Old Rouen tramway
Encyclopedia
The Old Rouen Tramway was a tram
way built in Rouen
, Normandy
, northern France
. It started service in 1877 and closed in 1953.
Horse-drawn carriage
s and omnibuses
had started at the end of the 18th century and progressively improved, but were no longer enough to provide urban services in an age of industrial and demographic growth. Local officials therefore adopted a new mode of transportation: the tram
way. At first horse-drawn and then steam-powered, the tramway was electrified
in 1896. The network quickly spread through various city-centre districts on the right bank of the Seine
, reached the municipalities of the northern plateau, the heights of Bonsecours
in the east, skirted the textile valley of the River Cailly in the west, crossed the river and served, to the south, the suburbs and industrial districts of the left bank. At its largest it covered 70 kilometres (43.5 mi) of route, the longest network in France during the Belle Époque
, and contributed to the success of events in the town's history, such as the Colonial Exhibition
of 1896 and the Norman Millennium Festival of 1911.
Although the 1920s saw a slight growth in traffic, the network grew no more. Private motoring had arrived to put an end to its monopoly. The rising power of buses and trolleybus
es, the Great Depression in France
, and above all the Second World War that ravaged Rouen and Normandy, condemned the tramway to death. The last trams stopped running in 1953, after seventy-six years of service. However in 1994, a new Rouen tramway came to the Norman
capital.
was integrated into the French Kingdom
after Philip II of France
annexed Normandy
in 1204, and it continued as one of the largest cities in the kingdom under the Ancien Régime. It prospered during the 19th century, with the traditional trades of textile
s and Rouen manufactory
(faïence
) alongside the newer chemical
and papermaking
industries. The navigable Seine
, emptying at Rouen, had been Parisians' route to the sea ever since the Middle Ages
. Napoleon Bonaparte said "" ("Rouen and Le Havre form a single town of which the Seine is the High Street
"). Rouen and Orléans
were the first large cities to be connected by rail to Paris
, on 3 May 1843. After the Franco-Prussian War
of 1870 – 1871, the economy of the First Industrial Revolution under the Second Empire
, and the ever-growing population, obliged the Rouen city authorities to rethink the travel facilities both within the city centre and between it and the expanding suburbs.
Urban services — always horse-drawn, either carriages or omnibuses on the most profitable routes — were not enough to satisfy the needs of a town that already numbered, with its suburbs, more than people. From 1873 to 1875 the city fathers commissioned a study into building railways connecting the most populous areas of Rouen. A decree was signed on 5 May 1876, committing to a publicly owned standard gauge
network, and to horse-drawn carriages. Nine lines stretching abbr=on link=on, or 1,370 chains were decreed:
The town was authorised to tender construction and operation to one or more contractors. It quickly chose the only serious candidate, Gustav Palmer Harding, a British
citizen. He was the continental representative of Merryweather & Sons
, builders of steam tram engine
s. This decision knitted the close railway links between the city and Great Britain that remained for nearly half a century. Naturally, Mr Harding wanted to promote his company's machines, so he long made his views known to the municipal authorities. Finally convinced, they authorised him to use steam power from Maromme
(Line 1), entering service on 29 December 1877. Merryweather & Sons, whose depot was on the Avenue du Mont-Riboudet, provided the tram units. Small and light — 4.7 tonne — these reversible locomotives had two coupled axles, fully covered by a wooden body. They looked the same as a normal carriage so as not to frighten the horses. These steam carriages had enclosed lower decks; the upper decks were roofed but had open sides.
The first steam trams of Léon Francq's design soon appeared on the Maromme line and coexisted with the horse-drawn tramways that served the city centre.
(Line 2; started 23 June 1879). On the other hand, the lines that went through narrow local streets remained horse-drawn when first opened: Line 4 (opened 3 October 1878), Line 5, (opening 12 December 1878), Line 6 (opened 6 February 1879), and Line 3 (opened 27 September 1879). Line 9 was not constructed because of technical difficulties.
For more than six years, twenty-three locomotives coexisted with horse-drawn trams on the Rouen network. The speed and regularity of steam trams pleased passengers (the speed limit was 16 km/h (9.9 mph) between Mont-Riboudet and Maromme
), but they were also expensive. The frequent stops let the boilers cool down, so coal consumption was high. Moreover, steam power angered both residents — who accused them of being dirty and rough-riding — and coachmen — whose animals were scared by the driver's horn and the "infernal" noise of the trains. Operation thus was totally horse-drawn from 1884. The CTR thus found itself in charge of a "cavalry" of around 350 horses, stabled at Trianon and Maromme, the depot at Mont-Riboudet having been disposed of.
, who built the "first network", ten lines of standard gauge, either over new or re-laid tracks:
entered service on 2 January 1896, the electrified network going live fifteen days ahead of schedule; the last horse-drawn tram saw service on 19 July on the Sotteville line. After teething troubles, the new mode of transport had considerable success: in 1896 it transported over fifteen million passengers. The tram sheds, holding 50 vehicles, were expanded to accommodate 25 more during the first year of service. These were classic tramcars with two axles, powered by two 25 hp motors (one on each axle), and had room for 40 passengers. With its popular success, the network could be completed: the Line 10 extension to Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray
was opened on 16 April 1899, an 11th line was constructed from Maromme
to Notre-Dame-de-Bondeville
(opened 17 December 1899), and a 12th from the Church of Saint-Sever to the Saint-Maur sea wall (6 February 1908). The Rouen tramways had 37 km (23 mi) of lines, the largest electric network in France. Trams were up to three cars long and ran at 20 km/h (12.4 mph) at 20-minute intervals.
The dynamism of public transport in Rouen was an inspiration to Baron Empain
who, through the intermediary of his colleague Cauderay, proposed the creation of a second complementary network. He met numerous difficulties to which the CTR was no stranger, but on 17 July 1899, a new company to be called (a sister company of the better-known — CGT —) was granted the concession over five routes:
The first services started on Line 1 on 18 January 1900, the other services starting on 10 May that year, but, facing competition from the CTR, the tramway from Petit-Quevilly was curtailed, its terminus becoming Rue Léon-Malétra.
The CTR was now master of all of the public transport in Rouen and its suburbs (having also absorbed the tramway and funicular railway of Bonsecours
on 25 September 1909). It reorganised its service to be more integrated. It also expanded the service with later-running trams, and extended Line 12 first to Champ de Courses (opened 1 January 1910) then to Bois-Guillaume
(opened 4 June 1911) and Mont-Saint-Aignan
(opened 15 March 1913). This last section, running over the local authority's rails, connected Grand-Quevilly (Rue de l’Église) and, on a branch, the district of Petit-Quevilly (opened 1 August 1915). The network had grown to its largest, with 70 km (43.5 mi) of routes (including the tramway of Bonsecours
).
did not affect tram service in Rouen as much as it did elsewhere. After a short period of disruption during the great August 1914 mobilisation, the CTR maintained normal service during the four years of war. It overcame its reduced staffing levels with overtime, abolition of leave, and redeployment of depot personnel; nearly all conductors were promoted to motormen, to their great satisfaction. At the end of 1916, women (aged 24 or over in 1916, reduced to 23 or over in 1918) joined men on the trams, but, sexism
at that time being the norm, the "wattwomen" (female motormen) were only allowed on the "easy" lines of Mont-Saint-Aignan
, Bois-Guillaume
and Monumental, and were not allowed on steep gradients.
