DESCRIPTION
Paris opened its first tram network in 1855 (initial horse tram); electrification was completed in 1898. All tram routes were totally closed before the second world war (1937).
Tram was restored in Paris in 1992; Line T1 was the first line to be opened (La Courneuve-Bobigny, few months later extended up to Gare St. Denis); it was followed by line T2 in 1997 (Issy Val de Seine-La Defense), which runs on the eleder track of a local railway supplied by third rail. T1 (whose track lies in the north-eastern part of the city) has been extended in 2003 east up to Noisy-le-Sec; another extension (Gare de Saint Denis-Les Courtilles) was completed in 2012. T1 currently interchanges with local railways (RER) at Gare St. Denis and Noisy-le-Sec, and with metro lines at Bobigny, Corneuve, Basilique St. Denis and Asnieres-Gennevilliers. T2 was extendend in 2010 (Issy Val de Seine-Porte de Versailles) and 2012 (La Defense-Pont de Bezons); it interchanges with local railways at Issy Val de Seine and La Defense, and with the metro system at La Defense and Porte de Versailles.
Tram line T3 (the so-called tram Marechaux) opened on 16 December 2006 (Pont du Garigliano-Porte d'Ivry); it was extended in 2012 (Porte d'Ivry-Porte de Vincennes) and 2015 (Porte de Vincennes-Porte de la Chapelle); T3, whose track is splitted in 2 different operating sections (T3a: Pont du Gargliano-Porte de Vincennes; T3b: Porte de Vincennes-Porte de la Chapelle), runs along the southern boulevards, replacing many bus routes and assuring an higher commercial speed. Some of the T3 stops offer important modal interchange opportunities with RER, metro and bus lines.
T4 opened in November 2006; it's a tram-train line running from Aulnay sous Bois to Bondy (right side of Seine river), re-using the infrastructure of an elder single rail suburban railway ("Coquetiers Line") still important for the connection to Paris center. The renewal of the former railway started in 2003; rails were doubled from Livry Gargan to Aulnay sous Bois, level crossing substituted by a visive signalling system, while a modern dual low floor rolling stock (750 V DC/25 KV AC) replaced the older and noisy regional trains.
T5 tram on tyres line (Marche de Saint Denis-Sarcelles) opened in 2015; it serves some popular banlieue (peripherical popular suburbs) trying to revitalize strategical urban areas. Many interesting modal interchange points are located along the track: Marche de Saint Denis (T1 tramway line), Saint-Denis Basilique (metro Line 13), Garges Sarcelles (RER local railways Line D), besides many other bus interchange stops.
T6 tram on tyres line (Chatillon-Viroflay) opened in 2014 (Chatillon Montrouge-Velizy Robert Wagner section); it was exended in 2016 (Robert Wagner-Viroflay Rive Droite). It runs through some popular banlieue: Chatillon, Clamart, Meudon, Fontenay-aux-Roses, Malakoff, Montrouge, le Plessis-Robinson, Velizy-Villacoublay and Viroflay. T6 runs ground level from Chatillon to Velizy and underground from Velizy to Viroflay. Besides many bus interchange points, this line presents intermodal stops at Chatillon (metro Line 13) and Viroflay (RER local railways and SNCF railways).
T7 (Athis Mons-Villejuif Louis Aragon) opened in 2013; it runs in the southern part of the district passing through Villejuif, Vitry sur Seine, l'Hay les Roses, Chevilly Larue, Thiais, Rungis, Orly, Villeneuve le Roi, Paray Vieille Poste and Athis Monssouthern. T7 serves Orly Airport, interchanging with metro Line 7 (at Villejuif Louis Aragon) and RER C (at Rungis la Fraternelle).
T8 (Saint Denis-Epinay/Villetaneuse) opened in 2016; it serves Seine Saint Denis department, connecting Saint Denis, Epinay sur Seine, Villetaneuse and serving Universitè de Paris XIII-Villetaneuse. It interchanges with metro L13 (at Saint-Denis Porte de Paris) and tram T1 (at Gare de Saint Denis).
T11 or "Tramway line T11 Express" (Epinay sur Seine-Le Bourget) opened in 2017; it lays in the northern suburbs of Paris and in its final assett it will widely interchange with SNCF Transilien trains, trams, metro and Reseau Express Regional (RER).