Traffic and transportation of Lyon, France

Due to its geographical location, Lyon is the point of convergence for many road infrastructures, and the obligatory point of passage for railway lines to the south of Europe. Traditionally connected to Paris and Marseille, the city of Lyon is now tending to strengthen its connections to the east, in particular the cities of Geneva in Switzerland, and Turin in Italy, and Lyon-Saint-Exupéry airport is experiencing a regular growth in its frequentation and its services. Finally, the Lyon metropolitan area has a dense network of urban and interurban public transport, with single pricing within Greater Lyon.

Transports en commun lyonnais (TCL) is the commercial name of the public transport network of the 59 municipalities of the metropolis of Lyon, the community of municipalities of eastern Lyon and 7 neighboring municipalities of the Rhône department, which bring together a total of approximately 1.4 million inhabitants. It is the second largest urban public transport network in France. The Syndicat mixte des transports pour le Rhône et agglomération Lyonnaise (SYTRAL) is the organizing authority and owner of the “TCL” brand.

The private company Keolis Lyon (new name of SLTC since 2005), a subsidiary of the Keolis group, is the operator of almost the entire network as part of a public service delegation. After a concession that expired on December 31, 2010, Keolis was awarded the contract for 6 years, until 2016. On October 7, 2016, SYTRAL’s elected representatives renew Keolis as operator for another six years.

This operation includes 4 metro lines, including 1 automatic line (line D) and 1 rack line (line C), 2 funicular lines, 6 tram lines (the Rhônexpress line is not part of the TCL network), 120 lines bus and 9 trolleybus lines, including 25 with reinforced service, 4 full moon night lines, as well as 5 transport lines on demand.

Road infrastructure
Lyon is known for its key position between north and south, upstream of the Rhône valley; it is therefore quite naturally a major road junction.

Lyon has a ring road that stretches from the west to Gerland via Villeurbanne. Only the south-west is not served by this ring road. The Rocade Est de Lyon (national road 346) allows a bypass more outside of Lyon by crossing several towns in eastern Lyon (including Décines-Charpieu and Meyzieu).

The motorway network is very present in Lyon. It is in Perrache that the A6 motorway from Paris ends and the A7 motorway heading south (Vienne, Valence and Marseille) begins. The A42 motorway leads to Geneva and Chamonix. The A43 motorway serves the east towards Chambéry, the Fréjus tunnel and Grenoble. The A432 serves Lyon-Saint-Exupéry Airport. The A46 motorwayis divided into two parts: the first extends from the junction with the A6 near Anse to the Rocade Est de Lyon, the second continues after the latter to Chasse-sur-Rhône. A Chasse-sur-Rhône, the A47, then branches off highways A7 and A46 to carry St. Stephen and the Haute-Loire.

The motorway projects are the A45 motorway which will be a duplication (paying) of the saturated A47, and the A89 motorway towards Clermont-Ferrand and Bordeaux.

Lyon and Villeurbanne are surrounded by a ring road, locally called “belt boulevard”. It is unfinished in the west and southwest. It ends in the north-west at the Porte du Valvert and in the south at the Porte de Gerland. The city contains an expressway inside: the north-south axis that follows the banks of the Rhône (right bank). The installation of the tram in the city center, and the consequent reduction of traffic lanes, favored the diversion of east-west traffic through the Croix-Rousse tunnel to the north, and by the ring road to the south. Geographic constraints and urban sprawlreduce the means of access to the city center, especially to the north in the Saône valley. Park and ride facilities are set up on the outskirts of the city to encourage people to abandon the car in favor of public transport.

Motorways provide access to Lyon from Chambéry and Grenoble to the south-east (A43 / A41), the A43 being now downgraded at the entrance to Lyon (in the Mermoz district, the “Mermoz autopont” having been destroyed), Geneva and Bourg-en-Bresse to the north-east (A42 / A40), Vienne, Valence and Marseille to the south (A7), Saint-Étienne to the south-west (A47, which subsequently becomes the national road 88, which aims to connect Toulousein Lyon in 2 × 2 lanes via Albi and Mende), and Mâcon, Chalon-sur-Saône, Dijon, Paris and Reims to the north (A6).

In its periphery, the suburb is surrounded by the eastern ring road (RN346), which runs along the entire Mi-Plaine industrial zone. The whole RN346 and A46 north / A46 south forms the eastern bypass between Villefranche-Sud (Anse) and Vienne-Nord (Chasse / Ternay). A project between Villefranche-sur-Saône and L’Arbresle is underway. The project for a major bypass of Lyon to the west is under study (A44): it would accompany the redevelopment of the A6 and A7 into urban boulevards after their decommissioning (they have become “M6” and “M7”), and would reduce traffic in the Fourvière tunnel and avoid saturation of the eastern bypass.

However, two bypasses are still being planned in the west, the western ring road (TOP) in the inner ring, for which the Lyon Metropolis is continuing development studies, and the motorway bypass (COL) in the second ring that the territorial coherence plan State-Region provides, not being deleted.

Bypassing to the west, today impossible because of the lack of major road infrastructure, is one of the major debates in Greater Lyon. The Western Peripheral Section (TOP) and the Western Bypass of Lyon (COL) project are under discussion.

The national road network in Lyon is also a highly developed star. The national road 6 goes towards Italy by the Alps (Col du Mont-Cenis) and towards Paris via Burgundy in the North. The National Highway 7 is toward the Valley Rhone and Italy by the Rhone Valley and the French Riviera and to Paris via the Bourbonnais in the North. Then, the national 83 connects Lyon to Bourg-en-Bresse, Franche-Comté andStrasbourg, the national 84 in Geneva, the national 85 in Grenoble, Sisteron and Nice, the national 86 in Nîmes and Beaucaire (right bank of the Rhône), the national 88 in Toulouse via Saint-Étienne, Le Puy-en-Velay, Mende, Rodez and Albi, and the national 89 in Clermont-Ferrand and Bordeaux.

Rail transport
Lyon is a major railway junction at the national level. The city is at the center of a star located on the main axis of the old PLM at the crossroads of the axes connecting Paris to the Mediterranean and Italy on the one hand and Germany to Spain on the other hand.. Numerous branches, towards Saint-Étienne, Vienne, Valence, Roanne, Bourg-en-Bresse, Chambéry, Grenoble, Annecy, Geneva radiate around the agglomeration.

The train in the agglomeration
The rail network allows access to certain peripheral towns, nearby or a little further away.

The main stations in Lyon are:
Lyon Part-Dieu: national (TGV) and local (TER) traffic. One of the most important transfer stations in Europe;
Lyon Perrache: more specialized in TER traffic, it is also the head of the line for certain national relations (including the TGV to Paris);
Lyon Saint-Paul (terminus station) and Gorge-de-Loup: on the West Lyonnais lines;
Lyon Vaise on the Mâcon – Vienne commercial line;
Lyon Jean-Macé, station opened at the end of 2009 and crossed by lines from the south-east (towards Bourgoin-Jallieu and Grenoble), from the North (Villefranche-sur-Saône, Mâcon) and from the South (Vienne, Valence, Avignon).

Some stations are no longer in operation:
The Bourbonnais station (or Bourbonnais landing stage) on the Saint-Étienne line to Lyon, located in Perrache, was decommissioned in 1856, after the opening of the Lyon-Perrache station and the connection of the Saint-Étienne line to that of Paris; the original building was destroyed in the 1950s to allow the construction of the Gare de Lyon market.
The old stations of Saint-Clair (located in Caluire-et-Cuire) and Brotteaux have not been in service since the beginning of the 1980s, the last having been replaced by the station of Part-Dieu.
The old Gare de l’Est was at the head of the Chemin de fer de l’Est de Lyon, now partly converted into tram lines T3 and Rhônexpress.
The Gare de Lyon-Croix-Rousse and the Gare de Cuire (located in Caluire-et-Cuire) were located on the Lyon-Croix-Rousse line in Trévoux, the platform of which is partly reused by line C of the Lyon metro.
Saint-Rambert-L’Île-Barbe station is a former station on the Paris-Lyon line at Marseille-Saint-Charles.

Other stations provide service to towns in the agglomeration or urban area, on the lines:
West Lyonnais: Écully-la-Demi-Lune, Tassin, Charbonnières-les-Bains, Tour-de-Salvagny, Alaï, Francheville, Chaponost, Brignais stations, two stations in Dardilly, Limonest
line from Paris-Lyon to Marseille-Saint-Charles: Collonges-Fontaines, Couzon, Albigny-Neuville, Saint-Germain-au-Mont-d’Or, Saint-Fons, Feyzin, Sérézin stations.
line from Lyon-Saint-Clair to Bourg-en-Bresse: Sathonay-Rillieux, les Échets, Saint-André-de-Corcy stations
line from Lyon-Perrache to Geneva (border): Crépieux, Miribel, Saint-Maurice-de-Beynost, Beynost, Montluel stations
line from Lyon-Perrache to Marseille-Saint-Charles (via Grenoble): Vénissieux, Saint-Priest, Saint-Quentin-Fallavier, l’Isle-d’Abeau stations
line from Moret – Veneux-les-Sablons to Lyon-Perrache: Oullins, Pierre-Bénite, Vernaison, Grigny stations, two stations in Givors.

Most of the stations in Lyon and its immediate suburbs are served by the Lyon metro, one of the functions of which is to link these stations together.

The train in the region
If Lyon connects by TER Rhône-Alpes to its metropolitan area, at a high frequency, regional trains also serve more distant regional cities, including Vienne, Saint-Étienne, Valence, Grenoble, Chambéry, Geneva, Bourg-en-Bresse, Mâcon and Roanne, and this at regular intervals and at high frequency.

Beyond
Lyon has always been an important railway center. Nevertheless, the entry into service of the TGV in 1981 gradually changed inter-regional and national communications. After the success of the new line to the North and the capital, the line to the Mediterranean contributes to the modernization of transport. The Rhône-Alpes LGV provides a high-speed rail bypass through the east of Lyon.

The city is linked by TGV to Paris, to the South, to the North and to the West. The TGV mainly serves the Part-Dieu station. The Gare de Lyon-Perrache is the terminus of the TGV to Paris and Rennes. Since 1994, Lyon has had the Lyon Saint-Exupéry station on the Rhône-Alpes LGV.

The commissioning, at the end of 2011, of the Rhine-Rhône LGV East branch (Dole – Mulhouse) will reduce journey times to Belfort, Mulhouse and Strasbourg.

The construction of the Lyon-Turin transalpine rail link is intended to facilitate crossing the Alps.

Air transport
The international airport of Lyon, long called Satolas, since the doorJune 29, 2000the name of Lyon-Saint-Exupéry, on the occasion of the centenary of the birth of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. It knows a lot of connection traffic and has a TGV station. The airport is connected to Part-Dieu fromAugust 9, 2010thanks to the Rhônexpress tramway.

Lyon also has Lyon-Bron airport, the third largest business airport in France.

These two airports are managed by the company Aéroports de Lyon.

River transport
Once again, Lyon has a river crossroads situation. Indeed, it is one of the rare large cities built around the confluence of two large rivers (in Lyon, the Saône and the Rhône).

The Saône and the Rhône (downstream from Lyon) are waterways. The river port of Lyon, called Port Édouard Herriot, is located in the Gerland district, that is to say downstream from the Confluence.

Transportation
The TCL network (Lyon public transport), which serves 66 municipalities in the agglomeration, is the second public transport network in France after that of the RATP in Paris. It is managed by the public authority Sytral and operated by Keolis Lyon. The TCL network includes:
4 metro lines,
7 tram lines,
2 funicular lines,
9 trolleybus lines, three of which are high level service buses,
123 lines of buses,
131 school bus lines,

Lyon is the only French agglomeration using the three heavy modes of transport (metro, tram, trolleybus) simultaneously.

In 2005, the town hall of Lyon innovated through JCDecaux, in terms of urban transport with the Vélo’v system: 4,000 bicycles (in 2009) available to everyone, free of charge for TCL subscribers or at a low cost for the others.

Urban transport
Lyon has the leading public transport network outside Île-de-France with 1.4 million trips per day (including 755,000 trips per day and 212 million per year in 2018 for the metro network alone).

The SYTRAL, organizing authority of the mobility of the department of Rhone and the Metropolis of Lyon, is charged by the latter to the mission of establishing the urban transport plan, therefore “soft mobility” and the development of public transport. These are operated under the TCL brand by Keolis Lyon through specifications and a public service delegation. It includes four metro lines (A, B, C, D), two funiculars (F1, F2), six tram lines (T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6) plus one line, the Rhônexpress (not part of the network but also managed by the SYTRAL), nine trolleybus lines (including three strong lines Cristalis C1, C2 and C3), and some 123 bus lines and four departmental coach lines (accessible with a TCL ticket within the urban transport perimeter. Similarly, the TCLs are responsible for around 170 school lines. The serviceOptibus, complementary to the TCL network, is intended for people with reduced mobility.

Due to the topographical location of the city center, bordered by the two hills of Fourvière and Croix-Rousse, Lyon’s urban transport systems report several particularities, such as the funicular nicknamed “string” or the metro line C, which runs on rack and remains the metro line with the steepest gradient in the world (17.6%).

Various projects have been implemented to develop the Lyon metro, the most recent being the extension of line B to the town of Oullins in the south. This extension extends the network by 1.5 kilometers and a new station was inaugurated in December 2013 under the name of “Gare d’Oullins”.

In addition, in 2009 began the implementation of the West Lyon tram-train, connecting the Saint-Paul station to several municipalities in the Rhône, integrated with the Rhône-Alpes TER.

Finally, a “ Lyon-style RER ” project called the Lyon Metropolitan Area Express Network (REAL) is being rolled out by Rhône-Alpes. It mainly consists of the timing of the TER, the reorganization of stations and the creation of the Lyon-Jean-Macé station, among others (others are in the pipeline, such as at the Confluent). Pricing in “zones” will also be implemented. The REAL will have eight lines, and will serve the departments of Ain, Isère, Loire and Rhône. Thus, new links will be possible inside and outside the region (Lyon – Saint-Étienne – Grenoble, but also Geneva), these cities being indeed the economic and industrial centers of the region.

In addition, in May 2005, the metropolis of Lyon set up with the company JCDecaux a system of rental bicycles, called Vélo’v. The system is deployed in the territories of the municipalities of Lyon, Villeurbanne, Vaulx-en-Velin, Caluire-et-Cuire and Vénissieux. A computerized self-service bicycle rental system, Vélo’v was at its launch a pioneer and, until the launch of Vélib ‘ in Paris, the largest self-service bicycle service in France. 33,701 Vélo’v are rented every day and 315,712 Vélo’v have been rented inFebruary 2009. 349 self-service bicycle stations are located throughout the metropolis of Lyon.

Finally, there are more than 50 taxi ranks within the city, shared by several taxi centers in the agglomeration.

History
In 1855, an omnibus service was created and operated by the Compagnie lyonnaise d’Omnibus (CLO), which disappeared in 1877 due to financial difficulties. This company was created by three Parisian entrepreneurs, MM. Lehon, Lacroix Saint-Pierre and Delahante and recovered the networks of several pre-existing companies. It was also charged by the prefect of the Rhône, Claude-Marius Vaïsse, to propose the establishment of a tram network but this project did not succeed. In 1862, the first funicular line was created, the funicular of rue Terme. The Compagnie des Omnibus et Tramways de Lyon (OTL) was founded on June 21, 1879. It operates the network’s first tram line, but other companies are also creating their network, but over the years these companies have been in the throes of financial difficulties, they are all bought by the OTL:

The Écully Tramways Company (STE) on 1 July 1899; La Nouvelle lyonnaise de tramways (NLT, ex-Compagnie lyonnaise des tramways or CLT) on August 29, 1906; The Fourvière-Ouest Lyonnais (FOL) on 1 January 1911. The 1 January 1923, the Rhône department takes over the Lyon-Neuville tramway and entrusts its operation to the OTL. Between 1925 and 1938, an “Électrobus” network was operated, first under the control of the city of Lyon, then by Lafond coaches. The first buses appeared in 1931 to replace certain suburban tram line services. The first trolleybuses appeared in 1935 to replace the tramways on the line between Lyon and Francheville. The July 12, 1939, an urban transport perimeter is defined by prefectural decree and prohibits private coaches from duplicating the OTL.

The tram network was gradually replaced by buses and trolleybuses and disappeared in 1957. The trolleybus network in turn declined until the 1970s, supplanted by the all-automobile, but some lines remain.

The July 6, 1971, after redefining the perimeter of public transport, the TCRL union became the organizing authority within the perimeter of COURLY, created in 1969. The 1 January 1974, the monopoly of service to the municipalities of COURLY is attributed by ministerial decree to the TCRL union. The Lafond coach lines (TUL) were bought and their operation was entrusted to the company TCL, followed on May 2 by Philippe coach lines serving Saint-Priest. During this decade, new trolleybus lines were created and the network saw the appearance in 1974 of the first Metro line, the C, by transformation of the Croix-Paquet funicular then in 1978 the opening of the A and metro lines. B. The bus network is adapted and the TCL network continues to develop. Metro line D opens in 1991, two thirds of the bus network is changed at this time. The tram made a comeback in 2001 and continued to develop during the 2000s.

The 1 January 2007, Greater Lyon includes the municipalities of Givors and Grigny as well as the 5 lines of the Gibus network. The August 29, 2011, the bus network is completely restructured. The August 31, 2015, the network extends to the eight municipalities of the community of municipalities of eastern Lyon, including the four regular lines of the Les coaches du Rhône network serving this sector and marks the creation of a service to Lyon-Saint airport -Exupéry by the TCL network (canceled after a few months on the grounds of unfair competition with the Rhônexpress service). In 2016, a fully autonomous electric minibus transport experiment (without driver) in which Keolis, operator of the TCL network, is a partner, was carried out in the Confluence district. This world first connects the Darse, near the Hôtel de Région – Montrochet tram stop to the Magellan passage in 10 minutes and 1.3 km, via the Passerelle, Les Salins and la Sucrière stops. The rolling stock used is designed by the company Navya based in Villeurbanne.

The network
The TCL network serves the various municipalities of the Lyon metropolitan area via a network made up of different modes of transport, some of which are not very present in France, such as the funicular and the trolleybus, or the rack-and-pinion metro.

The network is made up of:
Four metro lines;
Two funicular lines;
Six tram lines, plus the Rhônexpress line which is not part of the TCL network;
One hundred and twenty regular bus lines, nine trolleybus lines, 3 on-demand transport lines, 4 Full Moon night lines and more than a hundred “Junior Direct” school lines.

All the metro, tram and funicular lines together represent a total length of approximately 95 km, with the bus and trolleybus network representing a total length of approximately 2,500 km.
TCL was selected “Best network in France” by UFC-Que Choisir in March 2008 out of 22 networks in cities with more than 250,000 inhabitants. Among the qualities of the network, according to the UFC, we can mention:
24-hour buses thanks to the “Full Moon” night shuttles,
relatively recent vehicles,
an automatic metro.

In 2011, the review Ville Rail et Transports awarded Lyon the “Silver Pass” in recognition of its efforts in the area of mobility, particularly with regard to public transport.

Metro
The Lyon metro has been in operation since 1974. It includes four lines, some of which have specific characteristics:

The lines A and B were inaugurated in 1978. Line A underwent only one extension in 2007 while line B underwent three in 1981, 2000 and 2013. The thirty-two MPL 75 trainsets of lines A and B are stored at the Poudrette workshops (UTM – Métro Transport Unit) in Vaulx-en-Velin. An extension of line B began on December 4, 2019, and will go to Saint-Genis-Laval Hôpitaux Sud.

The C line was opened in 1974 and underwent two extensions in 1978 and 1984. It is a cogwheel metro line (unique in the world) created to replace an old funicular opened in 1891 and closed in 1972. The five oars MCL 80 are shelved in the workshops of Henon (UTMC – Metro Transportation Unit and Funicular Line C) in the 4 district of Lyon.

The D-line was inaugurated in 1991. Line D underwent two extensions in 1992 and 1997. This line has the particularity of being the first large-gauge automatic metro in the world, well before line 14 of the Paris metro. The automatic piloting system is called “MAGGALY” (Metro A Grand Gabarit de l’Agglomération Lyonnaise). The thirty-six MPL 85 trainsets are stored at the Thioley workshops (UTMD – Métro Transport Unit D) in Vénissieux.

Line E is under study, two scenarios are preferred with either a departure from Bellecour or Part-Dieu.

The 4 metro lines recorded 205,590,000 trips in 2017.

Funicular
The Lyon funicular network consists of two lines, not marked until August 29, 2011, nicknamed “strings”, serving Saint-Just for line F1 and Fourvière for line F2. If the first funicular in Lyon dates from 1862 and was located on the hill of Croix-Rousse (Funicular of rue Terme). The current metro line C follows the route of the old Croix-Rousse funicular. There were up to five cable cars simultaneously in use at the turn of the XIX and XX centuries.

These funiculars are single track, with central siding in the middle of the line. For line F1, this avoidance corresponds to the Minimes station. For line F2, the crossing is non-stop. The journey of the F2 funicular is about 400 meters with a gradient of 31%. The F1 funicular is about 700 meters with a slope of 18% between the Saint-Jean and Minimes stations, and 6% between the Minimes and Saint-Just stations.

Since the center of the city of Lyon was classified as a World Heritage Site in 1997, the funiculars have seen an increase in tourist attendance.

In addition, the old Croix-Paquet funicular, renovated and converted into a cog railway, was integrated in 1974 into line C of the Lyon metro.

The 2 funicular lines recorded 4.715 million trips in 2017. The deployment of 4G has also been made in all metro and funicular stations and is underway in the tunnels.

Tramway
The old tram network operated from 1879 to 1957 and had over thirty lines at its peak.

The Lyon tram was put back into service in January 2001. It has seven lines, but only six are part of the TCL network:

The T1 and T2 lines were inaugurated in January 2001. Line T1 underwent two extensions in September 2005 and in February 2014, line T2 was extended in October 2003. Thirty-seven Citadis 302 trainsets on lines T1 and T2 are stored at the Porte des Alpes maintenance center (UTTR – Tramway transport unit) in Saint-Priest.

