On August 12, 1874, the first tram service in Nancy was inaugurated. The tram has the particularity of being pulled by horses for 5 km between Maxéville and Bonsecours. Nancy’s public transport system has evolved from mechanical to motorized with trolleys, then from accidents to breakdowns … The current model of the manufacturer Bombardier has been running since 2001 and it is still a very coveted service by the inhabitants and very expensive at the city of Nancy. Compared to the trams of other large cities, this one can move off the rails to use its tires in order to be able to overcome the Brabois climb. The device is not in very good condition: the trams often break down and are not very comfortable, the rails and roads being in poor condition. But Nancy is not about to switch to a more modern tram. Indeed, it was very expensive and it would seem that the financial situation has not improved following the health crisis. The adviser delegated to the mobility plan Patrick Hatzig is clear: “A railroad tram cannot be done on this mandate”, that of Mathieu Klein.
It is a subject that we are used to discussing with our relatives or friends. It often happens to us to recount our past adventures in the tram to go to class, and it almost becomes a ritual. Indeed, we are high school students at the Lycée Jeanne d’Arc and both live about 30 minutes from the school and this is why we take line 1 of the Nancy tramway every day. This journey is part of our daily life and concerns us just as much as any user, so it is important for us, as representatives of high school students in the tram, that we know when and how the line will evolve.
A project already built
The end of life of the current tram was scheduled for 2022. It should have been replaced by a double-rail tram. However, due to the city’s financial situation, this will not be possible on schedule, but the city is still setting a new target for 2024-2025. We think this is a very good thing because it will modernize the city and no doubt greatly improve the transport system in Nancy. Obviously, the planned dates are far away and we will no longer be in high school by then but we are thinking of future generations who will need public transport. The new tram will have three different lines, each will serve Nancy and its surroundings: they will pass through Porte Verte, Essey-lès-Nancy, the CHU de Brabois, the Roberval area and finally Vandeuvre-lès-Nancy. The fact that line 1 remains as it is and that two lines are added on the side of Vandeuvre-lès-Nancy and Essey-lès-Nancy is in our opinion a great thing because we will not have to change our habits, and the others municipalities will also be able to benefit from this service. However, the journey is already a problem at the Botanical Garden in Nancy, because the viaduct planned for the new tramway would spoil the landscape and the natural aspect of the garden. Discussions have already been initiated on this subject and this problem seems to be turning against the city because although the viaduct has the role of facilitating the passage on the rise of Brabois, it has so far not been resolved.
–
