Lille Metro
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Oscar Lambret metro station
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| Overview | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Native name | Métro de Lille | ||
| Locale | Lille, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France | ||
| Transit type | Rapid transit | ||
| Number of lines | 2 | ||
| Number of stations | 60 | ||
| Daily ridership | 271,230 (2011) | ||
| Annual ridership | 99 million (2011) | ||
| Website | Transpole | ||
| Operation | |||
| Began operation | 1983 | ||
| Operator(s) | Transpole | ||
| Technical | |||
| System length | 45 km (28 mi) | ||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge | ||
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The Lille Metro (French: Métro de Lille) is a driverless metro located in Lille, France. It was opened on 25 April 1983 and was the first to use the VAL (French: véhicule automatique léger, English: light automated vehicle) system. This VAL system was the first fully automated driverless metro of any kind in Europe. The metro is made up of 2 lines that serve 60 stations, and runs over 45 kilometres (28 mi) of route.
The metro forms part of a multi-modal public transport system covering the Lille metropolitan area, along with buses and trams, operated under the Transpole brand.
In the 1960s the decentralisation of the city of Lille was considered; some towns of the Lille region were isolated and were poorly served by existing public transport, while the centre of Lille was congested with traffic and buses. The decentralisation resulted in the creation of the Public Establishment of Lille East development (EPALE) in 1968. In the 1970s, a plan for a proposed four line metro system was developed, favouring the VAL system over conventional rail systems.
Construction started in 1978, and the first section was opened on 25 April 1983 between Quatre Cantons ("Four Townships") and République. On 2 May 1984 line 1 was completed, with a length of 13.5 kilometres (8.4 mi) (8.5 kilometres (5.3 mi) underground), linking CHR B Calmette (centre hospitalier régional: "regional hospital centre") to Quatre Cantons via Gare de Lille Flandres. All 18 stations have doors between the platform and the train.
Line 2 opened on 3 April 1989 and it reached CH Dron (centre hospitalier: "hospital centre") near the Belgian border on 27 October 2000. It is 32 kilometres (20 mi) long with 43 stations.
While line one opened in April 1983 between 4 Cantons and République; it was extended, with the extension from République and C.H.R. B Calmette opening on the 2nd of May 1984. The cost of opening the first line in both its phases cost in excess of 2 billion Francs.
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