Line T3 was inaugurated in December 2006. Also called “LEA”, it follows the route of the old East Lyon railway. The nineteen Citadis 402 trainsets are stored at the Meyzieu ZI Maintenance Center (UTTL – Tramway Transport Unit LEA) in Meyzieu which also accommodates ten trains from line T1. Line T3 was extended in 2014 and equipped at the start of 2016 with a 4-way disconnection to serve Groupama Stadium.

Line T4 was inaugurated in April 2009. Line T4 was extended to the north in September 2013 by following the route of line T1. The sixteen Citadis 302 trainsets are stored at the Meyzieu Maintenance Center (UTTL – Tramway Transport Unit) in Meyzieu, the first 7 large-capacity trainsets were deployed on line T4 in September 2018, and it will be fully equipped in June 2020.

Line T5 was inaugurated in November 2012. The line links Grange Branche to Parc du Chêne and is extended to Eurexpo in the event of events, with a common trunk with line T2 serving the center of Bron before splitting.

Line T6 is put into service on November 22, 2019. It connects Debourg to the East Hospitals via Mermoz – Pinel. Originally, it was envisaged as a simple extension of the T1 tramway, but SYTRAL decided to make it a full line for better visibility among users.

Total ridership of the five lines (T1 -> T5) reached 95.033 million trips in 2017.

The Rhônexpress line was inaugurated in August 2010. Called “LESLYS” during its construction, it follows the route of the T3 line and extends to Lyon-Saint-Exupéry airport. The six Stadler Tango trainsets are stored at the Rhônexpress maintenance center in Meyzieu, which is located right next to that of line T3. The Rhônexpress line, which also depends on SYTRAL, is not part of the TCL network and is therefore not accessible with the latter’s pricing.

Buses and Trolleybuses
The TCL surface road network consists of 9 trolleybus lines and 129 bus lines, regular or on demand. Although greatly reduced compared to its extension in the 1950s, Lyon still has the largest trolleybus network in France with its nine lines, ahead of Limoges (5 lines) and Saint-Étienne (1 line). At night on the weekend, a night network called Full Moon is set up.

Since the month of july 2006, climbing through the front door has been reintroduced on all lines except lines C1 to C3.

The Lyon metropolitan area’s bus and trolleybus network has undergone major changes on August 29, 2011. This project called “Atoubus” has prioritized the network into three main families of lines: major, complementary and specific. The reorganization of the network was accompanied by the immediate or gradual withdrawal of the oldest buses from the network at that time, namely the Renault R312, Renault Citybus, Renault PR118 and Gruau MG 36.

In november 2013, lines C24E and 73E have been modified to use the new own site created within the framework of the “Western Lyon Express Lines” (LEOL) project.

The number of trips to the bus and trolleybus network stood at 164.544 million trips in 2017.

Major lines
The major lines, formerly “strong lines Cristalis”, are a set of twenty-four structuring lines (originally twenty-six lines) indexed from C1 to C21 and C24 to C26, including three supplemented by express services (C15E, C20E and C24E), operated by trolleybus (Irisbus Cristalis ETB 18, with specific livery, and Cristalis ETB 12) and by bus (Irisbus Citelis 18 and Citelis 12 and Iveco Bus Urbanway 12 currently in service).

Lines C1, C2 and C3 have roadworks (portions of own sites, priority to traffic lights), bus shelters with ticket machines at certain major stations, on-board information screens for travelers (information on the line, the next stops, i-TCL service)… classifying them at the entry level of the BHNS concept (High Service Level Bus). The other lines, C4 to C26, do not have this equipment (priority to lights, i-TCL screens, etc.) and are operated uphill from the front like the conventional lines.

All the trolleybus lines, with the exception of line S6 connecting Hôtel de Ville – Louis Pradel to Croix-Rousse, are part of the major lines.

Complementary lines
The TCL network has eighty-two lines complementary to the major lines operated by standard, articulated or midibus buses. These lines are numbered from 2 to 100. Some do not operate all year round, such as line 83 which serves the Grand Parc de Miribel-Jonage in the summer season or line 100 “Bus Eurexpo” which only operates in case of emergency. event at Eurexpo such as the Motor Show or the Lyon Fair for example.

Specific lines
The network is supplemented by twenty-four specific lines providing specific services.

We find the fifteen “Silky” lines, indexed S1, S2 to S12, S14 to S16, providing local services such as municipal shuttles or certain districts of Lyon.

The seven “Industrial zone” lines, labeled Zi1 to Zi8, providing service to the main industrial zones of the Lyon metropolitan area during the week and during peak hours.

