Transport in Rhône-Alpes

Rhône-Alpes is a major European transit hub, linking northern France and Europe to the Mediterranean area.

The region is also a transport hub for the rail-network with the TGV running through Lyon from Paris and the north, to the Mediterranean.

Every weekend in winter, Bourg-Saint-Maurice becomes one of the busiest stations in the region, when it is served by TGV trains from Paris and from Brussels, and by Eurostar from London.

Another RER called CEVA is planned for 2017, for the region of The leman lake (Geneva, Annemasse, Thonon-les-bains, Evian-les-bains) with extensions to La roche / foron, Annecy.

Lyon and Saint-Étienne have kept their lines of trolley buses and, Saint-Etienne is one of the few cities in France to have retained its trams (in use since 1881).

Many cities also have their bus networks (Valencia the CTAV Chambéry the STAC, Villefranche-sur-Saône, Roanne, etc.).

The Rhône-Alpes region is undergoing profound changes with regard to its rail network and many projects are being developed to the [Express Network of the urban area of Lyons, The Project of the East Rail Lyon, the Tram-train from the west Lyonnais.

Lines A (Perrache - Laurent Bonnevay) and B (Charpennes - Part-Dieu) were constructed using the cut-and-cover method, and went into service on May 2, 1978.

The Croix-Rousse-Croix-Paquet rack railway, which was refurbished in 1974, was integrated into the Metro in 1978 as line C, running from (Hôtel-de-Ville to Croix-Rousse).

The line was constructed using various methods; the incline rising through a deep tunnel, the portion on the flat at Croix-Rousse using cut-and-cover, while the section beyond Hénon runs on the surface.

Rubber-tyred trains run automatically with no driver on board, controlled by a system known as MAGGALY (Métro Automatique à Grand Gabarit de l’Agglomération Lyonnaise).

The line was extended to Gare de Vénissieux on December 11, 1992, at which time it switched to automatic operation.

Being the deepest of the lines in Lyon, it was constructed mainly using boring machines and passes under both rivers, the Rhône and the Saône.

It takes 23 minutes to go from Part-Dieu Villette to Meyzieu - ZI, and runs at a maximum speed of 70 km/h (60 km/h at intersections, of which 26 are equipped with crossing gates).

The Conseil général of the Rhône franchised the operation of this line for 30 years to Rhônexpress, a consortium including Vinci SA (28.2%), Veolia Transport (28.2%), Vossloh Infrastructure Service (4.2%), Cegelec Centre Est (2,8%) and the Caisse des dépôts et consignationsVille et transports - magazine, January 17, 2007.