Clermont-Ferrand is a city

and commune of France,

in the Auvergne-Rhône-
Alpes region, with a
population of 147,284
(2020). Its metropolitan
area had 504,157
inhabitants at the 2018
census.
Clermont-Ferrand sits on
the plain of Limagne in
the Massif Central and is
surrounded by a major
industrial area. The city is
known for the chain
of volcanoes, the Chaîne
des Puys, which surround
it. This includes the
dormant volcano Puy de
Dôme, 10 kilometres (6
miles) away, one of the
highest in the surrounding
area, which is topped by

communications towers and visible from the city. Clermont-Ferrand has been listed
as a "tectonic hotspot" since July 2018 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The forum of the Roman city was located on the top of the Clermont mound, on
the site of the present cathedral. During the decline of the Western Roman
Empire it was subjected to repeated looting by the peoples who invaded Gaul,
including Vandals, Alans, Visigoths and Franks. It was later raided by Vikings as
the Carolingian Empire weakened in the early Middle Ages. Growing in
importance under the Capetian dynasty, in 1095 it hosted the Council of Clermont,
where Pope Urban II called the First Crusade. In 1551, Clermont became a royal
town, and was declared an inseparable property of the Crown in 1610.
The Clermont-Ferrand tramway

The Clermont-Ferrand tram is an urban guided type system tram on

tires Translohr at electric propulsion, guided by a central rail and composed of a
single line serving the city of Clermont-Ferrand and his agglomeration. Since its
entry into service in 2006, the tram is integrated into the network of public
transport of Clermont Auvergne Métropole, operated by T2C, in the department
of Puy-de-Dôme in region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.
This type of transport is not new in the city, since in 1890 Clermont-Ferrand was
equipped with a tram electric. It worked until 1956, when it was replaced by a
network of bus.
First tram (1890-1956)

The first line of the Clermont-Ferrand tram was put into service on January 7 1890.
The network included a total of 10 lines from all eras and were at its peak towards
the First World War, disappearing between 1933 and 1956.

The genesis of the project

Carte animated by the evolution of the railway infrastructures of the agglomeration
of Clermont-Ferrand, including that of the old and current trams, from 1880 to the
present-day Clermont-Ferrand streetcar.
From them 1970s, an awareness of the consequences of an automobile policy is
born to Clermont-Ferrand like everywhere else. Faced with the problems and
nuisances generated by the automobile in the city, the idea of a tram is launched
at Clermont-Ferrand, mainly driven by plane Slashed (which had the ambition to
reintroduce a modern tram in several major cities in France). To the 1983 elections,
a project of tram is proposed by the outgoing mayor Roger Quilliot.
But it's in 1990 that the project becomes serious, with an inauguration planned
in 2002. The studies are entrusted in 1992 at SOFRETU ( today Systra) which
offers two lines: a north-south axis which will become line A and an east-west line
which will become Leo 2000 then the line B of the high level of service bus after
the failure of the experimentation of the'Irisbus Civis. A tender is launched for
rolling stock in 1996. Many manufacturers respond with Alstom who presents his
first Citadis but also Bombardier Transport, by presenting the TVR.

Commissioning in 2006
Following the derailment during the blank step, (redecase of the tightness of
the Saint-Jacques viaduct and struck from a border separating the lane by a car,
one jante was stuck in a rail), the commissioning of the first section of line A,
planned in october 2006 was delayed by a month and finally took place
on November 13, 2006, from the station Champratel until CHU Gabriel Montpied.
The extension opened the entire line and was put into service on August 27 2007
The line was closed three times for several months for heavy maintenance work.
The first closure took place during seven weeks during the summer 2013 following
the premature aging of the platform in certain places (notably at the Neyrat bridge).
The line was once again partially closed between Culture House and The
Phardieu from April to November 2016 to carry out work on the platform and on
the Saint-Jacques viaduct, then July 4th to August 27th, 2017 for a repair of the
platform at certain stations and the sealing of the Neyrat bridge

Extension to the Wines

December 14th, 2013, line A was extended to 1.7 km with three new stations
serving the Gabriel-Montpied stadium and the districts of La Plaine and Vergnes.
An additional extension out of 300 m was being studied to create a multimodal
exchange center at the SNCF level, with the creation of a new railway stop. This
extension is part of the ANRU Champratel-Les Vergnes program for the
reorganization of this territory, and in particular made it possible to facilitate
access to Gabriel-Montpied stadium.
The Mixed Union of Public Transport of the Clermontoise Agglomeration
launched at the end of 2011 the extension of line A to Vergnes. Due to lack of
credit, this was not done earlier.
Work started in december 2011, and the commissioning of this extension took
place on December 16th 2013.
Infrastructure
The tram platform

The tram platform is made up of two

central rails embedded in concrete or
coated allowing the circulation of
oars. The platform has different
switches of turning back on its route
to allow the change of direction of the
trains in the event of an incident and
the reversals at the terminus. It also
includes a storage route between
stations Lagarlaye and Culture House.

The stations
The station Jaude located on the square of the
same name.
The Clermont-Ferrand tram has 34 stations on
the date of December 16, 2013.
The stations are all equipped with
two abribus, at least one vending machine of
tickets and one passenger information
system indicating the next two departures of
trains. They are recognizable with their
overhanging clocks of the name of the station
present on each side of the platform on
a mast and their design imitation wood.
 The stations are all accessible to people with reduced mobility. Information regarding the
purchase of a security on the distributor is in French. The stations also include a detailed
plan of the T2C week and Sunday network, a map of the surroundings of the station ( 500
meters around ) with bending of interest points, the grid of pricing, the internal bus and
tram regulations and event information concerning the network ( traffic interruption,
reinforced traffic, event ... ).
They are fitted with a video surveillance.
Line A now has 34 stops, including 7 stops which can serve as partial terminus.