To satisfy military requirements, the network extended the Champ de Courses track to the Château du Madrillet, headquarters of an important BEF base. It also built a connection to transport the injured arriving by train at the Gare Saint-Sever
to the main hospitals of Rouen. These installations, constructed in record time, disappeared when the war ended.
. Trams had always attracted criticism over their limited capacity, slowness and discomfort, and their encumbrance to motor cars in the city centre. Another accident on the Monumental line on 5 October 1925 hastened the inevitable: the trams lost their first route.
s, and started large programmes of renovation and modernisation in the dozen or so years before World War II
. Between 1928 and 1932, 75 first-generation trams were rebuilt to allow one man operation.
The Rouen workshops presently devised two prototypes, of classical design, but with double folding doors at the front and safety devices (compressed air on one of the prototypes, electrical on the other) which became the basis for a series of 25 vehicles named "Nogentaises".These new locomotives reused some elements of state cars on the "Nogentais Railway". 25 new trailing cars completed the new rolling stock. In 1931, a "revolutionary" pedal-controlled locomotive was built equipped with disc brakes, but lack of funds meant no more came of it.
The 1930s also saw the arrival of the trolleybus
, having the twin advantages of electrical traction and pneumatic tyres; these newcomers supplanted the old trams on the Mont-Saint-Aignan
line from Sotteville
and Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray
. In 1938, the tram sheds were enlarged for the arrival of the "Parisiennes", ten reversible trams bought from Paris.
hit Rouen hard, including its transport network. In 1939, before the war started, mobilisation and requisition
had reduced the service frequency; the German advance, in 1940, blew up the city's bridges; on 9 June 1940 the Rouen Transporter Bridge
was destroyed, which split the tram network in two until 1946. With the German occupation, the lines were progressively reopened. But service was reduced. Difficulties became such during this period that the directors of the CTR had to improvise mobile workshops. The heavy bombing raids of Spring 1944, in particular the destruction of the central part of the Rue Lemire, stopped the trams running.
Nazi occupation ended on 30 August 1944 and Liberation slowly healed the town's wounds. It had been a catastrophe for the network: of the 76 trams in circulation in 1939, 24 had been destroyed and 25 damaged; track and overhead lines
had been mutilated; the Trianon depot had been bombed several times Still, service was slowly restored, thanks to the staff's hard work and above all passengers' help in shunting
trailing cars. In 1945, 38 locomotives and 14 trailing cars were operational, but, despite restoration of service across the Seine
on 20 April 1946, the war had struck a fatal blow. Rouen was full of out-of-date equipment and so trams were progressively replaced by bus
es and trolleybus
es.
In March 1950 the municipality decided definitely to close the tramway, but its actual closure came somewhat later. It was not until Saturday, 28 February 1953 that the last tram ran on the Champ de Courses line, 76 years after the network's first service. But the Rouennaise did not forget the tram's services rendered, organising a first-class funeral: Just before the last scheduled run, a parade of honour made up of three trams ran from the Hôtel de ville to the Trianon depot, cheered by the crowds.
is a commune
on a plateau
to the southwest of Rouen. Until 1890 only an infrequent bus service linked it to Rouen. However, it attracted many hikers, with its splendid panoramas over the meandering Seine, and pilgrims visiting the shrine to the Virgin Mary
.
s. On 8 June 1892 it was formally declared open to the public and first ran eleven days later on 19 June. This mountain railway, 400 m (19.9 chain) long and rising 132 m (433.1 ft), ran from the banks of the River Seine to the esplanade of the basilica. Each car could hold 90 people (50 seated), and its water tank could be filled in five minutes. There were twelve journeys each way daily, more on busier days. But the ferry service from its terminus at Epaulet to Rouen was irregular, and by the end of the century it had a dangerous rival: the tramway.
At first, in 1899, the tramway was designed to be steam powered, but by 1895 this had changed to electromotive power. The line was built by the (CTB), and first ran on 21 May 1899. It was 5600 m (278.4 chain) between the two termini (the Pont Corneille and the crossroads of the RN 14
and the Belbeuf
roads), with timetabling of up to 7 trams. The trams had greater power than their Rouen counterparts, with 38 hp motors. They could climb steep gradients (up to 9:100) and could accommodate 48 passengers, with 42 more in a trailing car.
the defunct . Operations continued, and the CTR took over both tracks on 25 December 1909. Although the tramway was always well used ( tickets sold in 1913), the clientele of the funicular continued to fall ( tickets collected the same year), and some daily receipts were less than 1 franc. Lacking passengers, the funicular closed on 25 May 1915, and the tramway became the monopoly service for Bonsecours. This date should not be confused with that for the Rouen service, which continued until February 1953.
(a large railway town
) and Grand-Quevilly, but these towns did not have good enough public transport. Although the CTR had constructed some lines, they did not well serve residents wishing for rapid transit between the suburbs and the city centre. Line 4 of the CTR, with its central terminus at Place Beauvoisine, ran only as far as the Trianon roundabout at the edge of the Jardin des Plantes
. A southern extension was planned to the Bruyères roundabout, a meeting-point of several roads to the new districts, and to the racecourse where major horse racing events took place each Thursday. But it was always delayed.
In 1903 a Sotteville man, M. Hulin, the owner and proprietor of the Château des
Bruyères, grew tired of these delays and asked for the concession for a narrow gauge
horse-drawn tramway, which would connect the Trianon roundabout to the racecourse via the Elbeuf
road, being 2000 m (99.4 chain) long. Two years passed in discussing the project's profitability (profit for both Hulin and M. Dagan, the engineer from the Corps of Bridges and Roads
) and for tendering the construction of the line to a contractor other than the CTR. This time for reflection led to abandoning horse-drawn trams in favour of mechanical traction, and moving the terminus from the racecourse entrance to the vast cemetery that the authorities intended to build,In the end, the cemetery was never built on this site, and so did not add any passenger traffic to the line. close to a shooting range. The CTR did not oppose the line, which would not compete with their own, so it was made a Public Local RailwayIt may be surprising that the Trianon tramway chose steam whereas the Rouen trams were electric, but the Trianon services were more rural with lower population density than the more urban Rouen ones. If this were not the guiding factor, the Trianon tramway could have all been part of the Rouen network, but this idea did not last long. on 10 March 1905.
between the trees lining the road and the fences separating adjacent land (much of which was owned by Hulin). Service was provided by two 24 hp diesel-electric locomotives, built by the Turgan workshops, each with room for 16 people,This statement is contradicted in some published articles, by and by . The relevant information in the departmental archives relating to M. Lechalas, chief engineer, and moreso those contained in the Soulier Report given to the Conseil général of Seine-Inférieure on 6 May 1908, imply that diesel-electric locomotives were definitely used before steam locomotives, see and . and the fuel depot was sited near to the racecourse. The service was particularly frequent: thirty journeys each way per day. The entire line took 10 minutes to traverse at a maximum speed of 25 km/h (15.5 mph).
The first months' service did not meet Hulin's expectations; passenger numbers were much lower than expected, the coefficient of useThe coefficient of use of a railway is usually calculated by dividing expenses by receipts. In many railway articles, it is given as the inverse; so that a positive result appears better than 1, which may not be clear to the reader. was catastrophic: 0.39. In 1906 a law was passed instituting a weekly day of rest, so it was decided, from 12 January 1907, to extend the line 800 m (39.8 chain) to the Madrillet roundabout at the edge of the Rouvray
Forest, which was popular for Sunday walks. This 3000 m (149.1 chain) double-track
extension was inaugurated on 27 August 1907. The same year, diesel-electric locomotives (whose "terrible noise" frightened the horses, to the chagrin of their owners) were replacedThere is no record of the fate of the old locomotives, perhaps they were bought for the netwrk in Drôme which used the same kind of infrastructure; it is even possible that they were made into carriages as happened in Decauville
, La Baule. by electromotive traction. Two Orenstein & Koppel 0-4-0
TThe "T" suffix signifies a tank engine: the water tank was built onto the chassis of the locomotive itself, so that a separate tender wagon was not required. steam locomotive
s headed two open carriages each taking 16 passengers. Their chimneys were fitted with spark arresters to prevent forest fires around Rouvray.
:
The service modifications lowered operating expenses, but the coefficient of use went down dramatically: 0.33 for the first ten months of 1908. The decision to axe the line was made on 1 November 1908. Two strategic errors had been made: wanting a service independent of the CTR's network, and putting its terminus out of town. The railway was officially disbanded by a decree of 14 September 1911, the rails were lifted, the public highway restored; no trace of the tramway remains.
In 1953 one of the largest electric tramways in France disappeared. But in the 1980s Rouen — and other large cities such as Nantes
and Grenoble
— decided that increasing traffic jams and the desire to diversify public transport needed a new mode of public transport. Discussions started in 1982 under the guidance of SIVOM , grouping together the communes of Greater Rouen (representing nearly inhabitants).
In 1986, CETE put forward a report supporting construction of a modern tramway. A pre-project was launched in September 1987 and led to the Declaration of Public Utility
on 22 April 1991. Construction work was undertaken by GEC-Alsthom
and on 17 December 1994 the first line of the modern Rouen tramway was inaugurated.
|issue=26
|journal=Collection Histoire(s) d’agglo
|format=PDF
|issn=1291-8296
|publisher=Agglomération de Rouen
|year=2003
|isbn=2-913914-66-7
|url=http://www.agglo-rouennaise.fr/internetf/pdf/publications/Fascicules-histoire/26.pdf
|language=French
|ref=
}} ("Small trains and tramways of Upper Normandy")
|publisher=Cénomane/La Vie du Rail
|place=Le Mans
|year=1994
|isbn=2-905596-48-1
|language=French
|ref=
}} ("Railway Days")
|publisher=Éditions du Cabri
|place=Menton
|year=1982
|isbn=2-903310-22-X
|language=French
|ref=
}}
|issue=71
|issn=1141-7447
|language=French
|ref=
}}
|issue=72
|issn=1141-7447
|language=French
|ref=
}}
|issue=73
|issn=1141-7447
|language=French
|ref=
}}
|issue=74
|issn=1141-7447
|language=French
|ref=
}} ("Short Illustrated History of 19th Century Transport in Seine-Infériere")
|publisher=
|place=Rouen
|year=1983
|language=French
|ref=
}} ("The Forest of Rouvray Tramway")
|journal= ("Regional and Urban Railways")
|issn=1141-7447|issue=51|language=French
}} ("Urban transport in the Greater Rouen area")
|volume=in the Summary of the four articles cited immediately above
|language=French
|ref=
}} ("Small trains of yore: Western France")
|publisher=Éditions du Cabri
|place=Breil-sur-Roya
|year=1989
|isbn=2-903310-87-4
|language=French
|ref=
}}
|volume=12
|publisher=Éditions de l'Ormet
|place=Valignat
|year=1994
|isbn=906575-13-5
|language=French}}
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
way built in Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
, Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
, northern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It started service in 1877 and closed in 1953.
Horse-drawn carriage
Carriage
A carriage is a wheeled vehicle for people, usually horse-drawn; litters and sedan chairs are excluded, since they are wheelless vehicles. The carriage is especially designed for private passenger use and for comfort or elegance, though some are also used to transport goods. It may be light,...
s and omnibuses
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
had started at the end of the 18th century and progressively improved, but were no longer enough to provide urban services in an age of industrial and demographic growth. Local officials therefore adopted a new mode of transportation: the tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
way. At first horse-drawn and then steam-powered, the tramway was electrified
Railway electrification system
A railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
in 1896. The network quickly spread through various city-centre districts on the right bank of the Seine
Seine
The Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...
, reached the municipalities of the northern plateau, the heights of Bonsecours
Bonsecours
Bonsecours is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A southern residential suburb of Rouen situated at the junction of the D6014, D6105 and the D95 roads...
in the east, skirted the textile valley of the River Cailly in the west, crossed the river and served, to the south, the suburbs and industrial districts of the left bank. At its largest it covered 70 kilometres (43.5 mi) of route, the longest network in France during the Belle Époque
Belle Époque
The Belle Époque or La Belle Époque was a period in European social history that began during the late 19th century and lasted until World War I. Occurring during the era of the French Third Republic and the German Empire, it was a period characterised by optimism and new technological and medical...
, and contributed to the success of events in the town's history, such as the Colonial Exhibition
Colonial exhibition
A colonial exhibition was a type of international exhibition intended to boost trade and bolster popular support for the various colonial empires during the New Imperialism period, which started in the 1880s with the scramble for Africa....
of 1896 and the Norman Millennium Festival of 1911.
Although the 1920s saw a slight growth in traffic, the network grew no more. Private motoring had arrived to put an end to its monopoly. The rising power of buses and trolleybus
Trolleybus
A trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles. Two wires and poles are required to complete the electrical circuit...
es, the Great Depression in France
Great Depression in France
The Great Depression affected France from about 1931 through the remainder of the decade. The depression had drastic effects on the local economy, which can partly explain the 6 February 1934 crisis and even more the formation of the Popular Front, led by SFIO socialist leader Léon Blum, who won...
, and above all the Second World War that ravaged Rouen and Normandy, condemned the tramway to death. The last trams stopped running in 1953, after seventy-six years of service. However in 1994, a new Rouen tramway came to the Norman
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
capital.
Horse and steam
RouenRouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
was integrated into the French Kingdom
France in the Middle Ages
France in the Middle Ages covers an area roughly corresponding to modern day France, from the death of Louis the Pious in 840 to the middle of the 15th century...
after Philip II of France
Philip II of France
Philip II Augustus was the King of France from 1180 until his death. A member of the House of Capet, Philip Augustus was born at Gonesse in the Val-d'Oise, the son of Louis VII and his third wife, Adela of Champagne...
annexed Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
in 1204, and it continued as one of the largest cities in the kingdom under the Ancien Régime. It prospered during the 19th century, with the traditional trades of textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
s and Rouen manufactory
Rouen manufactory
The Rouen manufactory was an early French manufactory for faience and soft-paste porcelain, located in Rouen, Normandy.-Soft-paste porcelain :...
(faïence
Faience
Faience or faïence is the conventional name in English for fine tin-glazed pottery on a delicate pale buff earthenware body, originally associated with Faenza in northern Italy. The invention of a white pottery glaze suitable for painted decoration, by the addition of an oxide of tin to the slip...
) alongside the newer chemical
Chemical industry
The chemical industry comprises the companies that produce industrial chemicals. Central to the modern world economy, it converts raw materials into more than 70,000 different products.-Products:...
and papermaking
Papermaking
Papermaking is the process of making paper, a substance which is used universally today for writing and packaging.In papermaking a dilute suspension of fibres in water is drained through a screen, so that a mat of randomly interwoven fibres is laid down. Water is removed from this mat of fibres by...
industries. The navigable Seine
Seine
The Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...
, emptying at Rouen, had been Parisians' route to the sea ever since the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. Napoleon Bonaparte said "" ("Rouen and Le Havre form a single town of which the Seine is the High Street
High Street
High Street, or the High Street, is a metonym for the generic name of the primary business street of towns or cities, especially in the United Kingdom. It is usually a focal point for shops and retailers in city centres, and is most often used in reference to retailing...
"). Rouen and Orléans
Orléans
-Prehistory and Roman:Cenabum was a Gallic stronghold, one of the principal towns of the Carnutes tribe where the Druids held their annual assembly. It was conquered and destroyed by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, then rebuilt under the Roman Empire...
were the first large cities to be connected by rail to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, on 3 May 1843. After the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
of 1870 – 1871, the economy of the First Industrial Revolution under the Second Empire
Second French Empire
The Second French Empire or French Empire was the Imperial Bonapartist regime of Napoleon III from 1852 to 1870, between the Second Republic and the Third Republic, in France.-Rule of Napoleon III:...
, and the ever-growing population, obliged the Rouen city authorities to rethink the travel facilities both within the city centre and between it and the expanding suburbs.
Urban services — always horse-drawn, either carriages or omnibuses on the most profitable routes — were not enough to satisfy the needs of a town that already numbered, with its suburbs, more than people. From 1873 to 1875 the city fathers commissioned a study into building railways connecting the most populous areas of Rouen. A decree was signed on 5 May 1876, committing to a publicly owned standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
network, and to horse-drawn carriages. Nine lines stretching abbr=on link=on, or 1,370 chains were decreed:
| Line | From | To | Via | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pont de PierreNowadays the Pont Pierre-Corneille | Maromme Maromme -Population:-People with links to the commune:* Aimable Pélissier , Marshall of France, was born here.* Georges Chedanne , architect, was born here.* Georges Bradberry , artist, was born here.... (Half-Circle) |
Le Havre sea wall Route nationale 14 Route nationale 14 The Route nationale 14, N14, is a trunk road in France between Paris and Rouen, running through Pontoise, Magny-en-Vexin, Saint-Clair-sur-Epte and Fleury-sur-Andelle. Until the 50s, it was going until Le Havre through Yvetot.... |
abbr=on 6600 |
| 2 | Hôtel de ville | Darnétal Darnétal -Population:-Places of interest:* The churches of St.Ouen and of St.Pierre, both dating from the sixteenth century.* Traces of a feudal castle.* A restored watermill.-External links:* * *... |
Place Saint-Hilaire | abbr=on 3500 |
| 3 | Hôtel de ville | Sotteville-lès-Rouen Sotteville-lès-Rouen - Transportation :The métro connects the commune with Rouen and Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray.The commune used to be a railway town in the days of the old Rouen tramway.- Population :- Places of interest :* The three churches of Notre-Dame, St... (Quatre-Mares) |
Pont de Pierre Soteville town hall |
abbr=on 4800 |
| 4 | Pont de Pierre | Le Petit-Quevilly Le Petit-Quevilly -Places of interest:* The recently restored church of St. Pierre, dating from the sixteenth century.* The church of St. Antoine.* The church of St. Bernadette, dating from the sixteenth century.* The recently restored chapel of St... (Roundabout) |
Church of Saint-Sever | abbr=on 3300 |
| 5 | Hôtel de ville | Jardin des Plantes Jardin des Plantes de Rouen The Jardin des Plantes de Rouen is a municipal botanical garden located at 7, rue de Trianon, Rouen, Seine-Maritime, Haute-Normandie, France. It is open daily without charge.... |
Pont de Pierre Church of Saint-Sever |
abbr=on 2900 |
| 6 | Pont de Pierre | Gare Rue Verte | Quays Rue Jeanne-d’Arc Rue Ernest-Leroy |
abbr=on 1700 |
| 7 | Pont de Pierre | Place Saint-Hilaire | Boulevard de Nitrière Boulevard de Martainville |
abbr=on 1500 |
| 8 | Hôtel de Ville | Quai du Mont-Riboudet | Rue de l’Hôtel-de-VilleNowadays the Rue Jean Lecanuet. Place Cauchoise Boulevard CauchoiseNowadays the Boulevard des Belges. |
abbr=on 1600 |
| 9 | Quai du Mont-Riboudet | Gare Rue Verte | Boulevard Cauchoise Rue de Crosne Vieux-Marché Rue Rollon Rue Jeanne-d’Arc Rue Ernest-Leroy |
abbr=on 1600 |
The town was authorised to tender construction and operation to one or more contractors. It quickly chose the only serious candidate, Gustav Palmer Harding, a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
citizen. He was the continental representative of Merryweather & Sons
Merryweather & Sons
Merryweather & Sons of Clapham, later Greenwich, London, were builders of steam fire engines and steam tram engines.The founder was Moses Merryweather of Clapham, who was joined by his son Richard Moses .-Fire appliances:...
, builders of steam tram engine
Tram engine
A tram engine is a locomotive specially built, or modified, to work on a street, or roadside, tramway.-Steam tram engines:In the steam locomotive era, tram engines had to comply with certain legal requirements, although these varied from country to country:* The engine must be governed to a maximum...
s. This decision knitted the close railway links between the city and Great Britain that remained for nearly half a century. Naturally, Mr Harding wanted to promote his company's machines, so he long made his views known to the municipal authorities. Finally convinced, they authorised him to use steam power from Maromme
Maromme
-Population:-People with links to the commune:* Aimable Pélissier , Marshall of France, was born here.* Georges Chedanne , architect, was born here.* Georges Bradberry , artist, was born here....
(Line 1), entering service on 29 December 1877. Merryweather & Sons, whose depot was on the Avenue du Mont-Riboudet, provided the tram units. Small and light — 4.7 tonne — these reversible locomotives had two coupled axles, fully covered by a wooden body. They looked the same as a normal carriage so as not to frighten the horses. These steam carriages had enclosed lower decks; the upper decks were roofed but had open sides.
The first steam trams of Léon Francq's design soon appeared on the Maromme line and coexisted with the horse-drawn tramways that served the city centre.
Success and doubts
The successful first line was soon extended to the Place Saint-Hilaire, opening on 1 June 1878. Harding then founded the ("Rouen Tramways Company") (CTR) and started building new sections from the Town Hall to Mont-Riboudet (Line 8; opened 3 September 1878). He also started steam traction from DarnétalDarnétal
-Population:-Places of interest:* The churches of St.Ouen and of St.Pierre, both dating from the sixteenth century.* Traces of a feudal castle.* A restored watermill.-External links:* * *...
(Line 2; started 23 June 1879). On the other hand, the lines that went through narrow local streets remained horse-drawn when first opened: Line 4 (opened 3 October 1878), Line 5, (opening 12 December 1878), Line 6 (opened 6 February 1879), and Line 3 (opened 27 September 1879). Line 9 was not constructed because of technical difficulties.
For more than six years, twenty-three locomotives coexisted with horse-drawn trams on the Rouen network. The speed and regularity of steam trams pleased passengers (the speed limit was 16 km/h (9.9 mph) between Mont-Riboudet and Maromme
Maromme
-Population:-People with links to the commune:* Aimable Pélissier , Marshall of France, was born here.* Georges Chedanne , architect, was born here.* Georges Bradberry , artist, was born here....
), but they were also expensive. The frequent stops let the boilers cool down, so coal consumption was high. Moreover, steam power angered both residents — who accused them of being dirty and rough-riding — and coachmen — whose animals were scared by the driver's horn and the "infernal" noise of the trains. Operation thus was totally horse-drawn from 1884. The CTR thus found itself in charge of a "cavalry" of around 350 horses, stabled at Trianon and Maromme, the depot at Mont-Riboudet having been disposed of.
Electrification
In 1895 the mediocrity of horse-drawn service and the prospect of the great Colonial Exposition (due to open in Rouen on 1 April 1896) made the town officials think of extension and electrification of the network. Councillors were sent on study trips both in France and abroad. One councillor even spent a year in the United States. At last, after much debate, the town accepted the CTR's proposals. Electrification was contracted to the company of Thomson HoustonThomson SA
Technicolor SA , formerly Thomson SA and Thomson Multimedia, is a French international provider of solutions for the creation, management, post-production, delivery and access of video, for the Communication, Media and Entertainment industries. Technicolor’s headquarters are located in Issy les...
, who built the "first network", ten lines of standard gauge, either over new or re-laid tracks:
| Line | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pont Corneille | Maromme Maromme -Population:-People with links to the commune:* Aimable Pélissier , Marshall of France, was born here.* Georges Chedanne , architect, was born here.* Georges Bradberry , artist, was born here.... |
| 2 | Avenue du Mont-Riboudet | Darnétal Darnétal -Population:-Places of interest:* The churches of St.Ouen and of St.Pierre, both dating from the sixteenth century.* Traces of a feudal castle.* A restored watermill.-External links:* * *... |
| 3 | Hôtel de ville | Sotteville Sotteville-lès-Rouen - Transportation :The métro connects the commune with Rouen and Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray.The commune used to be a railway town in the days of the old Rouen tramway.- Population :- Places of interest :* The three churches of Notre-Dame, St... railway station |
| 4 | Place Beauvoisine | Jardin des Plantes Jardin des Plantes de Rouen The Jardin des Plantes de Rouen is a municipal botanical garden located at 7, rue de Trianon, Rouen, Seine-Maritime, Haute-Normandie, France. It is open daily without charge.... |
| 5 | Place Beauvoisine | Place des Chartreux |
| 6 | Hôtel de ville | Petit-Quevilly roundabout |
| 7 | Pont Corneille | Gare Rue Verte |
| 8 | Hôtel de ville | Rue de Lyons |
| 9 | Circular via the boulevards and quays of the right bank of the Seine | |
| 10 | Sotteville Sotteville-lès-Rouen - Transportation :The métro connects the commune with Rouen and Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray.The commune used to be a railway town in the days of the old Rouen tramway.- Population :- Places of interest :* The three churches of Notre-Dame, St... railway station |
Quatre-Mares |
Second network
Infrastructure works and construction of the power station on the Rue Lemire were swiftly completed. The first electric locomotiveElectric locomotive
An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board energy storage device...
entered service on 2 January 1896, the electrified network going live fifteen days ahead of schedule; the last horse-drawn tram saw service on 19 July on the Sotteville line. After teething troubles, the new mode of transport had considerable success: in 1896 it transported over fifteen million passengers. The tram sheds, holding 50 vehicles, were expanded to accommodate 25 more during the first year of service. These were classic tramcars with two axles, powered by two 25 hp motors (one on each axle), and had room for 40 passengers. With its popular success, the network could be completed: the Line 10 extension to Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray
Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray
-Population:-Twin towns:Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray is twinned with Nordenham , Nova Kakhovka , and Gateshead, Tyne and Wear .-Places of interest:* The sixteenth century church of St.Étienne.* The church of St...
was opened on 16 April 1899, an 11th line was constructed from Maromme
Maromme
-Population:-People with links to the commune:* Aimable Pélissier , Marshall of France, was born here.* Georges Chedanne , architect, was born here.* Georges Bradberry , artist, was born here....
to Notre-Dame-de-Bondeville
Notre-Dame-de-Bondeville
-Population:-Places of interest:* The church of Notre-Dame, dating from the nineteenth century.* The nineteenth century ropemaking factory, now a museum.* Some thirteenth century ecclesiastical buildings.-External links:* *...
(opened 17 December 1899), and a 12th from the Church of Saint-Sever to the Saint-Maur sea wall (6 February 1908). The Rouen tramways had 37 km (23 mi) of lines, the largest electric network in France. Trams were up to three cars long and ran at 20 km/h (12.4 mph) at 20-minute intervals.
The dynamism of public transport in Rouen was an inspiration to Baron Empain
Baron Empain
Édouard Louis Joseph, Baron Empain was a wealthy Belgian engineer, entrepreneur, financier and industrialist, as well as an amateur Egyptologist.-Early life:...
who, through the intermediary of his colleague Cauderay, proposed the creation of a second complementary network. He met numerous difficulties to which the CTR was no stranger, but on 17 July 1899, a new company to be called (a sister company of the better-known — CGT —) was granted the concession over five routes:
| Line | From | To | Via |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gare d’Orléans | Amfreville-la-Mi-Voie Amfreville-la-Mi-Voie -Places of interest:* The church of St.Remi, dating from the early 20th century.* The mairie, built in 1884.* The Lacoste public park.-External links:* *... |
|
| 2 | Quai de la Bourse | Bapeaume Canteleu -Population:-Places of interest:* Saint-Martin’s church, dating from the thirteenth century.* The seventeenth century convent of Sainte-Barbe, built over a cave in the cliffs, overlooking the river.* The Flaubert museum.... |
|
| 3 | Quai de Paris | Petit-Quevilly church | Pont Boieldieu |
| 4 | Quai de la Bourse | Bihorel Bihorel -Population:-Places of interest:* The church of Notre-Dame, dating from the nineteenth century.* A seventeenth century manor house.-Notable people:* Jules Michelet historian, stayed here many times.... |
|
| 5 | Place du Boulingrin | Northern cemetery | Monumental |
The first services started on Line 1 on 18 January 1900, the other services starting on 10 May that year, but, facing competition from the CTR, the tramway from Petit-Quevilly was curtailed, its terminus becoming Rue Léon-Malétra.
Towards monopoly
The second network was far less efficient than the first; In 1901 the trams transported only 1.46 million passengers over 16 km (9.9 mi) of route, being per route kilometre ( per route mile). (In 1908, over 20 million people used public transport in Rouen, 19 million with the CTR, 1.6 million with the CGT.) In 1908 the CGT disposed of the second network to the because of administrative problems, a serious accident at Monumental on 6 November 1908 and a considerable deficit. This became an opportunity for the rival CRT, who in 1910 took over the CGT's running rights and so were finally rid of competition.The CTR was now master of all of the public transport in Rouen and its suburbs (having also absorbed the tramway and funicular railway of Bonsecours
Bonsecours
Bonsecours is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A southern residential suburb of Rouen situated at the junction of the D6014, D6105 and the D95 roads...
on 25 September 1909). It reorganised its service to be more integrated. It also expanded the service with later-running trams, and extended Line 12 first to Champ de Courses (opened 1 January 1910) then to Bois-Guillaume
Bois-Guillaume
Bois-Guillaume is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:The town is a wealthy, residential hilltop suburb of Rouen, semi-rural, semi-suburban with a little farming and some light industry...
(opened 4 June 1911) and Mont-Saint-Aignan
Mont-Saint-Aignan
-People:*Birthplace of Jacques Anquetil , the first cyclist to win the Tour de France five times.*Viviane Asseyi footballer*Jackson Mendy footballer*Matthieu Louis-Jean footballer*Mohamed Sissoko, Juventus F.C footballer, was born here....
(opened 15 March 1913). This last section, running over the local authority's rails, connected Grand-Quevilly (Rue de l’Église) and, on a branch, the district of Petit-Quevilly (opened 1 August 1915). The network had grown to its largest, with 70 km (43.5 mi) of routes (including the tramway of Bonsecours
Bonsecours
Bonsecours is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A southern residential suburb of Rouen situated at the junction of the D6014, D6105 and the D95 roads...
).
World War I
World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
did not affect tram service in Rouen as much as it did elsewhere. After a short period of disruption during the great August 1914 mobilisation, the CTR maintained normal service during the four years of war. It overcame its reduced staffing levels with overtime, abolition of leave, and redeployment of depot personnel; nearly all conductors were promoted to motormen, to their great satisfaction. At the end of 1916, women (aged 24 or over in 1916, reduced to 23 or over in 1918) joined men on the trams, but, sexism
Sexism
Sexism, also known as gender discrimination or sex discrimination, is the application of the belief or attitude that there are characteristics implicit to one's gender that indirectly affect one's abilities in unrelated areas...
at that time being the norm, the "wattwomen" (female motormen) were only allowed on the "easy" lines of Mont-Saint-Aignan
Mont-Saint-Aignan
-People:*Birthplace of Jacques Anquetil , the first cyclist to win the Tour de France five times.*Viviane Asseyi footballer*Jackson Mendy footballer*Matthieu Louis-Jean footballer*Mohamed Sissoko, Juventus F.C footballer, was born here....
, Bois-Guillaume
Bois-Guillaume
Bois-Guillaume is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:The town is a wealthy, residential hilltop suburb of Rouen, semi-rural, semi-suburban with a little farming and some light industry...
and Monumental, and were not allowed on steep gradients.
To satisfy military requirements, the network extended the Champ de Courses track to the Château du Madrillet, headquarters of an important BEF base. It also built a connection to transport the injured arriving by train at the Gare Saint-Sever
Gare de Rouen Saint-Sever
Rouen Saint-Sever was a large station serving the city of Rouen, Normandy, northern France. The station was situated along the quais of the River Seine to the east of city's centre....
to the main hospitals of Rouen. These installations, constructed in record time, disappeared when the war ended.
Operational difficulties and closure
Recovery and competition
During World War I the track and rolling stock received little maintenance, and by the end of the war they were in a piteous state, while expenses had increased dramatically. The problem became a crisis after the serious fire at the Trianon depot on 30 November 1921, which destroyed 70 of the 155 trams of the CTR. Successive fare rises provided a stopgap, but with the new convention of 29 December 1923 the company announced a reorganisation of the network. A competitor had also arrived: the busBus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
. Trams had always attracted criticism over their limited capacity, slowness and discomfort, and their encumbrance to motor cars in the city centre. Another accident on the Monumental line on 5 October 1925 hastened the inevitable: the trams lost their first route.
Fightback through innovation
Against these setbacks, the CTR still had a record year in 1928, with over 30 million journeys. But from 1929, the buses took to the narrow streets in the city centre, as well as routes with low tram traffic such as Chartreux, Maromme and the circular. The tramways continued as going concernGoing concern
A going concern is a business that functions without the threat of liquidation for the foreseeable future, usually regarded as at least within 12 months.-Definition of the 'going concern' concept:...
s, and started large programmes of renovation and modernisation in the dozen or so years before World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Between 1928 and 1932, 75 first-generation trams were rebuilt to allow one man operation.
The Rouen workshops presently devised two prototypes, of classical design, but with double folding doors at the front and safety devices (compressed air on one of the prototypes, electrical on the other) which became the basis for a series of 25 vehicles named "Nogentaises".These new locomotives reused some elements of state cars on the "Nogentais Railway". 25 new trailing cars completed the new rolling stock. In 1931, a "revolutionary" pedal-controlled locomotive was built equipped with disc brakes, but lack of funds meant no more came of it.
The 1930s also saw the arrival of the trolleybus
Trolleybus
A trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles. Two wires and poles are required to complete the electrical circuit...
, having the twin advantages of electrical traction and pneumatic tyres; these newcomers supplanted the old trams on the Mont-Saint-Aignan
Mont-Saint-Aignan
-People:*Birthplace of Jacques Anquetil , the first cyclist to win the Tour de France five times.*Viviane Asseyi footballer*Jackson Mendy footballer*Matthieu Louis-Jean footballer*Mohamed Sissoko, Juventus F.C footballer, was born here....
line from Sotteville
Sotteville-lès-Rouen
- Transportation :The métro connects the commune with Rouen and Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray.The commune used to be a railway town in the days of the old Rouen tramway.- Population :- Places of interest :* The three churches of Notre-Dame, St...
and Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray
Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray
-Population:-Twin towns:Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray is twinned with Nordenham , Nova Kakhovka , and Gateshead, Tyne and Wear .-Places of interest:* The sixteenth century church of St.Étienne.* The church of St...
. In 1938, the tram sheds were enlarged for the arrival of the "Parisiennes", ten reversible trams bought from Paris.
World War II and after
World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
hit Rouen hard, including its transport network. In 1939, before the war started, mobilisation and requisition
Requisition
A requisition is a request for something, especially a formal written request on a pre-printed form.An online requisition is an electronic document, which can be originated by the requester and then using the company workflow or hierarchy rules, can be submitted to the subsequent levels, until it...
had reduced the service frequency; the German advance, in 1940, blew up the city's bridges; on 9 June 1940 the Rouen Transporter Bridge
Transporter bridge
A transporter bridge is a type of movable bridge that carries a segment of roadway across a river. The gondola is slung from a tall span by wires or a metal frame. The design has been used to cross navigable rivers or other bodies of water, where there is a requirement for ship traffic to be...
was destroyed, which split the tram network in two until 1946. With the German occupation, the lines were progressively reopened. But service was reduced. Difficulties became such during this period that the directors of the CTR had to improvise mobile workshops. The heavy bombing raids of Spring 1944, in particular the destruction of the central part of the Rue Lemire, stopped the trams running.
Nazi occupation ended on 30 August 1944 and Liberation slowly healed the town's wounds. It had been a catastrophe for the network: of the 76 trams in circulation in 1939, 24 had been destroyed and 25 damaged; track and overhead lines
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
had been mutilated; the Trianon depot had been bombed several times Still, service was slowly restored, thanks to the staff's hard work and above all passengers' help in shunting
Shunting
Shunting is an event in the neuron which occurs when an excitatory postsynaptic potential and an inhibitory postsynaptic potential are occurring close to each other on a dendrite, or are both on the soma of the cell....
trailing cars. In 1945, 38 locomotives and 14 trailing cars were operational, but, despite restoration of service across the Seine
Seine
The Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...
on 20 April 1946, the war had struck a fatal blow. Rouen was full of out-of-date equipment and so trams were progressively replaced by bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
es and trolleybus
Trolleybus
A trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles. Two wires and poles are required to complete the electrical circuit...
es.
In March 1950 the municipality decided definitely to close the tramway, but its actual closure came somewhat later. It was not until Saturday, 28 February 1953 that the last tram ran on the Champ de Courses line, 76 years after the network's first service. But the Rouennaise did not forget the tram's services rendered, organising a first-class funeral: Just before the last scheduled run, a parade of honour made up of three trams ran from the Hôtel de ville to the Trianon depot, cheered by the crowds.
Bonsecours funicular railway and tramway
BonsecoursBonsecours
Bonsecours is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A southern residential suburb of Rouen situated at the junction of the D6014, D6105 and the D95 roads...
is a commune
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
on a plateau
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
to the southwest of Rouen. Until 1890 only an infrequent bus service linked it to Rouen. However, it attracted many hikers, with its splendid panoramas over the meandering Seine, and pilgrims visiting the shrine to the Virgin Mary
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
.
Early projects
A first railway project for the mountain, later known by the name , was presented in 1876 by Cordier; it was one of the far-flung ideas that the railway companies often had in the 19th century. Because classical rail has poor adherence, Cordier designed a raceway made of two granite rails embedded in concrete with a continuous guide rail between them. The 2200 m (109.4 chain) line, with a terminus at the Quai de la Bourse, would be served by steam carriages with a capacity of only 30 places, but capable of running on public streets as well as its special track. Because of its technical complexity the line would have been hugely expensive, the 1:1 gradient to Bonsecours requiring no fewer than 30 viaducts spanning overall 250 m (273.4 yd). The project was soon abandoned.Construction
In 1892 Bonsecours was finally connected to the "world below" when two Swiss engineers, Ludwig and Schopfer, built a funicular railway with water-filled counterweightCounterweight
A counterweight is an equivalent counterbalancing weight that balances a load.-Uses:A counterweight is often used in traction lifts , cranes and funfair rides...
s. On 8 June 1892 it was formally declared open to the public and first ran eleven days later on 19 June. This mountain railway, 400 m (19.9 chain) long and rising 132 m (433.1 ft), ran from the banks of the River Seine to the esplanade of the basilica. Each car could hold 90 people (50 seated), and its water tank could be filled in five minutes. There were twelve journeys each way daily, more on busier days. But the ferry service from its terminus at Epaulet to Rouen was irregular, and by the end of the century it had a dangerous rival: the tramway.
At first, in 1899, the tramway was designed to be steam powered, but by 1895 this had changed to electromotive power. The line was built by the (CTB), and first ran on 21 May 1899. It was 5600 m (278.4 chain) between the two termini (the Pont Corneille and the crossroads of the RN 14
Route nationale 14
The Route nationale 14, N14, is a trunk road in France between Paris and Rouen, running through Pontoise, Magny-en-Vexin, Saint-Clair-sur-Epte and Fleury-sur-Andelle. Until the 50s, it was going until Le Havre through Yvetot....
and the Belbeuf
Belbeuf
Belbeuf is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A small town of forestry, farming and a little light industry situated by the banks of the Seine, some south of Rouen at the junction of the D6015 and the D7 roads.-Population:-Places...
roads), with timetabling of up to 7 trams. The trams had greater power than their Rouen counterparts, with 38 hp motors. They could climb steep gradients (up to 9:100) and could accommodate 48 passengers, with 42 more in a trailing car.
New ownership and closure
Seventy-two daily journeys each way brought the tramway success, and it transported nearly passengers in 1901, compared to for the funicular, which was clearly in a dire state financially ( passengers in 1898). The figures were so catastrophic that on 25 November 1905 the CTB sacked the management of the mountain railway, and liquidatedLiquidation
In law, liquidation is the process by which a company is brought to an end, and the assets and property of the company redistributed. Liquidation is also sometimes referred to as winding-up or dissolution, although dissolution technically refers to the last stage of liquidation...
the defunct . Operations continued, and the CTR took over both tracks on 25 December 1909. Although the tramway was always well used ( tickets sold in 1913), the clientele of the funicular continued to fall ( tickets collected the same year), and some daily receipts were less than 1 franc. Lacking passengers, the funicular closed on 25 May 1915, and the tramway became the monopoly service for Bonsecours. This date should not be confused with that for the Rouen service, which continued until February 1953.
Trianon tramway
Left bank
At the start of the 20th century the suburbs of the left bank were the quickest growing areas of Rouen, in particular the communes of SottevilleSotteville-lès-Rouen
- Transportation :The métro connects the commune with Rouen and Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray.The commune used to be a railway town in the days of the old Rouen tramway.- Population :- Places of interest :* The three churches of Notre-Dame, St...
(a large railway town
Railway town
A railway town is a settlement that originated or was greatly developed because of a railway station or junction at its site.In Victorian Britain, the spread of railways greatly affected the fate of many small towns...
) and Grand-Quevilly, but these towns did not have good enough public transport. Although the CTR had constructed some lines, they did not well serve residents wishing for rapid transit between the suburbs and the city centre. Line 4 of the CTR, with its central terminus at Place Beauvoisine, ran only as far as the Trianon roundabout at the edge of the Jardin des Plantes
Jardin des Plantes de Rouen
The Jardin des Plantes de Rouen is a municipal botanical garden located at 7, rue de Trianon, Rouen, Seine-Maritime, Haute-Normandie, France. It is open daily without charge....
. A southern extension was planned to the Bruyères roundabout, a meeting-point of several roads to the new districts, and to the racecourse where major horse racing events took place each Thursday. But it was always delayed.
In 1903 a Sotteville man, M. Hulin, the owner and proprietor of the Château des
Bruyères, grew tired of these delays and asked for the concession for a narrow gauge
Narrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...
horse-drawn tramway, which would connect the Trianon roundabout to the racecourse via the Elbeuf
Elbeuf
-Population:-Places of interest:* The mairie, also housing the museum.* Two seventeenth century churches.* Some sixteenth century houses.* A fifteenth century stone cross.* The theatre , renovated in the late twentieth century.-Notable people:...
road, being 2000 m (99.4 chain) long. Two years passed in discussing the project's profitability (profit for both Hulin and M. Dagan, the engineer from the Corps of Bridges and Roads
Corps of Bridges and Roads (France)
The Corps of Bridges is a great technical corps of the French state. It is formed of the State Engineers of the Bridges.People entering the Corps are educated at the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées...
) and for tendering the construction of the line to a contractor other than the CTR. This time for reflection led to abandoning horse-drawn trams in favour of mechanical traction, and moving the terminus from the racecourse entrance to the vast cemetery that the authorities intended to build,In the end, the cemetery was never built on this site, and so did not add any passenger traffic to the line. close to a shooting range. The CTR did not oppose the line, which would not compete with their own, so it was made a Public Local RailwayIt may be surprising that the Trianon tramway chose steam whereas the Rouen trams were electric, but the Trianon services were more rural with lower population density than the more urban Rouen ones. If this were not the guiding factor, the Trianon tramway could have all been part of the Rouen network, but this idea did not last long. on 10 March 1905.
Small train in town
The line was put into service on 1 April 1906, well before the official opening date of 28 April. This short 2200 m (109.4 chain) route, opened solely for passenger traffic, traced a rectangle between the Trianon roundabout and the racecourse, the 60 cm-gauge rails being established beside the Rue d’ElbeufElbeuf
-Population:-Places of interest:* The mairie, also housing the museum.* Two seventeenth century churches.* Some sixteenth century houses.* A fifteenth century stone cross.* The theatre , renovated in the late twentieth century.-Notable people:...
between the trees lining the road and the fences separating adjacent land (much of which was owned by Hulin). Service was provided by two 24 hp diesel-electric locomotives, built by the Turgan workshops, each with room for 16 people,This statement is contradicted in some published articles, by and by . The relevant information in the departmental archives relating to M. Lechalas, chief engineer, and moreso those contained in the Soulier Report given to the Conseil général of Seine-Inférieure on 6 May 1908, imply that diesel-electric locomotives were definitely used before steam locomotives, see and . and the fuel depot was sited near to the racecourse. The service was particularly frequent: thirty journeys each way per day. The entire line took 10 minutes to traverse at a maximum speed of 25 km/h (15.5 mph).
The first months' service did not meet Hulin's expectations; passenger numbers were much lower than expected, the coefficient of useThe coefficient of use of a railway is usually calculated by dividing expenses by receipts. In many railway articles, it is given as the inverse; so that a positive result appears better than 1, which may not be clear to the reader. was catastrophic: 0.39. In 1906 a law was passed instituting a weekly day of rest, so it was decided, from 12 January 1907, to extend the line 800 m (39.8 chain) to the Madrillet roundabout at the edge of the Rouvray
Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray
-Population:-Twin towns:Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray is twinned with Nordenham , Nova Kakhovka , and Gateshead, Tyne and Wear .-Places of interest:* The sixteenth century church of St.Étienne.* The church of St...
Forest, which was popular for Sunday walks. This 3000 m (149.1 chain) double-track
Double track
A double track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single track railway where trains in both directions share the same track.- Overview :...
extension was inaugurated on 27 August 1907. The same year, diesel-electric locomotives (whose "terrible noise" frightened the horses, to the chagrin of their owners) were replacedThere is no record of the fate of the old locomotives, perhaps they were bought for the netwrk in Drôme which used the same kind of infrastructure; it is even possible that they were made into carriages as happened in Decauville
Decauville
The Decauville manufacturing company was founded by Paul Decauville , a French pioneer in industrial railways. Decauville's major innovation was the use of ready-made sections of light, narrow gauge track fastened to steel sleepers; this track was portable and could be disassembled and transported...
, La Baule. by electromotive traction. Two Orenstein & Koppel 0-4-0
0-4-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-0 represents one of the simplest possible types, that with two axles and four coupled wheels, all of which are driven...
TThe "T" suffix signifies a tank engine: the water tank was built onto the chassis of the locomotive itself, so that a separate tender wagon was not required. steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s headed two open carriages each taking 16 passengers. Their chimneys were fitted with spark arresters to prevent forest fires around Rouvray.
Brief life
The line was never profitable: the coefficient of use fell to 0.32 in 1907 and passenger numbers fell to from the previously. Except on Thursdays, horse racing day, and Sundays where the tramway took amorous walkers to the forest paths, the trams went with few passengers, often with none. What is more, the high number of return journeys reduced the possibility of making connections in Rouen: passengers on the small line may have had to wait a long time at the Trianon roundabout for a connection to the city centre. The situation so preoccupied the that in January 1908 it replaced Hulin, always the driving force, and asked the Conseil Général to authorise a reduction in service frequency. But it also proposed to use four-car trams instead of two-car trams on busy days. Although the departmental authorities accepted the extra cars, they would only allow the reduction of service with much red tape, as can be seen from this extract from the report of Soulier, the Conseiller général of RouenRouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
:
- It is well understood that, at the moment it is only a minimum, the Society is always free to put in place the number of trains necessary to transport passengers who present themselves, that if it will satisfy this requirement, its proper interest is guaranteed, and, in giving greater public satisfaction, its infrastructure will be wisely used, instead of it travelling empty for part of the day to the detriment of its business. Being given the lower frequency of service on weekdays and Saturdays, except Thursdays (racing), we can perfectly accept the reduction to ten trips to those going from the racecourse to the forest, but, concerning the part of the journey from Trianon to the racecourse, it is imperative that the Chief Engineer (Lechelas) keeps the minimum to 30, otherwise there will be a kind of abandonment of the line, because for this small distance, it will not be possible to get reasonable traffic with more frequent departures.
The service modifications lowered operating expenses, but the coefficient of use went down dramatically: 0.33 for the first ten months of 1908. The decision to axe the line was made on 1 November 1908. Two strategic errors had been made: wanting a service independent of the CTR's network, and putting its terminus out of town. The railway was officially disbanded by a decree of 14 September 1911, the rails were lifted, the public highway restored; no trace of the tramway remains.
Legacy
Nantes
Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants....
and Grenoble
Grenoble
Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...
— decided that increasing traffic jams and the desire to diversify public transport needed a new mode of public transport. Discussions started in 1982 under the guidance of SIVOM , grouping together the communes of Greater Rouen (representing nearly inhabitants).
In 1986, CETE put forward a report supporting construction of a modern tramway. A pre-project was launched in September 1987 and led to the Declaration of Public Utility
Déclaration d'utilité publique
A Déclaration d'utilité publique, or declaration of public utility, is a formal recognition that a proposed project has public benefits. Many large construction projects in France, especially relating to infrastructure, must achieve DUP before work can begin....
on 22 April 1991. Construction work was undertaken by GEC-Alsthom
Alstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
and on 17 December 1994 the first line of the modern Rouen tramway was inaugurated.
Sources
("Public transport in the Greater Rouen area")|issue=26
|journal=Collection Histoire(s) d’agglo
|format=PDF
|issn=1291-8296
|publisher=Agglomération de Rouen
|year=2003
|isbn=2-913914-66-7
|url=http://www.agglo-rouennaise.fr/internetf/pdf/publications/Fascicules-histoire/26.pdf
|language=French
|ref=
}} ("Small trains and tramways of Upper Normandy")
|publisher=Cénomane/La Vie du Rail
|place=Le Mans
|year=1994
|isbn=2-905596-48-1
|language=French
|ref=
}} ("Railway Days")
|publisher=Éditions du Cabri
|place=Menton
|year=1982
|isbn=2-903310-22-X
|language=French
|ref=
}}
|issue=71
|issn=1141-7447
|language=French
|ref=
}}
|issue=72
|issn=1141-7447
|language=French
|ref=
}}
|issue=73
|issn=1141-7447
|language=French
|ref=
}}
|issue=74
|issn=1141-7447
|language=French
|ref=
}} ("Short Illustrated History of 19th Century Transport in Seine-Infériere")
|publisher=
|place=Rouen
|year=1983
|language=French
|ref=
}} ("The Forest of Rouvray Tramway")
|journal= ("Regional and Urban Railways")
|issn=1141-7447|issue=51|language=French
}} ("Urban transport in the Greater Rouen area")
|volume=in the Summary of the four articles cited immediately above
|language=French
|ref=
}} ("Small trains of yore: Western France")
|publisher=Éditions du Cabri
|place=Breil-sur-Roya
|year=1989
|isbn=2-903310-87-4
|language=French
|ref=
}}
Further reading
("General Transport Encyclopaedia – Railways")|volume=12
|publisher=Éditions de l'Ormet
|place=Valignat
|year=1994
|isbn=906575-13-5
|language=French}}