It’s official: starting this Friday, it is now possible to go by tram to Porte Dauphine. Good news for users of the T3b tram line, which already linked Porte de Vincennes to Asnières: this has been extended by 3.2 kilometers for a complete route of now 17 kilometers. In total, 7 new stations will serve the west of Paris, along the towns of Levallois-Perret, Neuilly-sur-Seine as well as the 16th and 17th arrondissements. Among them, three serve the Portes Parisiennes of Champerret, Maillot and Dauphine, thus allowing connections with metros 1, 2 and 3, as well as the RER C and soon the RER E. A major project on time for Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“The regional prefect has given the green light,” enthused Delphine Bürkli, Île-de-France Mobilités administrator and president of the service quality commission, in mid-March, referring to “the big rehearsal” of the last days before the April 5, with the trams running dry on the entire line. “This is the last stage, the time to test all the systems and allow our drivers to test and verify the stability and safety of the extension,” explained Igow René, the tram project manager at RATP , all ready to “refine this reliability if necessary” so that everything is perfect on D-Day. And the operating table already reproduced the real conditions in which the tram will run from April, with 4 minutes interval between each train during peak hours, and 8 minutes during off-peak hours.
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Final straight line therefore for this “highly anticipated extension” for which work was launched in 2019, for a budget (excluding rolling stock) estimated at 200 million euros, including 60 million financed by the City of Paris and 30 million by the Region. Not counting the 9 new trainsets, acquired by IDFM for 35 million euros. A project which is part of “a global policy of massive investments in favor of transport and the fight against pollution”, rejoiced Delphine Bürkli in mid-March. The mayor of the 9th then underlined that ultimately, the extension will bring 54,000 additional travelers every day, or around 250,000 daily travelers for this “the busiest” line of the tram network. Between line T3a – between Pont du Garigliano and Porte de Vincennes – and line T3b – between Porte de Vincennes and Porte Dauphine – nearly half a million people will be transported every day.
“It is now 75% of the tour of Paris which is provided with the tramway”, also welcomed the Parisian elected official, showing “the desire to continue this investment policy”. What about the remaining section, between Porte Dauphine and the Garigliano bridge? “Of course, we will have to finish this tour of Paris. The subject is on the table, the studies will be launched,” confided Delphine Bürkli, hoping that the work can begin “as quickly as possible”. The challenge ? “Promote access to public transport, particularly those accessible to people with reduced mobility, calm public spaces and reduce pollution in the city,” respond the project leaders, specifying that 6 km of cycle paths could be perpetuated along the tram tracks.
As for whether the redevelopments induced by this extension will generate more traffic jams, particularly at Portes d’Asnières, Champerret, Maillot and Dauphine? The head of the Tramway mission at the City of Paris, Mathias Galerne, answers “no”. “What was really complicated was the “construction” phase, with traffic jams at Porte de Champerret and Porte Maillot, but since then, it’s even much better than before the redevelopment,” explains the engineer, praising the developments designed to “rebalance spaces dedicated to cars, for the benefit of pedestrians and soft mobility”. Crucial choices at a time when, according to him, there is “a real reduction in the number of cars circulating in Paris”. “We have seen this clearly for several years.”