The three “Gar’Express” lines, labeled GE2, GE4 and GE6, providing, with a time range close to that of the Zi lines, a link between the peripheral business areas of the city and the nearest TER stations.

Special lines
In addition to the regular network, TCL set up other carts as event shuttles for nights Fourvière or sound nights or shuttle “bus relay” bus to replace underground lines, funicular or tram if breakdowns or work.

A network of more than a hundred school lines, called “Junior direct”, is made available to schools to reach their schools when the regular network is not sufficient. Since the start of the school year in September 2014, all school lines have been subcontracted and operated by coaches equipped with seat belts and mainly reserved for middle and high school students, the TCL reserving the right to remove any service with less attendance. of 20 students.

Transport on demand
Called “ResaGO”, this service made up of two lines marked R2 and R3 operates only by telephone reservation and serves weakly urbanized areas or replaces regular lines during off-peak hours. There is also a “semi-virtual” line “Flexo” service which operates partially on reservation by telephone in force on the GE4 line.

Full Moon Lines
Operating only at night on weekends, the PL1 to PL4 lines leave from Place des Terreaux for campuses and university residences and allow students to travel at night.

Serving event of Groupama Stadium
The Groupama Stadium (or Parc Olympique Lyonnais before naming) in Décines-Charpieu will be equipped from Jan. 9, 2016, date of the first football match in this stadium, of a special service made up of shuttles made by tram and bus and for which the operating cost is provided by OL Groupe. According to SYTRAL’s estimates, this service plan should ensure the transport of 33,000 spectators: 12,000 by tram, via the infrastructure of the T3 and Rhônexpress lines, and 21,000 by bus.

The service is triggered 2 h 15 before kick-off and then for 1 h 15 after the end of match.

This service is triggered during the following events:
The matches of the Olympique Lyonnais men’s team, ie around 30 matches per year;
Certain matches for the Olympique Lyonnais women ‘s team, ie around two matches per year;
Various events organized at the stadium such as Euro 2016 (Football) and the 2015 – 2016 Challenge Cup and Champions Cup finals (Rugby Union), i.e. eight matches in 2016.
Concerts (examples of Rihanna, Coldplay and Celine Dion);

The device deployed varies depending on the stadium filling level (from 25 to 100%) and the time of the match, and for a match with a 100% gauge, the service mobilizes 140 drivers, around 50 regulators and agents. control and maintenance and 150 security and supervisory staff.

Access to the shuttles is only possible using tickets purchased at the same time as the match tickets and only at the Olympique Lyonnais ticket office. The ticket is chargeable and costs 5 euros for the round trip except in the case where it is an Olympique Lyonnais football match that takes place.

Accessibility
Since the 1990s, SYTRAL, in its capacity as transport organizing authority, has been working with its partners to improve the accessibility of the TCL network.

30% of TCL network users have permanent or temporary reduced mobility. “Permanent” reduced mobility generally refers to people in wheelchairs, who are deaf or visually impaired, while “temporary” reduced mobility refers to people with a cast, the elderly or pregnant women.

The network accessibility policy is based on two elements:
The orientations of the urban transport plan (PDU);
The “Law 2005-102 for equal rights and opportunities, participation and citizenship of people with disabilities” which requires all operators to make their network accessible by 2015.

In 2008, SYTRAL was the first local authority in France to sign an accessibility master plan (SDA), with a budget of 60 million euros; it is revised each year in consultation with the representative associations.

The network accessibility situation varies according to the mode of transport:
In the metro and funicular, all stations, with the exception of Croix-Paquet on line C, are accessible to people in wheelchairs. The station Ampere – Victor Hugo is completely accessible frommarch 2015after commissioning of the missing lift. By the end of 2014, all trainsets will be fitted with a pallet intended to fill the significant gap between the platform and the threshold of the train doors; this gap does not prevent access to people with reduced mobility but makes their access more difficult;
In the tram, all the infrastructures are fully accessible to people with reduced mobility;
In buses and trolleybuses, 88% of the park was accessible in 2013 and equipped with a pallet for people in wheelchairs, wide entrance doors and 4 places reserved for them. In January 2014, 65% of the stops were accessible, in other words equipped with a platform raised to a height of 21 cm and arranged to eliminate unauthorized parking.

A free service allows people with reduced mobility, upon reservation, to locate their route with the help of a trained TCL agent. The TCL network is supplemented by Optibus, a service made available to the most severely disabled people and allowing door-to-door travel using a converted minibus.

Pricing
Established by SYTRAL, the pricing system is without distinction of zones and is based on both subscriptions and a paper ticket system.

