was scheduled to open in 2009. The Conseil général of the Rhône (département), Rhône franchised the operation of this line for 30 years to Rhônexpress, a consortium including Vinci SA (28.2%), Veolia Transport (28.2%), Vossloh, Vossloh Infrastructure Service (4.2%), Cegelec, Cegelec Centre Est (2,8%) and the Caisse des dépôts et consignations''Ville et transports - magazine'', January 17, 2007.

Bus and trolleybus

Buses in Lyon, TCL's bus network includes more than one hundred bus routes. Although greatly reduced compared to 1950, the Trolleybuses in Lyon, Lyon trolleybus system is still the largest in France.

Grenoble trams

Grenoble, Grenoble's Grenoble tramway, tram network is 32 km long, and comprises five lines: lines A, B, C, D and E. Line A was opened in 1987, line B in 1990, line C entered into service in 2006, line D opened in 2007, and line E in 2014. A previous network of tramways existed in Grenoble between 1894 and 1952. Grenoble became the second French city to reintroduce the tramway, after Tramway de Nantes, Nantes.

Rolling stock

The Tramway de Grenoble is served by a total of 88 pieces of rolling stock. Of those, 58 are Tramway Français Standard, TFS trams and the other 35 put in service on the occasion of the opening of the B line extension and the C line are Alstom Citadis trams.

Network

The network comprises 65 stations, 12 of which are shared by two lines. Line A has 29 stations, line B has 20 stations, line C has 19 stations, line D has 6 stations and line E has 17 stations. Projects for extensions are : line A extension (North: from Fontaine, Isère, Fontaine to Sassenage - South: from Échirolles to Pont-de-Claix); line D extensions (North: from Universités to Meylan - South: from ''Étienne Grappe'' to ''Grand'Place'')

Bus lines

Urban Bus lines: *1 Grenoble ''Trois Dauphins'' - Claix ''Pont Rouge'' / Varces ''République''. *3 Le Fontanil ''Croix de la Rochette'' / Saint-Égrève ''Rochepleine'' - Grenoble ''Chavant'' *9 La Tronche ''Grand Sablon'' - Meylan ''La Détourbe'' *11 Échirolles ''Comboire'' - Universités Biologie / Gières Universités ''IUT UFRAPS'' *2 Eybens ''Les Poulardes'' - Eybens ''La Grange du Chateau'' *13 Échirolles ''La Luire'' - Grenoble ''Trois Dauphins'' *16 La Tronche ''Cimetière du Grand Sablon'' / Grenoble ''Verdun Préfecture'' - Pont de Claix ''Flotibulle'' *17 Le Gua ''Les Saillants'' - Grenoble ''Trois Dauphins'' *21 Grenoble ''Verdun Préfecture'' - Gières ''Le Japin'' *23 Saint Martin d'Hères ''Neyrpic Belledonne'' - Grand'Place / Seyssins ''Le Prisme'' *26 Grand'Place / Fontaine ''Place du Néron'' - Universités Biologie *30 Grenoble ''Gare Europole'' / Saint Égrève ''Cap des H' '' - Saint Égrève ''Gare'' *31 Eybens ''Le Verderet'' - Meylan ''Maupertuis'' *32 Eybens ''Maisons Neuves'' - Corenc ''Montfleury'' / Meylan ''Lycée du Grésivaudan'' *33 Grenoble ''Petite Esplanade'' - Saint Martin d'Hères ''Les Alloves'' / ''Le Carina'' *34 Sassenage ''Le Château'' / Grenoble ''Polygone Scientifique'' - Poisat ''Prémol'' *41 Grenoble ''Docteur Martin'' - Domène ''Chenevières'' / ''Les Arnauds'' *51 Sassenage ''Les Engenières'' / ''L'Ovalie'' - Seyssinet-Pariset ''Cimetière'' / Seyssins ''Le Prisme'' *55 Sassenage ''Maladière'' - Seyssinet-Pariset ''Village'' *56 Fontaine ''La Poya'' - Veurey ''Mairie'' / Veurey ''Le Châtelard'' *58 Seyssins ''Les Nalettes'' - Claix ''Pont Rouge'' *6020 Grenoble ''Gare Routière'' - Meylan ''Lycée du Grésivaudan''

Society of transport in Greater Saint Etienne

The Society of transport in Greater Saint Etienne (STAS) is the name of the company that manages and operates the various lines of trams, trolleybuses and buses of the Greater Saint Etienne. Organized and funded by Saint-Étienne Métropole, the society is responsible for transportation to the 43 municipalities. The network is structured around two lines of trams, trolley lines and 54 bus lines that run through the agglomeration.

Airports

Rhône-Alpes has several airports, including many regular and seasonal flights to the ski districts. The largest airport in the region is Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport. It is located in the heart of the region, so that the main regional cities are within 100 km of the airport. The two other main airports are those of Grenoble-Isère Airport, Grenoble and Chambéry Airport, Chambéry. The airports of Grenoble and Chambéry are managed by the same company. * Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport: has the largest number of destinations (international) and the highest number of passengers. * Grenoble-Isère Airport and Chambéry Airport: mainly used by low cost airlines. There is more traffic in winter because of the influx of tourists to the ski resorts, particularly from Great Britain, noted that the airport of Grenoble-Isère has become like Lyon, an international airport. * Saint-Étienne - Bouthéon Airport * Annecy - Haute-Savoie - Mont Blanc Airport

Rhône-Alpes transport projects

*TER Rhône Alpes *Réseau Express de l'Aire urbaine Lyonnaise *Tramway de Grenoble *Tramway de Saint-Étienne *Rhônexpress *Haut Bugey line

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Transport In Rhone-Alpes Rapid transit in France Transport in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes