On Saturday, 24 November, Nice inaugurated its first, 8.7 kilometre-long tramway

It links the districts in the north and east, taking in the city centre. 21 stations will enable over 120,000 inhabitants of these districts to move around using this means of transport, which had disappeared from the city’s streets in 1953. The city’s inhabitants were able to use the tram at no charge throughout the weekend. For the first time in the world, a tramway now operates over part of its route – which amounts to 11% of the line’s 8.8 kilometres – using an autonomous on board system, which makes it possible to avoid the use of overhead contact lines.

The absence of posts and overhead lines in Place Massena and Place Garibaldi makes it possible to preserve the character of these historic sites.

The 20 tramway trainsets supplied by Alstom are equipped with the latest equipment from the CITADIS™ range, indispensable for passenger comfort: enhanced air conditioning, audio and visual information for disabled people, video protection, strengthened safety, and large windows.

14 works of art have been placed along the tramway’s route, produced by artists such as Ben and Jacques Vieille.

The mayor of Nice and President of the greater city area, Jacques Peyrat, took part in the inaugural voyage alongside Michel Serra, Alstom Transport France CEO, and Robert Mahler, President of Alstom France.

In total, Nice will boast 36 kilometres of network and 3 tramway lines by the year 2020.