Île-de-France tramway Lines 3a and 3b

Île-de-France tramway Lines 3a and 3b are the first modern tramway in Paris proper, since the 1937 closure of the previous comparable system. They are operated by the RATP (Régie autonome des transports parisiens) and divided into two sections called T3a and T3b. The line is also known as the Tramway des Maréchaux because it follows the Boulevards of the Marshals, a series of boulevards that encircle Paris along the route of the former Thiers Wall (built from 1841 to 1844). The boulevards are, with three exceptions, named for Napoleon's First Empire marshals (maréchaux); they were transformed by redevelopment works carried out during the two and a half year construction of the line, which opened on 16 December 2006 under the designation T3.

Map of the tramway Lines 3a (shown in orange) and 3b (shown in green) with the proposed extension to Porte Dauphine

The line runs in its own section of the roadway of these boulevards between the 15th and 13th arrondissements of Paris, allowing it to connect Pont de Garigliano and Porte d'Ivry in an average of 26 minutes. It carried 25 million passengers in its first year of operation, averaging 100000 every weekday, and 70000 at the weekends; numbers have steadily increased ever since. In 2009, further work began to extend the line to the east and north, with the extension fully opening on 15 December 2012. Two separate lines were constructed to ensure the service's reliability: the existing line was extended to Porte de Vincennes and renamed T3a; a second line (T3b) initially connected Porte de Vincennes to Porte de la Chapelle. An extension of the latter to Porte d'Asnières has opened on 24 November 2018.[1]

History

Timeline

  • 16 December 2006: enters service between Pont du Garigliano and Porte d'Ivry under the designation T3.
  • 18 June 2008: speed increased from 16km/h to 18km/h.
  • 15 December 2012: extension from Porte d'Ivry to Porte de Vincennes enters service as Line T3a.

Little Ring Line

The Little Ring Line (Ligne de la Petite Ceinture) was constructed in order to link the major rail supply routes within the Thiers Fortifications that surrounded Paris. The line was opened in sections between 1852 and 1869, reaching a total length of 32 km (20 mi) and encircling Paris within the boulevards des Maréchaux.

Initially, the line was for the exclusive use of freight traffic, before subsequently opening to passenger traffic. The Ligne d'Auteuil, in contrast, opened to passengers only immediately in 1854, and only opened to freight in 1867. The railway saw a rapid growth in passenger numbers towards the end of the 19th century, especially during the Universal Expositions. However, the inappropriateness of the equipment, consisting of steam locomotives that made the cars hot and uncomfortable, made the line less and less attractive, and it was unable to resist competition from the Métro.

After 1900, passenger numbers saw a constant and relentless fall until, in April 1934, despite several failed attempts to improve the situation, the line permanently closed to passengers, except the Ligne d'Auteuil, which remained open until January 1985. Some months later, in July 1934, the PC Bus Line was created, and was an immediate success.

Freight traffic also disappeared at the start of the 1990s, and most of the line has since been abandoned and split by modern development. The section of the Ligne d'Auteuil between Pereire-Levallois and Avenue Henri-Martin, however, was integrated with RER C of the commuter rail network (Réseau Express Régional).

T3a

Tramway T3a
Overview
TypeTram
SystemTramways in Île-de-France
StatusOpen
Stations25
Operation
Opened
OwnerRATP
Operator(s)RATP
Rolling stock63 Alstom Citadis 402 (shared with T3b)
Technical
Line length12.4 km (7.7 mi)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8 12 in)
Stations

proposed extension toward Porte Dauphine
Porte d'Asnières — Marguerite Long
Porte de Clichy
Honoré de Balzac
Épinette Pouchet
Porte de Saint-Ouen
Angélique Compoint
Porte de Clignancourt
Diane Arbus
Porte de la Chapelle
Fillettes / Colette Besson
Porte d'Aubervilliers
Rosa Parks
Canal Saint-Denis
Canal Saint-Denis
Porte de la Villette
Ella Fitzgerald / Grands Moulins
– Gare de Pantin
Canal de l'Ourcq
Delphine Seyrig /
Pantin Ladoumègue
Shops
Porte de Pantin
Butte du Chapeau Rouge /
Porte Brunet – Porte Chaumont
Porte de Pré-Saint-Gervais
/ Hôpital Robert Debré
Porte des Lilas
Saint-Fargeau / Adrienne Bolland
Séverine / Capitaine Ferber
Porte de Bagnolet
Saint-Blaise / Marie de Miribel
Porte de Montreuil
Porte de Vincennes
T3b T3a
 
