Tram systems in Le Havre
Le Havre is a port city in Normandy, north-western France, at the mouth of the River Seine. Its city centre was extensively rebuilt after the Second World War under the direction of architect Auguste Perret and was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2005. The waterfront, reconstructed centre and residential districts of the upper town give the city a distinctive layout.
Public transport in Le Havre and the surrounding metropolitan area operates under the LiA brand. The network combines trams, buses, a funicular linking the lower and upper town, and demand-responsive services. Buses extend coverage beyond the tram routes to other neighbourhoods and surrounding communes.
Le Havre railway station provides connections to Rouen and Paris, with both tram lines serving the adjacent Gares stop.
Le Havre’s modern tram system opened on 12 December 2012 and comprises two lines, A and B, serving 23 stops across approximately 13 kilometres of network. Both lines link the beach and city centre with residential districts in the upper town.
The lines share a route from La Plage through Hôtel de Ville, Gares and Université to Place Jenner. They then separate, with line A continuing through Mont Gaillard to Grand Hameau and line B serving Caucriauville and terminating at Pré Fleuri. This shared central section connects the waterfront, shopping and civic centre, railway station and university.
LiA — Transdev Le Havre
Transdev Le Havre operates the LiA network, including its trams, buses, funicular and demand-responsive services, on behalf of Le Havre Seine Métropole. The metropolitan authority owns the network and is responsible for developing the transport offer and setting fares.
Trams first appeared in Le Havre on 1 February 1874, when the initial section of a horse-drawn tramway opened between the waterfront and Graville, passing through the city centre. Further routes followed towards Sainte-Adresse and the slaughterhouses, establishing a network that expanded alongside the growing city.
The original horse-drawn routes were electrified in August 1894. Electric traction enabled a substantial expansion, and by 1912 the main network comprised 15 lines covering almost 50 kilometres. Routes served the city centre, port districts and outlying neighbourhoods, with connections extending to places including Bléville and Montivilliers.
Trams continued operating during much of the Second World War, despite damage, restrictions and changes to their routes. The bombing of Le Havre in 1944 devastated the city and destroyed much of the tram infrastructure. Services were restored after the war, but the cost of reconstruction and the ageing fleet encouraged the authorities to replace trams with buses and trolleybuses.
The remaining tram routes were progressively withdrawn. By early 1951, only line 6 between the railway station and Bléville remained, and its final tram returned to the depot on 4 June 1951. A trolleybus service took over the following day, ending the first era of tram operation in Le Havre.
Trams returned on 12 December 2012, more than sixty years after the original network closed. The new system opened with lines A and B, sharing a central route from La Plage before branching towards Grand Hameau and Pré Fleuri. It restored a rail-based link between the waterfront, city centre and residential districts of the upper town.
The modern tramway became an established part of the LiA public transport network. By its tenth anniversary in 2022, the two lines were carrying more than 50,000 passengers a day, supporting the development of plans for a third line.
Le Havre uses a conventional steel-wheel tramway with standard-gauge track measuring 1,435 mm. The tram platform is reserved for tram traffic, with priority provided at road junctions. Trams receive power at 750 V DC through overhead contact wires, collected by roof-mounted pantographs.
A distinctive feature of the network is the dedicated tram tunnel linking the lower and upper town between Rond-Point and Place Jenner. The 575-metre tunnel was built alongside the existing road tunnels, providing a separate passage for both tram lines. Excavation began in January 2011 and was completed that November, ahead of the network’s opening in December 2012.
The current fleet comprises 22 Alstom Citadis 302 trams. These articulated vehicles are approximately 32 metres long and accommodate more than 200 passengers. Their low floors align with station platforms, while onboard equipment includes air conditioning, CCTV and audio and visual passenger information.
Eight additional Citadis 305 trams have been ordered for the expanded network, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2027. The new vehicles will be 33 metres long and 2.40 metres wide, with capacity for 206 passengers. They will have fully low-floor interiors, wheelchair spaces and updated passenger information systems.
Le Havre Seine Métropole is building line C, which will extend tram coverage to the southern districts of Le Havre and the neighbouring communes of Harfleur and Montivilliers. The project adds approximately 14 kilometres of tramway and 17 new stops, with passenger services scheduled to begin in late 2027.
The planned service will run between Vallée Béreult in Le Havre and Parc Jardin in Montivilliers, serving destinations including Stade Océane, Harfleur’s historic centre and Hôpital Jacques Monod. Connections with lines A and B will be available at Gares and Université.
Construction is progressing along the route. Work includes new tram infrastructure around Le Havre railway station, alterations to the bridge over the railway on Rue de Verdun, and a new maintenance centre in the Massillon district. During summer 2026, works prepared the connection between line C and the existing network; lines A and B resumed their full routes to La Plage on 14 September.
The project also includes three new park-and-ride sites, at Cœur Historique in Harfleur and Les Arts and Parc Jardin in Montivilliers. Bus services will be reorganised around the expanded tram network to provide connecting routes and reduce duplication. The planned peak frequency is one tram every ten minutes on each of lines A, B and C.