Avignon tramway

The original Avignon tramway was built at the end of the 19th century. This network, which was one of the first to be deployed by a medium-sized town in France, had its own depots (at the Clos des Trams) and its own power plant. It carried up to 2 million passengers a year and served the city centre, all suburban districts, and part of the suburbs of Avignon.

Construction of the network began in 1898, and the six lines were put into operation in 1901. In 1905, the network of the Compagnie des tramways électriques d’Avignon was reduced to five lines. 18 railcars were available for operation. All lines together had a length of {{convert|21.8|km|mi|1|abbr=on}}, which ran on {{convert|17|km|mi|1|abbr=on}} of track. Up to 2 million passengers were transported annually. From 1918 onwards, traffic declined by 25%. As a result, operations had to be discontinued on 31 May 1932.{{cite book |last1=Courant |first1=René |last2=Braun |first2=Michel |last3=Jacquot |first3=André |title=Le temps des tramways |date=1982 |publisher=Editions du Cabri |location=Menton |isbn=2-903310-22-X |language=French}}

Tramway d'Avignon place Carnot.jpg|Railcar on Place Carnot

Tramway depot 1905.jpg|Depot around 1905

File:Railway map of France - Avignon - animated - fr.gif

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File:Avignon tramway map.svg

On 27 September 2010, elected officials from Grand Avignon unanimously voted to create a new tramway network and to restructure the entire public transport network. On 18 April 2011, the {{ill|National Commission for Public Debate|fr|Commission nationale du débat public}} was asked to consider the project to build two tramway lines, for a total of 250 million euros.

During the summer of 2011, Greater Avignon consulted the public on the routes of the two planned tramway lines. The final route unveiled in May 2012 announced the creation of line A, {{convert|9.2|km|mi|1|abbr=on|adj=on}} long on an east–west axis, serving sixteen stations{{Cite web|title=Le tracé préférentiel du tramway dévoilé |trans-title=Preferred tramway route revealed |url=http://www.grandavignon.fr/actualites/actus-sur-la-page-daccueil/le-trace-preferentiel-du-tramway-devoile/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021050215/http://www.grandavignon.fr/actualites/actus-sur-la-page-daccueil/le-trace-preferentiel-du-tramway-devoile/ |archivedate=21 October 2012 |publisher=Grand Avignon |date=12 May 2012 |language=French}} and line B, with {{convert|5.2|km|mi|1|abbr=on}} of track for ten stations.

The invitation to tender for rolling stock was launched in September 2012 and covers 24 Citadis Compact trams, with a maximum length of {{convert|24|m|ft|1|abbr=on}} and a width of {{convert|2.4|m|ft|1|abbr=on}} built by Alstom.{{Cite web|title=Dossier de presse Grand Avignon – la dynamique est en marche |trans-title=Grand Avignon Press Kit – The Momentum is Underway |url=http://www.grandavignon.fr/fileadmin/MEDIA/Actualites/transports/TRAM/dpresse_bassedef.pdf |date=11 May 2012 |language=French}}

At the end of 2013, the start of work was planned for 2016. However, in 2014, Cécile Helle was elected mayor of Avignon and decided to cancel the tramway project.

Following negotiations between the city and the agglomeration, the tramway project was not cancelled but modified, including in particular a phasing of the project's implementation with the construction of bus rapid transit lines, called Chron'hop, to complete the tramway.{{Cite web |title=Malgré son opposition, la maire d'Avignon va accompagner l'arrivée du tramway |trans-title=Despite her opposition, the mayor of Avignon will support the arrival of the tramway |work=France Bleu |date=12 May 2016 |url=https://www.francebleu.fr/infos/politique/malgre-son-opposition-la-maire-d-avignon-va-accompagner-l-arrivee-du-tramway-1463047077 |access-date=4 July 2025 |language=French}} The new project was voted on 10 January 2015 by the elected officials of Grand Avignon.

On 17 October 2016, construction work on the T1 line officially began, resulting in numerous constraints for local residents, including the complete closure of avenues Saint-Ruf and Tarascon.

The work took place in three phases. The first phase included diversions of underground networks to be moved from the tramway right-of-way. It ended in April 2017. The second phase included the construction of tracks, overhead lines and urban developments, and ended in December 2018. The final phase of construction, which involved testing the rolling stock and training drivers, started in January 2019. However, due to the delay in the construction of the line, the tests were not actually carried out until May 2019, leading to a delay of four months in commissioning. The T1 line was inaugurated on 19 October 2019 in the presence of Mireille Mathieu, Renaud Muselier (regional president), Cécile Helle (mayor of Avignon), and Jean-Marc Roubaud, former president of Grand Avignon.

