The first LRT line for Reims: the way forward

The first LRT line to be implemented by the Reims Metropolitan area will run from north to south of the city and cover a distance of nearly 11.5km. It will form the backbone of the new public transport network. Designed to complement the LRT line, the bus network will be restructured for its opening in April 2011. The new system will also offer direct connection between the two new existing TGV railway stations.

The LRT line includes 23 stops and will offer two services (line 1A and line 1B), running respectively at 6 minute and 18 minute headways in peak hours. The system will run from 5:30am to 12:30pm and will require 18 vehicles in total. The catchment area has been estimated at 70,000 inhabitants which amounts to nearly a third of the total population of the city. The investment cost of the LRT line is €305 million (2006 value). The LRT is a key element of the new public transport policy. The complementarities between the LRT system, the bus network and the trains will make travelling in and through the city a lot easier and faster. It will increase pedestrian areas and will provide an opportunity to implement cycle lanes as well as rejuvenating the streets it passes through.

The streets will be improved from façade to façade all along the alignment in the city centre as well as in the suburbs. The city centre will benefit from a new APS system (alimentation par le sol) which translates as ‘ground energy powered’ – which means that there will be no overhead lines in the centre. APS will be implemented over 2km in order to preserve the visual beauty of this historical part of the city near the cathedral.

The tram

The rolling stock to be used for the first tram line in Reims is going to be the Citadis 302 developed by Alstom Transport, and will be made in eight different colours. The front of the tram is quite distinct as it is shaped like a champagne glass.

The Citadis type tram was put into service for the first time in Montpellier in June 2000, and has since been adopted by many communities in France, Europe and around the world, including: Angers, Barcelona, Bordeaux, Dublin, Grenoble, Jerusalem, Le Mans, Lyon, Madrid, Melbourne, Mulhouse, Nice, Orleans, Paris, Rotterdam, Strasbourg, Tenerife, Toulouse, Tunis and Valenciennes.

The train is 32.50m long and 2.40m wide and can accommodate between 200 and 280 passengers and offers between 56 and 64 seats.

The tram is designed to be accessible for all, with double and single doors. The access thresholds are equipped to create an easy transition between the platform and the train. The interior is designed to ensure wheelchairs can move easily.

The vehicles have passenger information displays inside as well as benefitting from being spacious and light (70% of the vehicle is comprised of windows). The tram has a 19km/h average speed which is 30% more than a bus. The tram operates more quietly than a bus and is therefore quieter of local residents and passers-by. The trams are environmentally-friendly and are equipped with security cameras.

Information in ‘The tram’ section has been sourced and translated from www.mars-reims.fr.

APPITRACK

A new track laying method known as APPITRACK is being implemented on the LRT construction site. APPITRACK was developed by Alstom and performs three times faster than conventional methods. It is the first time this system will be used in France. Previously implemented by Alstom in Jerusalem and Algiers, this method will be used over 60% of the line in Reims. APPITRACK allows the depth of the track structure and the earthworks to be reduced, therefore reducing the time taken to lay the tracks, reducing costs and disturbances.

APPITRACK consists of two machines working together. The first machine – a slipform machine (also used for road or airport construction) – makes a concrete slab following a predefined track alignment. The second machine follows the first one by a few metres inserting the base plates into the fresh concrete in accordance with the very tight track tolerance. The track alignment is very accurate thanks to the automatic topographic guidance system.

The bus restructuring

The whole bus network is going to be reorganised in order to make public transport more attractive. Many bus lines will be fed to the LRT system and optimised in terms of transfer and frequency. The total mileage will be increased by 430,000km thus improving the service for the whole population of the conurbation. It is expected that the public transport annual ridership will increase by 40% from 30 million to 42 million trips per year.

Along with the opening of the LRT line, new technologies will be introduced, for example a new ticketing system. Old paper tickets will come to an end along with the habit of punching your ticket when you get onboard a bus. All tickets, from single journey to monthly passes, will be contactless. The single journey ticket will allow you to travel for an hour on the network. For instance, it will be possible to get off a bus, go shopping and then go back to resume your journey with the same ticket – provided you stay within the hour. It will also be possible to get the arrival times of the next two buses at a given stop on your mobile phone. This facility, called Mobitrans, was developed by Transdev and will be implemented in Reims.

The Reims concession

Following a European tender process, the Reims public transport authority awarded the concession of the public transport network to MARS. The concession involves the financing, the design and the construction of the first LRT line as well as the operation of the whole public transport network (buses and LRT) for 34 years. In order to implement its project, MARS awarded contracts with several leading out-sourced contractors in the area of civil works and public transportation. Alstom is in charge of the design, construction and setting up of most systems and equipment including tracks, railway signaling, overhead lines, ticketing and scada and rolling stock. Bouygues travaux Publics; Quille; Pertuy Construction and Colas are in charge of the civil works (trackbed, roadworks, bridges, the underpass outside the station, buildings such as substations and the depot). SNC-Lavalin International Inc and Pingat Ingenierie are also involved in the design of the system and construction management.

Transdev took over the operation of the public transport network on the 1 January 2008 on behalf of MARS.

MARS, also in charge of financing the project, has awarded contracts with major banks Ixis corporate & Investment Bank; la Caisse d’Epargne et de Prévoyance Champagne Ardenne et la Caisse des dépôts et consignations.

Archaeological searches: the Reims’ ‘treasure’

Archaeological excavations started in July 2007 and continued for 18 months over 12 different sites. The qualified archeologists from INRAP carried out very detailed excavations in the heart of the city at various depths ranging from 50cm to 5m. Several significant remains were discovered thanks to the searches including the foundations of a roman door to the city, a very well kept roman drain pipe as well as a wall believed to be part of the roman amphitheatre dating back to 50 BC. During the last days of archaeological excavations, while searching a roman basement, the archaeologists discovered 11 pieces of silver dishes and cutlery almost intact and wrapped up in very fine pieces of fabric. This basement belonged to a Gallo-roman house, probably destroyed during a fire. The last time old silver was excavated was in 1900 and this only consisted of small silver bowls. This ‘treasure’ will be the centre piece of an exhibition devoted to the archaeological excavations carried out for the LRT construction scheduled in September 2010.