Tram systems in Nice
Nice is a city on France’s Mediterranean coast, between the sea and the foothills of the Alps. A major centre of the Côte d’Azur, it is known for the Promenade des Anglais, the narrow streets of Vieux-Nice and its artistic heritage, including the Musée Matisse.
Nice’s public transport centres on the Lignes d’Azur network, which combines trams and buses serving the city and the wider Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur. Regional trains provide connections along the coast, with Nice-Ville as the principal central station and Nice Saint-Augustin serving the airport area. The separate Chemins de fer de Provence railway runs inland from its terminus in the Libération district towards Digne-les-Bains.
Nice’s modern tram system opened in November 2007 and now comprises four lines: 1, 2, 3 and B. Line 1 follows a broadly U-shaped route from Henri Sappia through the city centre to Hôpital Pasteur, serving Avenue Jean Médecin and Place Masséna.
Line 2 connects both airport terminals with Port Lympia, passing through a tunnel beneath the city centre. Line 3 shares the eastern corridor to Port Lympia before heading north through the Var valley to Saint-Isidore, serving the Allianz Riviera stadium. Line B provides a shorter connection between CADAM / Centre Administratif and the airport terminals. Together, these routes link central Nice with the airport, port and developing western districts.
Régie Ligne d’Azur (RLA) operates Nice’s trams and much of the bus network under the Lignes d’Azur name. The Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur is the transport authority responsible for the network’s organisation and development.
Nice’s first horse-drawn tram service was inaugurated in March 1878, with routes subsequently developed through the city. These early trams supported the growth of Nice as both a residential city and a winter resort.
Electric traction followed in the 1890s, including an early line serving the hilltop district of Cimiez. The Compagnie des Tramways de Nice et du Littoral (TNL) obtained the city network concession in 1897, with electrification forming a central part of its agreement. Its new electric line to Cimiez opened in January 1900, and a rapid programme of construction established eight urban lines during 1900–1901. The city routes connected with a wider network serving surrounding communities.
Competition from buses increased from the mid-1920s, and tram routes were progressively withdrawn. In 1934, trams disappeared from what is now Avenue Jean Médecin, one of the principal corridors of the modern system.
The Second World War temporarily interrupted this decline: the requisition of road vehicles renewed the importance of electric tram transport. After the war, however, closures resumed as buses and trolleybuses replaced the remaining services. Nice’s last traditional tram ran on 10 January 1953, beginning an absence of more than fifty years.
Construction of the modern tramway began in 2003, with work on the track infrastructure following in 2005. Line 1 opened in November 2007 between Las Planas, now Henri Sappia, and Pont Michel. Its route brought trams back through the city centre, including Avenue Jean Médecin and Place Masséna.
In July 2013, Line 1 was extended beyond Pont Michel to Hôpital Pasteur, providing a direct connection to the hospital complex. This established the route’s present northern and eastern termini.
Line 2 opened in stages, beginning with the section between CADAM / Centre Administratif and Magnan on 30 June 2018. The airport branch followed on 15 December 2018, and the first section of the city-centre tunnel opened to Jean Médecin on 28 June 2019. The final extension to Port Lympia opened on 14 December 2019, completing the east–west route with its two western branches.
Meanwhile, Line 3 opened on 13 November 2019 between the airport and Saint-Isidore. It shared part of Line 2 before continuing north through the Var valley, serving developing districts and the Allianz Riviera stadium.
The operating pattern changed on 6 January 2025. Line 2 became the airport–Port Lympia service, while Line 3 was redirected from the airport to Port Lympia, giving Saint-Isidore a direct connection to central Nice. The new Line B linked CADAM / Centre Administratif with the airport terminals. These changes created the current four-line network using the existing infrastructure.
Nice’s tramway uses conventional steel wheels on standard-gauge track, with a gauge of 1,435 mm.
Line 1 runs at street level, while Lines 2 and 3 share a city-centre tunnel approximately 3.2 km long, containing four underground stations. This allows the east–west services to pass beneath central Nice before reaching Port Lympia.
Line 1 is principally electrified at 750 V DC through overhead wires, collected by pantographs. Across Place Masséna and Place Garibaldi, the trams use onboard batteries, allowing these prominent public spaces to remain free of overhead wiring.
Lines 2, 3 and B use a different arrangement on their surface sections. Alstom’s SRS system recharges the trams through ground-level contacts while they are stopped at stations. Energy stored onboard powers the vehicles between stops, with charging taking approximately twenty seconds during normal passenger boarding and alighting. Overhead power is used in the city-centre tunnel.
Line 1’s fleet comprises 28 Alstom Citadis trams, originally built as five-section Citadis 302 vehicles approximately 33 metres long. Fifteen were subsequently extended to seven sections, becoming Citadis 402 vehicles approximately 44 metres long. A further programme began in 2025 to lengthen the remaining thirteen vehicles to the same size, increasing their capacity from around 216 to 295 passengers.
Lines 2, 3 and B use the newer Alstom Citadis X05 generation. These trams are approximately 44 metres long and 2.65 metres wide, accommodating around 300 passengers. Their distinctive ochre exterior, designed by Ora Ïto, draws inspiration from the façades of Nice’s buildings.
Both generations have low floors and air conditioning. The newer vehicles have seven double doors on each side to support accessible boarding and efficient passenger movement at stops.
Line 1 is supported by the Centre Opérationnel du Tramway at Henri Sappia, which combines maintenance facilities with operational and administrative functions. The newer network uses the Centre de Maintenance Charles Ginésy in western Nice, near CADAM / Centre Administratif and the Charles Ehrmann sports complex, for vehicle storage and maintenance.
The proposed Line 5 would extend the tram network into the Paillon valley, serving L’Ariane and continuing through La Trinité to Drap. The planned route would run from the Palais des Expositions area in Nice to the mairie in Drap, with connections to Line 1 at Palais des Expositions and Pont Michel. The project underwent a public inquiry between November and December 2025.
The published programme envisages phased openings: Pont Michel to L’Ariane in 2028, an extension to La Trinité and completion of the southern section in 2030, and the final section to Drap in 2031. These dates remain planning targets, subject to the project’s authorisations, funding and delivery programme.
Line 4 was planned to extend the network west from the Grand Arénas area through Saint-Laurent-du-Var to Cagnes-sur-Mer. Preparatory work began in March 2025, but the project’s future is now under reconsideration.
On 13 October 2026, the Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur announced that the Société des Grands Projets would study alternative transport options for this corridor, including a bus rapid transit system. The review follows concerns about the project’s cost and opposition from the municipality of Cagnes-sur-Mer. No replacement option has been selected, and the western extension cannot currently be treated as a confirmed future tram line.