Montpellier became a talking point in recent decades as an innovative centre of modern architecture and urban development. The tramway, opened in 2000, satisfies this reputation: It is without doubt one of the most stylish public transport systems in the world. Especially the design of the rolling stock is very extravagant: The vehicles for line 1 are blue and decorated with white swallows; those for line 2 are painted with colourful flowers. You can like it or not, it attracts attention in any case. Line 1 crosses right through the heart of the Old Town; with more than 120,000 passengers per day it is the busiest tramway line in France. Line 2 holds a record too, it is the longest tramway line in France and it was opened as a whole in the present layout in 2006. Both outer sections of line 2 are only single-track, and in the southwest there is a short shared section with a branch railway. A third and a fourth line are under development, they will intersect with the other two lines at Gare Saint-Roch.

1 Mosson – Odysseum (15,8 km)
2 Saint-Jean de Védas - Jacou (19,8 km)

30/06/2000   1 Mosson – Odysseum (15,2 km)
11/10/2003   1 Station Millénaire
18/11/2003   1 Station Malbosc
16/12/2006   2 Saint-Jean de Védas - Jacou (19,8 km)
17/04/2007   2 Station Victoire 2
21/09/2009   1 original Odysseum station renamed as Place de France
21/09/2009   1 Place de France - Odysseum (new station) (0,6 km)
17/12/2010   1 Station Mondial 98

1 Mosson - Bonnier de la Mosson (2012)
3 Juvignac - Le Solis - Lattes/Pérols (2012)
4 semi-circular line via infrastructure of lines 1, 2 and 3 (2012) - allows abbreviation of lines 2 and 3

30 Citadis 401, No. 2001-2030, delivered as Citadis 301 as from 1999/2002 and extended to Citadis 401 in 2002
27 Citadis 302, No. 2031-2033 and 2041-2064, delivered as from 2006
26 Citadis 402, No. 2071-2096, delivered as from 2011

Initially, cars 2001-2030 and 2031-2033 were blue with swallows for line 1, 2041-2065 had flower design for line 2 and 2071-2093 were ordered with maritime design for line 3. In connection with the decision for the realization of line 4, three more cars were ordered and some displacements were made:

2001-2030 and 2090-2092 blue with swallows for line 1
2048-2064 and 2093-2096 flower design for line 2
2071-2089 maritime design for line 3
2031-2033 and 2041-2047 black for line 4

In this way, only long cars (>40m) run on lines 1 and 3 and only short cars (32m) on line 4, line 2 has both.

Transports de l'Agglomération de Montpellier - http://www.montpellier-agglo.com/tam/index2.php
Tramway de Montpellier (independent site) - http://pagesperso-orange.fr/edouard.paris

Please click here to visit the Montpellier Photo Gallery!

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