The tram

The full story

Before the tram came the horses: a municipal order of 25 July 1888 created a network of horse-drawn omnibuses. In 1895, the Compagnie des tramways électriques de Dijon was granted the concession for a network of 11 kilometres and 4 lines. Across Place Darcy, a busy crossroads, ran first the trains of the local departmental railways, then the trams. In December 1961, the trams gave way to Saviem and Berliet buses.

The tram’s return began with a dive into the past. From August 2010, archaeologists from Inrap excavated in sections, filled in one after another so that traffic was never cut off. On Boulevard de la Trémouille, they uncovered the “water gate” through which the Suzon entered the town, beneath a tower identified as the “tour aux Ânes” (Donkeys’ Tower), mentioned as early as 1314. Inside the walls, the river flowed in a bed 8 metres wide, between two dressed-stone quays. On Place de la République, they found the Saint-Nicolas gate, rebuilt in the 16th century about a hundred metres in front of the old one.

On 27 January 2012, the first tram arrived from the Alstom factory in La Rochelle at the maintenance centre on Rue des Ateliers. On 16 February, it made its first test run along Avenue Jean-Jaurès, as far as the Monge stop. The 400-million-euro project finished more than six months ahead of schedule, and the tram returned after an absence of 51 years. At 8.5 kilometres long, line T1 has 17 stops, from Dijon-Ville station to Quetigny. The landscape architect Alfred Peter, with the engineering firm Egis Rail, handled the integration of the whole route and redesigned Place Darcy.

Success was immediate: in 2013, more than 75,000 passengers a day used the two lines, now served by 33 Citadis trams. From 3 September 2012, Rue de la Liberté became pedestrian. Surprisingly, the grassed tracks are watered with water stored in the Darcy reservoir, in service since 1840! And the story goes on: in 2025, a third line, T3, was announced to link Dijon Cap Nord to Chenôve Portes du Sud via Place Wilson, with 2030 as the target.