It was opened on 25 April 1983 and was the first to use the VAL (French: véhicule automatique léger, English: light automated vehicle) system.

While often referred to as the first fully automated driverless metro of any kind in the world,[4] the Port Liner in Kobe, Japan predates it by two years.

The light metro system is made up of two lines that serve 60 stations, and runs over 45 kilometres (28 mi) of route.

The decentralisation resulted in the creation of the Public Establishment of Lille East development (EPALE) in 1968.

On 2 May 1984 line 1 was completed, with a length of 13.5 kilometres (8.4 mi) (8.5 kilometres or 5.3 miles underground), linking CHR B Calmette (centre hospitalier régional: "regional hospital centre") to Quatre Cantons via Gare de Lille Flandres.

The first extension was inaugurated on 5 May 1994; the underground section has a length of 500 metres (1,640 ft 5 in) and connects the Euralille business area to the rest of Lille.

This section goes through the towns of Villeneuve d'Ascq, Wasquehal, Croix, Roubaix and stops in downtown Tourcoing.

Though the route is mainly underground, the metro runs on a 1.3 km (0.81 mi) viaduct between the stations of Fort Mons and Jean-Jaures.