Clermont-Ferrand tram uses technology Translohr (Translohr is the name of a tram

on tire which was developed by the company Lohr industry) build and marketed by
NTL Translohr, subsidiary of Alstom. The initial fleet was made up of 20 trains to
which were added six additional trains ordered later. All oars are colored lava
flower, each STE 4 type train consists of 4 modules for a length of 32 meters.
Each train has a maximum capacity of 238 people (that is 6 people per m2) or 170
people (4 people per m2) and this includes forty seats. The additional order was
been validated by the Mixed Union of Public Transport of the Clermontoise
Agglomeration in the form of a leasing in order to strengthen the service at the
forefront and accordingly from the extension to the Vergnes in 2013. The batch of
six oars was sold at a price of 14 million euros. Another additional order of 5 trains
was placed in april 2017 and delivered in 2019.

The tram line goes through several bridges, including that of Neyrat, Carmelites as
well as the Saint-Jacques viaduct. The latter, built between January 1964 and June
1967, connecting the Saint-Jacques district to the city center, is 500m long and
wide from 18m. First reserved for automobile traffic (2 × 2 lanes), the tram
platform was built in 2005 and the road was leveled. An audit requested by the
Mixed Union of Public Transport of the Clermontoise reveals that infiltrations
were noted during the construction of this platform, despite sealing works. As a
result, the bridge was closed from April to early November 2016 and during
summer 2017.
The Clermont-Ferrand tram has the means of supplying overhead contact lines (
LAC, or catenary ) in which, like the Paris metro and most of the
others metros and trams in France, circulates one direct current with a voltage of
750 volts. The network is entirely electrified.

The Clermont-Ferrand tram

has a total of five relay
parking lots, or otherwise
called Relay Parks and
Proximity Parks by the T2C
network These parking lots
have 1,380 parking spaces
combined. They allow parking
near the tram line and to reach
the city center directly.

For the two relay parks (Tracks and Henri Dunant), T2C subscribers do not need to
buy a parking ticket and can validate their T2C subscriber card when entering and
leaving the parking lot. Non-subscribers must buy a package by the day, giving the
right to leave the parking lot on the same day. Saturdays and Sundays, relay parks
are free.
The other three local parks (Neyrat Cross, Margeride and The Pardieu) are free;
users who vouch for their car in one of these car parks will have to pay according
to the classic tariff range of the T2C network22

Construction of line A of the Clermont-Ferrand tram cost 290 million euros (and
this is the price in 2004)

The arrival of the tram strongly marked the city and the way of life of the
Clermontois.
 The inauguration of the tram, the October 14,
2006, was the occasion for major festivities
throughout the city. Several tens of thousands
of inhabitants gathered on the Jaude square on
this occasion.
Tram traffic also quickly exceeded the initially
planned targets, currently based on an average
of 60,000 daily trips with peaks of up to 70,000
trips.

The arrival of the tram was accompanied by a

transformation of the city, with numerous
works of facelift and modernization of
buildings or public sites. The important work of
the Jaude square, totally redeveloped to prepare
for the arrival of the tram, remain the highlight
of this urban change.

December 26th, 2009, towards 07:10

o’clock, a train from the Clermont-Ferrand tram ignites at the terminus of La
Pardieu. No injuries were injured, but the train is completely destroyed. According
to the land transport accident investigation office, the direct cause of the accident
was the blocking of a brake due to a generalized corrosion of its platelet actuation
system, of which neither the design nor the manufacture made it possible to ensure
the seal. The propagation of the flames and the total conflagration of the train is
due to the short distance and the absence of an effective firewall between the
braking system and the inter-circulation bellows as well as the presence of lower
than rail standards fire protection.
January 10th, 2011, the deguida passenger tram in service between the Carmes and
Delille stations, injuring a person. According to the report of the land transport
accident investigation office, « the direct cause of the accident of this Translohr
train was the tearing off of the guide rail from the two front rollers which buries it
under the driver's cab, when passing over the expansion device located one
hundred meters before the station « Les Carmes ». This report from the land
transport accident investigation office questions the very design of the guidance
system. Indeed, the deterioration of the tread bandages whose pieces, accumulated
at the level of the guide roll, brought these same rollers out of the guide rail,
removing the guide from the tram and driving the vehicle against the wall on the
first curve to come. As the materials led to the outlet of the pebble came from the
pebble itself, the object clearance system placed on the first guide roller could not
function. In addition, the BEA-TT (land transport accident investigation office)
report highlights the number of accidents and frequent incidents linked to this
material and especially the fact that « the majority of these deguidages were caused
by the presence of an element foreign to the system, either in the throat of the
guide rail, or in a » track device. Following this accident, the BEA-TT asked Lohr
Industry to develop new, stronger bandages. The BEA-TT also requests greater
collaboration between the parties in order to ensure better feedback for the
development of this rolling stock.
November 9th, 2011, a train derails due to the driver's non-compliance with the
signs indicating a switches and crossings in the deflected position.
1st of September 2021, a train derails between Campus and Margeride stations. The
accident slightly injured six people, including the train driver.