You may take them on a daily basis, and if so, you probably know their layout by heart. But do you know the history of Lyon’s metro lines?
An alphabetical service
If the beginnings of a project of Lyon metro appear from 19e century, we had to wait until the 1970s to see it materialize. April 28 1978 are inaugurated on first two lines of the Lyon network : the Awhich connects Perrache to the Laurent-Bonnevay stop, and la B, which only travels from Charpennes to Part-Dieu. For the occasion, the President of the Republic, Valéry Giscard d’Estaing is present. Chronologically, the real first metro line to see the light of day in Lyon is line C and this for a simple reason: it replaced the funicular which linked Croix-Rousse to Croix-Paquet from 1974. It was not until 1978 that it was extended to the Hôtel de Ville. The D linethe only fully automatic line to date, only appeared in 1991 with a Gorge de Loup – Grange Blanche route. The lines have undergone numerous extensions since their creation, such as the terminus at Gare d’Oullins for the B or the addition of the Vaise and Vénissieux stations for the D. However, it’s been 30 years since Lyon saw the creation of a new line. The next, line E, should see the light of day by 2030.
The union between network and art
Regularly, the Lyon metro lines become the artwork medium for artists. Metro Art takes up the different perennial works that have taken place in the heart of the Lyon metro since its opening in 1978. Sculpture, painting, stained glass… Installations that are now part of the daily lives of Lyon residents who take public transport every day.
Sometimes, the Lyon network also becomes a place of exhibition. This was particularly the case in 2021 when various museums in the region have made works from their collection available for display on the network. Four stations had been chosen for the occasion, among the busiest: Grange Blanche, Saxe-Gambetta, Cordeliers and Hôtel de Ville. And if you want to discover the line B construction site in style, Yanis Ourabah took sublime shots as part of his project Dance in Lyon.
ghost stations
If you are a fan of the Lyon metro, you surely know all the stations in the network. But do you know those unused ghost stations ? Metro B has two in the Gerland district, due to reservations made during numerous line extensions. La station Lortet would be between Jean Macé and Jean Jaurès, but would require a lot of work to see the light of day. It would be necessary, in particular, to widen the concrete framework to install the platforms and to ensure the reception of the passages. The second station is Plaine des Jeux, just 500 meters from the Stade de Gerland station, planned to serve the Henry-Charbet park. Once again, the opening of this station would require a lot of work. These two ghost stations do not seem to be considered in the works of line B currently in progress.
