Tram systems in Besançon
Besançon is a city in eastern France and the administrative centre of the Doubs department. It occupies a distinctive position within a loop of the River Doubs, surrounded by wooded hills close to the Jura Mountains and the border with Switzerland.
The city was the historic capital of Franche-Comté and retains an extensive architectural and military heritage. Its best-known landmark is the Citadel of Besançon, designed by Vauban and included with his other major fortifications on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Besançon is also an important centre for higher education, healthcare and precision engineering, with a longstanding association with watchmaking.
Public transport across Grand Besançon Métropole is marketed under the Ginko name. The network comprises trams, urban and regional buses, demand-responsive transport and services supporting cycling and other forms of shared mobility.
Besançon-Viotte is the city's principal railway station and is served by regional and long-distance trains. Besançon Franche-Comté TGV station lies north of the city and is connected with Viotte by regional trains, providing access to the French high-speed rail network.
The tramway forms the central east–west corridor of the Ginko network, with bus routes providing connections to districts and surrounding communities not directly served by rail.
Besançon has two tram lines operating over a Y-shaped standard-gauge network approximately 14.5 kilometres long and serving 31 stops. Both lines begin at Hauts du Chazal in the southwest of the city and share the route through Planoise, Brulard, the historic centre and Parc Micaud.
Line T1 continues northeast through Palente to Chalezeule, while line T2 branches north from Parc Micaud to Besançon-Viotte railway station. The network crosses the River Doubs several times and provides direct access to the city centre, university hospital, major residential districts and eastern commercial areas.
The original fleet comprises 19 short CAF Urbos 3 trams introduced when the system opened. These have been supplemented by longer Alstom Citadis vehicles, the first of which entered passenger service during November 2025. The additional capacity is supporting higher service frequencies and the planned reorganisation of the two routes.
Besançon's first electric tram routes entered service during 1897, replacing the horse-drawn omnibuses which had provided the city's earliest organised public transport. The metre-gauge system was principally constructed as single track, with passing places allowing trams travelling in opposite directions to meet.
The network developed into five routes connecting the railway stations, city centre and expanding outer districts. Its tracks crossed the River Doubs and passed through the constrained streets of the historic city, providing an important means of travel at a time when Besançon was growing beyond its traditional centre.
The tramway suffered serious disruption during the Second World War. Bridges across the Doubs were destroyed in June 1940 to impede advancing German forces, dividing the network and preventing trams from reaching parts of the city. The depot was damaged by bombing in July 1943, adding to the deterioration of the system.
After the war, the operating company faced severe financial difficulties. Tracks, electrical equipment and vehicles required substantial renewal, while buses offered a less expensive way to serve new residential areas beyond the established tram routes.
Buses began replacing the remaining services during 1952. Besançon's original tramway carried its final passengers on 24 December 1952, ending approximately 55 years of electric tram operation.
Interest in higher-capacity urban transport returned as road congestion increased and Besançon's residential and employment areas continued to spread. During the 2000s, the urban authority examined several alternatives before selecting a new tramway linking the western districts with the city centre, Viotte station and Chalezeule.
The project was deliberately designed as an economical modern tramway. Infrastructure, stops and vehicles were kept relatively simple, while the initial CAF Urbos 3 trams were shorter than those ordered by most comparable French cities. They were designed so that additional sections could be added if greater capacity was required.
Construction began during the early 2010s and included replacement of the Pont Battant, alterations to several other crossings of the Doubs and creation of a new depot at Hauts du Chazal.
The modern Besançon tramway opened on 30 August 2014. Its two services shared most of their route between Hauts du Chazal and Parc Micaud before separating towards Chalezeule and Besançon-Viotte station.
The completed network provided 14.5 kilometres of route and 31 stops. It restored trams to Besançon almost 62 years after the original system closed and established a new high-capacity spine through the Grand Besançon public-transport network.
A new turnback facility is being constructed at the existing Brulard stop. It will become the fourth operational terminus on the network and allow trams to reverse before reaching Hauts du Chazal.
Preparatory work began in January 2026. Construction continued during the summer and required the complete temporary closure of the tramway between 13 July and 16 August. Normal services resumed on 17 August, while work on the new facility continued towards its planned completion in autumn 2026.
The new terminus will support a reorganisation of the tram network from 28 November 2026. Line T1 will operate between Hauts du Chazal and Besançon-Viotte station, while line T2 will run between Brulard and Chalezeule.
Separating the western and eastern branches in this way will allow resources to be concentrated on the busiest sections. Up to 23 trams are expected to operate simultaneously, compared with 17 previously, providing services every two to five minutes through the central corridor at the busiest times.
Grand Besançon Métropole has ordered eight 32.5-metre Alstom Citadis trams to supplement the original CAF fleet. Each new vehicle can accommodate approximately 200 passengers, substantially more than the shorter trams delivered for the 2014 opening.
The first vehicles entered passenger service in November 2025, with the remainder delivered progressively through 2026. From the November 2026 network change, as many as eight longer trams will operate alongside the original fleet, increasing both capacity and service frequency.