Marseille, the second largest city in France with a population of close to 900,000, is focusing on sustainable mobility and is comprehensively modernising its public transport network. Major expansion and modernisation projects are underway for both the tram and the metro.
Tramway: extension to the north and south
Marseille’s tram network, operated by Régie des Transports Métropolitains (RTM), currently comprises three lines: T1, T2 and T3 with a route length of just 13 kilometres. In 2023, 20.4 million passengers were transported.
In 2007, the network emerged from tram line 68, which was decommissioned in 2004 and was the only survivor of the once 167 km network with over 100 lines. After the reopening of the tramway in 2007, the network was only extended by shorter sections. Two major extensions to the northern and southern parts of the city are currently under construction and are nearing completion.
The new northern line is to run from the existing Capitaine Gèze terminus via Saint-Antoine to La Castellane in future. The first construction phase, a 1.8 km extension of the line from Arenc to Capitaine Gèze, will be opened this year. This extension will create important connections to the metro network and several bus lines, creating a central multimodal hub in Capitaine Gèze.
The further extension to La Castellane will be around 5 kilometres long. Construction work is due to begin in the coming years – the plan is to open by 2029.
Extension to the south
In the south, the T3 line will be extended by 4.4 kilometres from Place Castellane to La Gaye station. This route includes nine new stops and improves connections to important facilities such as the Palais Omnisports Marseille Grand Est, the Stade Vélodrome and the Hôpitaux Sud. Construction work began in 2020 and commissioning is planned for the end of 2025. The project will also include urban development measures, including the creation of 6.8 kilometres of cycle paths and the planting of 528 trees.
Spanish rail vehicle manufacturer CAF will supply a total of 15 seven-car Urbos trams for the new routes in 2025, which will be based on the Bombardier Outlook trams with a maritime design.
First trip on the large Place Castellane
Place Castellane is a central transport hub in the south of Marseille. It was created in the 19th century as part of the expansion of the city and was named after the Marquis de Castellane. The square is known for its monumental obelisk (Obélisque de la Libération) and its role as an important transfer point: the two metro, several bus lines as well as the T3 tram line converge here. As a result, the square is very important in terms of transport as a link between the city centre, southern districts and suburbs. At the same time, it is a lively urban space with shops, cafés and historical architecture.
Until now, the T3 tram line ended in front of the large Place Castellane in Rue de Rome. For the past two months, tram services on Rue de Rome have been interrupted to allow construction work on the extension beyond Place Castellane. On Monday, 7 April, operations between Arenc and Rome-Dragon were partially resumed and the first test run across Place Castellane was celebrated at the same time as part of a small public festival – the mayor and numerous local politicians were present.
Up to this point, Place Castellane was a large roundabout for cars. Fortunately, almost half of the roundabout has been made car-free for the tram and pedestrians. This means there is more space for cafés, urban life and you can finally admire the Obelisk fountain from close up.
It will return to the Castellane terminus at the beginning of June before the extension to La Gaye goes into operation by the end of the year.
Tramway expansion – what’s next?
There are also extension projects for the other end points in La Gaye and Les Caillols. The map of the Marseille metropolitan region envisages the following extension projects for Marseille up to 2030:
- North-south tram line phase 2, for 453 million euros,
- New tram line Blancarde – Place du 4-Septembre, for 76 million euros,
- Saint-Charles – Belle de Mai tramway line, for 152 million euros,
- BHNS (French BRT) Martigues – Port-de-Bouc, for an amount of 17 million euros,
- Extension of the BHNS aixpress to Malacrida, for 18 million euros,
- Frais Vallon multimodal interchange for 21 million euros,
- Saint-André multimodal interchange for 10 million euros,
- Plan de Campagne multimodal interchange for 14 million euros.
The following projects are also in the long-term planning stage:
- Extension of the tram from Les Caillols to La Valentine (originally, a connection to the tram network in Aubagne was even planned)
- Extension of the tramway from Place du Général Ferrié via Boulevard Rabatau and Avenue du Prado to Escale Borely
- Extension of the tramway from Belle de Mai to Saint-Jérôme
- Extension of the tram from Castellane to EMP Saint-Antoine
- Extension of metro line 2 from Sainte-Marguerite Dromel to ZAC Vallon Regny
- Realisation of the BHNS Aix-en-Provence Les Milles La Duranne in coordination with the Sud-Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region
Metro: modernisation and new vehicles
The Marseille metro network consists of two lines: Line 1 (La Rose – La Fourragère) and Line 2 (Bougainville – Sainte-Marguerite Dromel. Both lines were opened in the 1970s and 1980s and have been in operation ever since.
The metro system is currently undergoing extensive modernisation. A central element of this modernisation is the introduction of new trains. Alstom has been commissioned to supply 38 new four-car metro trains and will also carry out the automation for a total value of 430 million euros. The first two vehicles have already been completed and are currently in the test phase. The new trains are expected to enter service in stages before the end of this year and will offer passengers greater comfort and capacity.