On 9 March 2018, elected officials from Grand Avignon voted to validate the project for line T2 of the Greater Avignon tramway.{{Cite web |title=Le Grand Avignon vote l'extension du tramway en 2023 |trans-title=Greater Avignon votes to extend the tramway in 2023 |work=France Bleu |date=10 March 2018 |url=https://www.francebleu.fr/infos/transports/le-grand-avignon-vote-l-extension-du-tramway-en-2023-1520639619 |access-date=4 July 2025 |language=French}} Studies for the line began in 2020. The Grand Avignon authority decided to postpone the work for one year, to 2022, so that it did not have too much of an impact on businesses already struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite web |title=Le tramway d'Avignon roulera sur 8,4 kilomètres en 2025 |trans-title=The Avignon tramway will run for 8.4 kilometers in 2025 |url=https://www.tpbm-presse.com/-le-tramway-d-avignon-roulera-sur-84-kilometres-en-2025-3924.html |access-date=4 July 2025 |work=TPBM Semaine Provence |language=French}} Although the route is located in an area where there are few shops on line T2 (rampart tower, Rhône) the construction of a new section on the Cours Jean Jaurès risks impacting the many bars and restaurants in the surrounding area. The construction of line T2 has been postponed and its commissioning date has not been communicated.{{Cite web |title=Le calendrier de la ligne 2 du tramway décalé |trans-title=The timetable for tram line 2 has been postponed |url=https://www.grandavignon.fr/fr/actualites/le-calendrier-de-la-ligne-2-du-tramway-decale |publisher=Grand Avignon |date=20 February 2023 |access-date=4 July 2025 |language=French}}

In the long term, line T2 should connect Avignon to Le Pontet to complete, when this new section is put into service, the initial project voted on in 2010.

File:Tramway avignon rame essais avril 2019.jpg

In the long term, line T1 is planned to be extended north towards the Place de l'Horloge where Avignon City Hall and the Opéra Grand Avignon are located.

;Extension to Gare du Pontet

In the long term, the line is expected to be built to the closed Le Pontet station on the Paris–Marseille railway, including its reopening to passengers and the installation of a new park and ride facility.

The east of the T2 line will divide into two branches to better serve the town of Le Pontet, one towards Le Pontet Station (T2a) and another towards the Réalpanier Commercial Zone (T2b).

;Extension to Réalpanier

In coordination with the extension to Pontet station, Line T2 will be extended to the Réalpanier Commercial Zone, including the installation of a new park-and-ride facility, or even a second tramway maintenance and operations centre.

{{Main|Alstom Citadis}}

File:Tram Avignon 107.jpg

File:Intérieur Tram Avignon.jpg

On 9 March 2017, Jean-Marc Roubaud, president of Grand Avignon, signed a contract with Alstom for a total amount of 25 million euros.

It contained plans to produce ten 24-metre-long Alstom Citadis Compact trainsets in 2019, which can be extended directly at the Avignon Maintenance Centre; and four additional trainsets in 2023.

The trains are white in color and have a blue-grey interior with upholstered seats in orange, anise green, blue and fuscia red. They were built at the Alstom factory in La Rochelle and were delivered to Avignon gradually between December 2018 and December 2019.

The 14 trams are each named after an artistic personality with a link to Avignon with a biographical plaque and a summary of the works inside the tram. The sine Mireille Mathieu inaugurated a tram in her own name on 19 October 2019.{{Cite web |title=PHOTOS – le "tramway du bonheur" inauguré par Mireille Mathieu à Avignon |trans-title=PHOTOS – the “tramway of happiness” inaugurated by Mireille Mathieu in Avignon |url=https://www.francebleu.fr/infos/societe/le-tramway-du-bonheur-inaugure-par-mireille-mathieu-a-avignon-1571505095 |work=France Bleu |date=19 October 2019 |access-date=4 July 2025 |language=French}} The other personalities chosen are: Daniel Auteuil, Jeanne de Flandreysy, Henri Bosco, Jean Vilar, Gérard Philipe, Elsa Triolet, Camille Claudel, María Casares, Pierre Boulle, René Girard, Agricol Perdiguier, Nicolas Mignard, and Olivier Messiaen.

The tram depot is located on Avenue Pierre de Coubertin, in the Saint-Chamand district, southeast of Avignon.

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Category:Tram transport in France

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Category:Railway companies established in 1898

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