On Saturday, 5 April 2025, a new chapter in public transport was opened in the eastern French metropolis of Grand Nancy: the commissioning of the new all-electric trolleybus system on the central Line 1 marks the end of an ambitious modernisation project that has been planned and implemented since 2020. From 1982 to 1999, Nancy had a trolleybus or duobus system, which was replaced in December 2000 by a rubber-tyred tram, also known as the TVR system (Transport sur Voie Réservée), which was never really convincing in terms of operational safety and reliability and was therefore decommissioned and taken out of service on 12 March 2023.
The changeover to the more reliable trolleybus system is taking place with the partial use of the two-pole trolleybus overhead line of the TVR line. In the city centre, the existing overhead line was dismantled so that the new Hess battery trolleybuses can run here without overhead lines in battery mode.
The new trolleybus as a major project
The adaptation work took 18 months to replace the overhead contact line and, in particular, the track, from the track-guided TVR system, which was decommissioned on 12 March 2023. With the exception of a single-track section in Essey, which was abandoned, the new trolleybus line essentially followed the former TVR route.
The guide rail was replaced and the overhead line removed on large sections of the line, particularly in the city centre. There are now three overhead line sections in total:
- Brabois – Montet Octroi (circa 3 km)
- Jean Jaurès – Mon Desert (circa 0.7 km)
- Division de Fer – Essey Mouzimpré (circa 3 km)
The overhead line system was designed in such a way that practically no points are required, but the poles of the trolleybus are always lowered before branching. The reason for this is the cost, reliability and the fact that the poles can be automatically retracted relatively easily.
The results of the works are impressive: All stations have been redesigned to be barrier-free, bicycles have been given access to the entire platform and the revised traffic planning with simplified crossings and optimised traffic light control will significantly increase the speed of the ‘new’ T1 line.
With a daily passenger volume of around 45,000 journeys, Line 1 is the backbone of public transport in the Greater Nancy area. The total route covers 9,780 metres, of which 7,694 metres run on its own track.
According to press reports, the conversion of the TVR route into a trolleybus costed 47 million euros. In terms of kilometres, this amounts to construction costs of around 4.8 million euros. In contrast to a classic steel-wheel tram, which would have cost between 20 and 30 million euros per kilometre, the battery-powered trolleybus is a much more cost-effective choice. The construction costs were also a decisive factor in the political decision in favour of the trolleybus. The 25 lighTrams were purchased at a cost of 35 million euros.
Technical infrastructure and operations
The civil engineering work was completed by the end of March. The overhead lines were renewed and in some cases newly installed. Functional tests with the new vehicles were successfully carried out in October 2024 and January 2025.
The trolleybus line T1 as well as the remaining bus network of Nancy is operated by Keolis, an international passenger transport subsidiary founded in 2001 by SNCF (70 %), the French national railway company, and the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (30 %), the pension and social security fund of the Canadian province of Quebec.
Another highlight is the high-quality equipment at the stops: Design shelters by renowned architect Norman Foster, new ticket machines, modern lighting by Eclatec from Maxéville and waste separation bins improve both comfort and environmental compatibility.
In addition, 317 new trees were planted along the line, emphasising the comprehensive greening strategy.
Vehicle fleet and outlook
A total of 25 new Hess lighTram® 25 are deployed, which will be powered exclusively by electricity. With their commissioning, Nancy is once again positioning itself as a pioneer for environmentally friendly urban mobility in France. We reported on the delivery of the new Hess lighTram® 25 vehicles here:
