Hush can you hear the echoes of a bygone era right here at Passage du Tramway? Passage du Tramway is more than just a street. It’s a journey through time.
Let’s step back into the Paris of the late 19th century. Imagine horse-drawn trams clattering along the streets. The air is thick with coal smoke. The Passage du Tramway whispers stories of innovation.
In 1855 trams first appeared in Paris. Alphonse Loubat was a French inventor. He built one of the first horse-drawn lines. He invented grooved rail.
As technology advanced steam, pneumatic and electric trams followed. The 1920s marked the golden age of the tram. The Ile-de-France region boasted over 1100 km of tramlines. More than 3000 trams served 122 routes. Annually 720 million passengers rode the trams. There were even studies to build new lines in the suburbs. Sadly they were never realized.
But the winds of change were blowing. By the late 1920s cars began to dominate. Car makers and petroleum companies gained political influence. They portrayed trams as outdated obstacles. They said trams caused congestion. Buses were presented as the modern alternative. Buses were of course produced and fueled by the same car and oil companies.
The pressure from the car lobby led to critical planning decisions. By 1938 one of the most extensive tramway networks was shut down. Isolated suburban lines persisted until the 1950s. This pattern was repeated in cities worldwide. Paris became an example for other French cities. They removed tramway lines to accommodate car traffic. Smaller cities suffered more. They lacked extensive subway systems to replace the trams.
French President George Pompidou declared in 1971 that cities must adapt to the car. For decades after World War II cars symbolized progress and prosperity. Governments prioritized car infrastructure. They built highways, widened streets and created huge parking lots.
By the mid-1980s attitudes began to shift. Oil and energy crises struck. The negative impacts of car traffic on quality of life became clear. Interest in public transport revived. Metro and train systems required significant investment and time. Trams reemerged as a cost-effective solution.
The first modern tramway lines T1 and T2 were built in the suburbs. RATP operated almost all public transport in the capital region. The lines were numbered independently of the municipality. Line T3 was the first line within Paris proper. It represented a modern transportation solution. It was an innovative approach to urban space rehabilitation.
Line T3 runs along the southern segment of the marshals boulevards. These streets encircle Paris. They are named after marshals of Napoleon I. The boulevards replaced an old military street. They also replaced the Thiers wall. The Thiers wall was the last line of Parisian fortifications built in the 1840s. The wall was demolished after World War I. These streets are wide making them suitable for tramways.
There was another option. A light-rail line could have used the abandoned Circle Railroad. It was built in the late 19th century. This option offered higher speeds and lower investments. The railroad passed over streets on overpasses and in tunnels. However it was rejected due to low accessibility and poor connections.
The idea to build a tramline connecting peripheral neighborhoods was considered in the 1920s. Trams were banished so it never happened. At the end of the 1990s the PC bus route was one of the most saturated in Paris. It ran along the marshals boulevards. It was supposed to carry 50000 passengers a day. It never reached those numbers. Building a tramline was a logical decision. Construction began in 2003 and finished in 2006. The line opened on December 16 2006.
The line is 7.9 kilometers long. The average distance between stations is 500 meters. There are 17 stations. 21 Citadis 402 trams serve the line. Alstom produced them. The tram is a 7-carriage train with a fully low floor. It can carry up to 304 passengers. The commercial speed is 17-18 km/h. The original plan was 20 km/h. The train passes the whole line in 26-27 minutes. 10 of the 17 stations connect with metro and bus lines. It connects with T2 at Porte de Versailles. Tramways carry 110000 passengers per day. That is 10000 more than anticipated. The line is a success.
Passage du Tramway reminds us that progress isn’t always linear. Sometimes the best path forward involves looking back embracing the lessons of the past. As you continue your journey through Paris remember the story of Passage du Tramway a testament to the city’s enduring spirit of innovation.