Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Tunis Light Metro
The Tunis Light Metro (French: Métro léger de Tunis, meaning Tunis light rail, Tunisian Arabic: المترو الخفيف لمدينة تونس, el-metrū el-khfīf li-mdīnat tūnis) is a light rail network serving the metropolitan area of Tunis, the capital and largest city of Tunisia. Opened in 1985, the 45.2-km (28.1 mi) long network consists of 6 lines, and serves 65 stations. It is operated by the Société des transports de Tunis (Transtu).
The Metro was the first modern light rail system in Africa, the Arab World, and in the Mediterranean region, but it has since been joined by several different networks in places such as Algeria, Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates.
Like most other major North African cities, Tunis (under colonial French rule) had an electric tram network that spanned a large part of the city.
On the 5th of September 1885, horse-drawn trams first appeared in the city with the introduction of five lines, all running on metre gauge track. The network, which was operated by the Société Anonyme des Tramways de Tunis of Belgium, was soon joined by the network of the French Compagnie Générale Française des Tramways (CGFT) exactly one year later on the 5th of September 1886. The network of the CGFT was built to the same specifications to that of the Société Anonyme des Tramways de Tunis, that being metre gauge tracks and horse-drawn vehicles. In 1899, however, both of these networks would come under the unified ownership of the CGFT. Starting in 1902, the CGFT began to electrify the existing network, and in the same year created the Compagnie des Tramways de Tunis (CTT).
Although the electric trams were popular, starting in the 1930s they began to be replaced by buses and trolleybuses. This replacement accelerated during the 1940s and 50s, and on the 8th of March 1960, the last trams ran on lines 3 and 4, thus signalling the end of the first-generation tramway.
After Tunisia gained independence from France in 1956, the country, and especially Tunis, experienced a sharp increase in population. As a result, the existing transport in the city soon proved to be largely inefficient and unprepared for the number of people using it.
In 1974, preliminary studies were officially launched for the development of a light rail network, and turnkey construction of the network was later entrusted to the German company Siemens. Siemens based the design of the network on that of the German city of Hanover, and was charged with the supply of the rolling stock, overhead power traction system, signalling and safety equipment, as well as the monitoring and coordination of construction. The first stone of the network was laid on the 23rd of November 1980, and full construction of the first line of the system, from Tunis Marine station to Ben Arous, began in 1981.[citation needed]
The network officially entered service on the 13th of October 1985, with the beginning of operation on Line 1 from Tunis Marine to Ben Arous. Later, on the 5th of September 1989, Line 2 entered service with trains running from Place de Barcelone station on Line 1 north to Ariana, bringing the total length of the network up to 18.7 kilometres.
Hub AI
Tunis Light Metro AI simulator
(@Tunis Light Metro_simulator)
Tunis Light Metro
The Tunis Light Metro (French: Métro léger de Tunis, meaning Tunis light rail, Tunisian Arabic: المترو الخفيف لمدينة تونس, el-metrū el-khfīf li-mdīnat tūnis) is a light rail network serving the metropolitan area of Tunis, the capital and largest city of Tunisia. Opened in 1985, the 45.2-km (28.1 mi) long network consists of 6 lines, and serves 65 stations. It is operated by the Société des transports de Tunis (Transtu).
The Metro was the first modern light rail system in Africa, the Arab World, and in the Mediterranean region, but it has since been joined by several different networks in places such as Algeria, Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates.
Like most other major North African cities, Tunis (under colonial French rule) had an electric tram network that spanned a large part of the city.
On the 5th of September 1885, horse-drawn trams first appeared in the city with the introduction of five lines, all running on metre gauge track. The network, which was operated by the Société Anonyme des Tramways de Tunis of Belgium, was soon joined by the network of the French Compagnie Générale Française des Tramways (CGFT) exactly one year later on the 5th of September 1886. The network of the CGFT was built to the same specifications to that of the Société Anonyme des Tramways de Tunis, that being metre gauge tracks and horse-drawn vehicles. In 1899, however, both of these networks would come under the unified ownership of the CGFT. Starting in 1902, the CGFT began to electrify the existing network, and in the same year created the Compagnie des Tramways de Tunis (CTT).
Although the electric trams were popular, starting in the 1930s they began to be replaced by buses and trolleybuses. This replacement accelerated during the 1940s and 50s, and on the 8th of March 1960, the last trams ran on lines 3 and 4, thus signalling the end of the first-generation tramway.
After Tunisia gained independence from France in 1956, the country, and especially Tunis, experienced a sharp increase in population. As a result, the existing transport in the city soon proved to be largely inefficient and unprepared for the number of people using it.
In 1974, preliminary studies were officially launched for the development of a light rail network, and turnkey construction of the network was later entrusted to the German company Siemens. Siemens based the design of the network on that of the German city of Hanover, and was charged with the supply of the rolling stock, overhead power traction system, signalling and safety equipment, as well as the monitoring and coordination of construction. The first stone of the network was laid on the 23rd of November 1980, and full construction of the first line of the system, from Tunis Marine station to Ben Arous, began in 1981.[citation needed]
The network officially entered service on the 13th of October 1985, with the beginning of operation on Line 1 from Tunis Marine to Ben Arous. Later, on the 5th of September 1989, Line 2 entered service with trains running from Place de Barcelone station on Line 1 north to Ariana, bringing the total length of the network up to 18.7 kilometres.