Fourth tram-train line was opened in Paris agglomeration
photo: Alstom Citadis Dualis tram trains on the T4 line in the suburbs of Paris. Source: Alstom press service
The government of the French region of Ile-de-France, which covers Paris and its suburbs, is actively developing the tram network. This year alone, two new tram routes started to operate in the Paris agglomeration. The classic tram line was introduced in June, and a tram-train line that connects several Parisian, suburbs including Essonne, Evry-Courcouronne and Massy-Palais was opened in December.
Regular traffic on the new tram-train route, which partially uses railway tracks, was opened on 10 December 2023. This is the fourth tram-train line in the Paris agglomeration's tram network, according to the press service of Île-de-France Mobilités, the organization that coordinates and oversees public transport in the Ile-de-France region.
The new tram-train line was built by a consortium of companies: TSO (the consortium leader), Terideal and Alstom. The route was named T12 and became an integrated part of the Paris agglomeration's tram network. It is 20.4 km long, has 16 stops and connects 12 communities in the Ile-de-France region. The T12 line partially absorbed the existing railway tracks (10.4 km), so five stops are former railway platforms that were previously served by RER (French equivalent of S-Bahn) commuter trains. The projected daily passenger traffic on the new line is estimated at 40,000 passengers.
Alstom Citadis Dualis rolling stock
The T12 line is operated by 25 four-section Alstom Citadis Dualis tram-trains manufactured by the French company Alstom. Each vehicle is 42 m long and 2.65 m wide and can accommodate up to 250 passengers, 90 passengers of which can travel on seats. The Citadis Dualis tram-train series can reach speeds of up to 100 km/h, but on the T12 line they run at an average speed of 25 km/h on the tram-only part of the line and 39 km/h on the railways. The tram-train is also adapted for passengers with reduced mobility and is equipped with a video surveillance system, 72 USB connectors, a monitor for displaying stops, and a visual and audible stop notification system.
Alstom Citadis Dualis trams have been running on the T11 line since 2017. Source: Wikipedia
According to Alstom, there are currently 77 Alstom Citadis Dualis tram-trains in operation in the Ile-de-France region. In addition to the 25 units on the T12 line, another 15 units have been running on the T11 line since July 2017, 26 units on the T4 line since December 2019, and 11 units on the T13 line since July 2022. Outside the Paris agglomeration, Alstom Citadis Dualis tram-trains serve urban and intercity routes in Lyon and Nantes (24 units on each network).
Tram network of the Paris agglomeration
The first trams appeared in Paris in 1855. However, in 1938 they disappeared from the city streets. The revival of the tram began in the French capital in 1992, when the first 17.9 km long T1 line was put into operation. Today, the tram network of the Ile-de-France region, i.e. Paris and its suburbs, consists of 13 lines, 4 of which are tram-trains that partially use railway tracks for movement, and 271 stops. The total length of the Paris tram system is 183 km.