Tram systems in Le Mans
Le Mans is the capital of the Sarthe department in the Pays de la Loire region of western France. Internationally known for the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race, the city also has a historic centre, the Cité Plantagenêt, with medieval streets, half-timbered houses, Saint-Julien Cathedral and surviving Roman walls.
Public transport in Le Mans and the surrounding metropolitan area is provided by the Setram network. Its two tram lines form the main urban corridors, supported by local buses, demand-responsive services and the T3 Tempo bus rapid transit line linking Le Mans railway station with Allonnes.
Le Mans railway station provides connections between both tram lines and the national rail network, including TGV services to Paris, Rennes and Nantes, alongside regional trains.
The modern tramway opened on 17 November 2007. The network took its present two-line form with the opening of the Bellevue extension in August 2014 and comprises 35 stops over approximately 18.8 km of route. The lines share a central corridor between Préfecture and Saint-Martin, including the main railway station.
Line T1 runs from Université in the north-west to Antarès–Stade Marie Marvingt in the south-east, serving the university campus, hospital, city centre and southern sports and entertainment facilities.
Line T2 links Bellevue–Hauts de Coulaines in the north-east with Espal–Arche de la Nature in the east, serving the city centre and railway station before continuing through the Sablons district.
Setram
Setram operates the tramway and the wider local public transport network on behalf of Le Mans Métropole, the authority responsible for public transport across the metropolitan area. Its official website provides network maps, timetables and service information.
Le Mans’s first electric tramway was inaugurated on 21 June 1897, replacing horse-drawn omnibus services. Operated by the Compagnie de l’Ouest Électrique, the metre-gauge network developed into three lines connecting the railway station, city centre and districts including Maillets, the hospital and Pontlieue.
Alongside the urban tramway, Le Mans was also the centre of the separate Tramways de la Sarthe network, which connected the city with towns and villages across the department. These rural services were distinct from the electric city trams.
Replacement of the urban tramway began in the 1930s as buses took over some services. The remaining trams continued through the Second World War, but the final routes closed on 12 November 1947, with trolleybuses replacing them. Le Mans then remained without an urban tramway for sixty years.
The modern tramway opened on 17 November 2007, initially linking Université in the north-west with Antarès in the south-east through the city centre and railway station. A second branch opened on 22 December 2007, running from Saint-Martin through the Sablons district to Espal–Arche de la Nature.
The completed initial network comprised approximately 15.4 km of route and 29 stops. It operated as a single line with two southern branches: trams shared the route between Université and Saint-Martin before continuing towards either Antarès or Espal.
On 30 August 2014, a new branch opened between Préfecture and Bellevue–Hauts de Coulaines. It added six stops and brought tram services to the Jacobins area, Croix de Pierre and the Maillets corridor.
This extension reorganised the tramway into the present T1 and T2 services. T1 retained the Université–Antarès route, while T2 connected Bellevue with Espal, taking over the original Sablons branch. Both lines shared the section between Préfecture and Saint-Martin. The expanded network reached approximately 18.8 km and 35 stops.
Le Mans’s tramway uses standard-gauge track (1,435 mm) and is electrified at 750 V DC through overhead wires, with current collected by pantographs.
The network combines reserved tram corridors, including grassed track, with paved sections through the city centre. Some sections share road space with general traffic, notably on Rue Gambetta.
The tram maintenance and storage centre is located near the southern end of the network, close to the motor-racing circuit. It has been adapted for the longer trams, with enlarged workshops, changes to the storage tracks and two additional sidings. Platforms at 22 stops have also been lengthened as part of the Chronotram programme.
The fleet comprises 34 Alstom Citadis trams, originally supplied as Citadis 302 vehicles, with the first entering service when the modern network opened in 2007. These articulated trams have a fully low floor and are approximately 32 metres long and 2.40 metres wide.
Under the Chronotram programme, the existing vehicles are being lengthened to approximately 44 metres. The first lengthened tram entered passenger service in June 2026, and conversions are continuing progressively, with completion scheduled for late 2027. The fleet therefore currently includes both original-length and lengthened vehicles.
The lengthened trams accommodate approximately 296 passengers, around 40% more than the original configuration, and have two additional double doors on each side. The conversion also includes equipment modernisation, including CCTV and lubrication systems. The vehicles retain low-floor access and air conditioning.