In the metro and funicular, validation is done at the station entrances, for trams, trolleybuses and buses, validation is done on board vehicles. Validation is mandatory for each connection, except between two metro lines or between a metro line and a funicular.

Since 2010, employees can benefit from the “transport bonus” and can ask their employer, private or public, to cover 50% of their subscription.

Solidarity pricing concerns certain people over the age of 65, people who are not taxable and / or benefit from assistance such as RSA or AAH, young unemployed people or even asylum seekers applying for political refugee status. In 2014, these prices did not change unlike the rest of the pricing. Access to these titles is subject to certain conditions and requires the presentation of certain documents.

Tickets
A system of transport tickets, made up of paper tickets with magnetic stripes, sold individually or in booklets, is available for occasional travelers. Since 2011, the ticket sold on buses is more expensive than agency or distributor and from 1 January 2013, the return is allowed with the single ticket.

Booklets of ten tickets can be loaded onto the Técély card, subject to four booklets per card and the validity period of a ticket starts from the first validation. Single tickets are sold at a higher price on buses and trolleybuses (Single ticket “On board sales”) in order to encourage them to buy tickets at branches or at distributors.

Travel information

In the subways and funiculars
Since May 2011, dynamic information panels allow travelers to know the waiting time for the next two trains on the metro and funicular lines. This system makes it possible to inform travelers of current disruptions in a localized manner (on a station, one or more lines or the entire network).

In addition to these panels, a free mobile application system for the visually impaired is available from the May 6, 2011and allows, thanks to a Bluetooth connection, to receive the same information as on the dynamic panels.

Since December 2019, six stations have been equipped with touch screens for travelers.

In trams, trolleybuses and buses

Since 2000, the “Visulys” system, installed at tram stations, lines C1 to C3 and main bus stops, has made it possible to inform travelers of the next two passages and to indicate traffic information at stops. The system works by GPS and is coupled to the banners or screens installed inside the vehicles. There are a total of 500 terminals on network. As the system is coupled to the SAE, it does not take charge of the subcontracted lines, not equipped with the system.

i-TCL
In April 2008, SYTRAL announced the experimentation of a new communication system intended for users of tramways and trolleybuses. This dual-screen system provides real-time information on network developments and possible incidents. The right screen providing local information, weather forecast, current exhibitions, the horoscope as well as ASVEL and OL news, etc. The left screen being dedicated to the line, it allows you to know the connections at each stop, the name of the next stops, the public institutions nearby.

After a period of experimentation on 11 trainsets on the T1 and T2 lines, all of the network’s trams were fitted with the i-TCL system during 2013, with screens larger than those tested.

After a period of experimentation on 7 trolleybuses of line C1, all articulated trolleybuses of lines C1 to C3 were equipped during 2014, with screens larger than those tested.

The experiment was carried out by the company SDM System which had developed in partnership with SYTRAL this new mode of communication, using T-DMB technology, which allows reception in a mobile situation on a city or city scale. an agglomeration of multimedia content (texts, images, videos) by terrestrial hertzian way.

The solution currently in service was produced by Amesys, Groupe Bull (since acquired by ATOS).

Relais Info Service
Created in 2013, the Relais Info Service were originally seven in number, then four following the successive closures of those at Gare d’Oullins (the February 28, 2015), Gare de Vénissieux and Vieux Lyon (the1 March 2016) following the closure of the tourist office located in premises rented by SYTRAL to ONLYLYON.

They are responsible for informing travelers about the routes, the price range or the subscription terms.

The four relays are as follows:
Bellecour (in the ONLY LYON tourist office);
Vaise station (in the multimodal hub, near the Bus station);
Part-Dieu – Vivier Merle station (in front of the shopping center, next to the stops for lines C7 and 38);
Part-Dieu – Villette station (at the Côté Alpes exit of the station, towards the departure platform of T3);

Others
An interactive and dynamic mapping system is present on the network’s website, in addition to the maps in PDF format for the various sectors of the agglomeration, as well as for the main trade hubs.

The “My TCL” service allows, after registration, to be able to receive network traffic alerts by SMS and Mail, as well as to access online the next passages of its favorite stops and lines.

A widget service also allowing you to receive the next passages of your favorite stops and lines is available for Windows (Vista and 7 only) and OS X. A smartphone application, available for Android (2.1 and +) and iOS (7.0 and +), provides mobile access to upcoming passages, maps and traffic information wherever an internet connection is available. A flashcode system, to be scanned using a smartphone equipped with an appropriate application, is available at almost all of the stops on the bus and trolleybus network and provides access to the next passages of all the lines serving this stop., this service is complementary to the “Visulys” terminals.