Valenciennes, France
From nycsubway.org
Valenciennes Citadis Type 302 tram no. 105 at Valenciennes - Gare SNCF. Photo by Jean-Pierre Vergez, April 2008.
Overview
Valenciennes, a former coal mining center of northeastern France, was the last French town to close its heritage tramway network in 1966. But even after closing the last of the coal mines, there was still 350,000 peoples living in Valenciennes and suburbs by 2001. The local council officially approved a "Plan de développement urbain" (plan for urban development) on February 21, 2001, which included the building of a new network of tramways. Works started in the summer of 2003.
The first section from Université to Dutemple (9.5 km in length with 19 stations) was inaugurated June 16, 2006 and began revenue service August 3, 2006. Phase II of Line 1 to Denain (8.8 km) was inaugurated August 31, 2007, and began revenue service September 3 2007. For the most part, Line 1 of this new network will take over an old mining railway line from Somain to Anzin, Vieux Condé and Peruweltz (one of the oldest railways of France, opened in 1838). The Saint Waast station was built directly on an old mining railway station site, and the main shops of the company are also on this site.
Cost of the construction is EUR 300,000,000, in two phases. The old municipal company of transports, the "Semurval", was replaced by Transvilles, December 31 2005 (under order of the local transport authority, "SITURV", Syndicat Intercommunal des Transports Urbains de la Région de Valenciennes).
Works on Line 2 (from Anzin to Vieux-Condé) started in 2008, and this line is supposed to be open in 2011. Later, an extension is planed from Vieux-Condé to Quiévrain, in Belgium.
The Transvilles rolling stock consists of 21 Citadis trams from Alstom, with the last one being delivered February 24, 2006. The trams have five articulated sections for a total length of 33m (capacity 295 people, 48 seated).
Photo Gallery
| Five Random Images | ||||
 Image 84687 (234k, 1044x706) Photo by: Jean-Pierre Vergez Location: Valenciennes - Gare SNCF (1) |  Image 84698 (177k, 1044x706) Photo by: Jean-Pierre Vergez Location: Oisy - Fifine (1) |  Image 134347 (406k, 1044x788) Photo by: Bernard Chatreau Location: Famars - Université (1) |  Image 134368 (312k, 1044x788) Photo by: Bernard Chatreau Location: Marly - La Briquette (1) |  Image 134373 (398k, 1044x788) Photo by: Bernard Chatreau Location: Between Vosges and Nungesser |
Photos By Location
Photo locations: Famars - Université (1), Between Université and Moriamez Recherche, Famars - Moriamez Recherche (1), Aulnoy-lez-Valenciennes - Campus Mont Houy (1), Aulnoy-lez-Valenciennes - Chemin Vert (1), Between Chemin Vert and Jules Chevalier, Aulnoy-lez-Valenciennes - Jules Chevalier (1), Between Jules Chevalier and La Briquette, Marly - La Briquette (1), Between La Briquette and Vosges, Valenciennes - Vosges (1), Between Vosges and Nungesser, Valenciennes - Nungesser (1), Valenciennes - Sainte Catherine (1), Valenciennes - Porte de Paris (1), Between Porte de Paris and Sous-Préfecture, Valenciennes - Sous-Préfecture (1), Valenciennes - Avenue des Dentellières (1), Valenciennes - Hôtel de Ville (1), Between Hôtel de Ville and Clemenceau, Valenciennes - Clemenceau (1), Between Clemenceau and Gare, Valenciennes - Gare SNCF (1), Between Gare and Pont Jacob, Valenciennes - Pont Jacob (1), Between Pont Jacob and Croix d'Anzin, Anzin - Croix d'Anzin (1), Between Croix d'Anzin and Hôtel de Ville, Anzin - Hôtel de Ville (1), Between Hôtel de Ville and Saint Waast, Valenciennes - Saint Waast (1), Valenciennes - Centre Hospitalier (1), Valenciennes - Dutemple (1), Between Dutemple and Bois des Montagnes, La Sentinelle - Bois des Montagnes (1), Between Bois des Montagnes and Le Galibot, Hérin - Le Galibot (1), Between Le Galibot and Bellevue, Denain - Bellevue (1), Between Bellevue and Jean Jaurès, Denain - Jean Jaurès (1), Denain - Taffin (1), Denain - Allende (1), Denain - Espace Villars (1), Barriere Hérin - Grémonts (1), Oisy - Fifine (1), Interior/Misc, Anzin - Pierre Mathieu (2), Anzin - Louise Michel (2), Anzin - Europescaut (2), Anzin - Centre Commercial (2), Bruay-sur-l'Escaut - Ancienne Malterie (2), Bruay-sur-l'Escaut - Europe (2), Bruay-sur-l'Escaut - Place de Bruay (2), Bruay-sur-l'Escaut - Hoche (2), Bruay-sur-l'Escaut - Hauts Champs (2), Bruay-sur-l'Escaut - Thiers (2), Escautpont - Brunehaut (2), Escautpont - Escaupont Cimetière (2), Escautpont - Place d'Escaupont (2), Fresnes-sur-Escaut - Cité Soult (2), Fresnes-sur-Escaut - Place de Fresnes (2), Fresnes-sur-Escaut - Berger (2), Condé-sur-l'Escaut - Condé Gare (2), Condé-sur-l'Escaut - Condé Hôtel de Ville (2), Condé-sur-l'Escaut - Chaubaud Latour (2), Condé-sur-l'Escaut - Yvon Bouton (2), Vieux-Condé - Cité Scolaire (2), Vieux-Condé - Brasseur (2), Vieux-Condé - Place de Vieux-Condé (2)
Links
Page Credits
By Jean-Pierre Vergez.