Porte de Saint-Mandé /
Alexandra David-Néel
Porte de Montempoivre
Porte Dorée
Porte de Charenton
Baron Le Roy
Seine
Porte de France –
Bibliothèque François Mitterrand
Porte de Vitry / Maryse Bastié
Porte d'Ivry
Porte de Choisy
Porte d'Italie
Poterne des Peupliers
Stade Charléty
Cité Universitaire
Montsouris
Porte d'Orléans
Jean Moulin
Didot
Porte de Vanves
Brancion
Georges Brassens
Porte de Versailles
Desnouettes
Balard
Lucotte Shops
Pont du Garigliano

T3a connects Pont du Garigliano – Hôpital européen Georges-Pompidou RER station in the western part of the 15th arrondissement with Porte de Vincennes Métro station in the 12th arrondissement. The line carries 112,000 people per day.[2]

The first section, between Pont du Garigliano and Porte d'Ivry, opened as T3 on 16 December 2006. Work began in early 2009 on a 14.5 kilometres (9.0 mi) extension from Porte d'Ivry to Porte de la Chapelle, via Porte de Charenton. The extension project was then split into a smaller extension to Porte de Vincennes and a separate tramway line for the remainder of the route, which became T3b. The opening of the extension and renaming to T3a occurred on 15 December 2012.

T3b

Tramway T3b
Overview
TypeTram
SystemTramways in Île-de-France
StatusOpen
Stations26
Operation
Opened
OwnerRATP
Operator(s)RATP
Rolling stock63 Alstom Citadis 402 (shared with T3a)
Technical
Line length14.3 km (8.9 mi)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8 12 in)
Stations

proposed extension toward Porte Dauphine
Porte d'Asnières — Marguerite Long
Porte de Clichy
Honoré de Balzac
Épinette Pouchet
Porte de Saint-Ouen
Angélique Compoint
Porte de Clignancourt
Diane Arbus
Porte de la Chapelle
Fillettes / Colette Besson
Porte d'Aubervilliers
Rosa Parks
Canal Saint-Denis
Canal Saint-Denis
Porte de la Villette
Ella Fitzgerald / Grands Moulins
– Gare de Pantin
Canal de l'Ourcq
Delphine Seyrig /
Pantin Ladoumègue
Shops
Porte de Pantin
Butte du Chapeau Rouge /
Porte Brunet – Porte Chaumont
Porte de Pré-Saint-Gervais
/ Hôpital Robert Debré
Porte des Lilas
Saint-Fargeau / Adrienne Bolland
Séverine / Capitaine Ferber
Porte de Bagnolet
Saint-Blaise / Marie de Miribel
Porte de Montreuil
Porte de Vincennes
T3b T3a
 
Porte de Saint-Mandé /
Alexandra David-Néel
Porte de Montempoivre
Porte Dorée
Porte de Charenton
Baron Le Roy
Seine
Porte de France –
Bibliothèque François Mitterrand
Porte de Vitry / Maryse Bastié
Porte d'Ivry
Porte de Choisy
Porte d'Italie
Poterne des Peupliers
Stade Charléty
Cité Universitaire
Montsouris
Porte d'Orléans
Jean Moulin
Didot
Porte de Vanves
Brancion
Georges Brassens
Porte de Versailles
Desnouettes
Balard
Lucotte Shops
Pont du Garigliano

T3b connects Porte de Vincennes with Porte de la Chapelle in the 18th arrondissement. It opened concurrently with the extension of T3a to Porte de Vincennes on 15 December 2012. The line was extended to Porte d'Asnières — Marguerite Long on 24 November 2018.[3]

Rolling stock

The design selected for line T3 was the Alstom Citadis 402.

The trains were ordered in December 2003, and manufactured in factories at Le Creusot (bogies), Tarbes (electrical and electronic traction), Villeurbanne (electronics), Ornans (motors), with final assembly performed at Aytré, near La Rochelle.

Their design aesthetic was the subject of extensive research by several designers: Régine Charvet-Pello (and designers of his company RCP Design Global) for the general concept, the colorist for Vonnik Hertig upholstery and indoor environment, Emmanuel Fedon and Luc Maillet for exterior trains. The livery of trains is personalized, combining RATP's traditional jade green with various visual symbols of the city.[4]

References


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