By Peter Ehrlich (about) (contact)
St.-Etienne boasts the longest-running tram system in
France, having opened in 1881. Like other French cities, St.-Etienne
retrenched until only line 4, a long north-south route remained in
1952. 30 new single-end PCCs built by La Brugeoise modernized the
line in 1958, and five articulated PCCs arrived ten years later.
In 1991, the route was lengthened, and phaseout of the
PCCs began with the receipt of 15 Alstom/Vevey single-end, partial
low-floor streetcars similar to the double-end TFS trams delivered to
Grenoble, Paris and Rouen. Complete retirement of the PCCs was
achieved in 1998 with 20 additional Alstom/Vevey trams. There is talk
of building more tram lines. Interestingly, the new Alstom trams used
trolley poles initially, but were converted to pantograph operation in
September 1998 after the PCCs were withdrawn.
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