Rhône-Alpes is a major European transit hub, linking northern France and Europe to the Mediterranean area. Millions travel along its motorways in summertime from Paris to holidays at the sea. The E15 Euroroute (Britain to Spain) runs through the region. There are international airports at Lyon, Grenoble and Saint-Étienne and many other minor airports and airfields.

The region is also a transport hub for the rail-network with the TGV running through Lyon from Paris and the north, to the Mediterranean. A trans-national, high-speed rail-link is projected from Lyon to Turin.

Rail

Numerous cities of the region Rhône-Alpes are served by TGV : The LGV Méditerranée: Marseille, Lyon Part-Dieu, Valence TGV, and Montélimar. To Paris : Lyon Part-Dieu, Valence TGV, Montélimar, Chambéry, Grenoble, Bourg Saint-Maurice, Saint-Étienne In construction, a line to the North-East: Besançon, Strasbourg and Lyon Part-Dieu) In construction, a line to Turin: Lyon Part-Dieu, Challes-les-eaux, Grenoble-Université Gières

The TGV line Paris-Grenoble serves the international airport Lyon Saint-Exupéry.

Every weekend in winter, Bourg-Saint-Maurice becomes one of the busiest stations in the region, when it is served by TGV trains from Paris and from Brussels, and by Eurostar from London.

When a project of RER called Réseau Express de l'Aire urbaine Lyonnaise (REAL) is built, it will be the first RER of the province, the only other one being in Paris. Another RER called CEVA is planned for 2017, for the region of The leman lake (Geneva, Annemasse, Thonon-les-bains, Evian-les-bains) with extensions to La roche / foron, Annecy. Another railroad project is in realisation in Grenoble to link the suburbs.

There are also tourist train lines in Rhône-Alpes (in Ardèche, in the south of Grenoble and Mont-Blanc)

Road

Rhône-Alpes is a major European transit hub, linking northern France and Europe to the Mediterranean area. Millions travel along its motorways in summertime from Paris to holidays at the sea. The E15 Euroroute (Britain to Spain) runs through the region.

Public transport

12 transport authorities of public transport are implanted in Rhône-Alpes The Rhône-Alpes region The department of Ain The department of Isère The department of Loire The department of Rhône The department of Sytral Saint-Etienne Métropole The Port of Isère The community of Pays Viennois The community of Villefranche-sur-Saône The community of Bourg-en-Bresse The community of Grand Roanne The three largest cities of Rhône-Alpes are equipped with streetcars and have a large bus network. The largest, Lyon, has four metro lines. Lyon and Saint-Étienne have kept their lines of trolley buses and, Saint-Etienne is one of the few cities in France to have retained its trams (in use since 1881).

Many cities also have their bus networks (Valencia the CTAV Chambéry the STAC, Villefranche-sur-Saône, Roanne, etc.). There are also networks of inter-departmental cars.

In winter, additional lines open to connect the valleys to ski resorts. This is the case between Grenoble and Chamrousse.

Finally, the airport Lyon Saint-Exupéry is accessible by regular shuttle bus from the major surrounding cities, including Lyon, Saint-Etienne, Grenoble and Chambéry. There are also links between Grenoble and Saint-Geoirs Grenoble and between Bouthéon Saint-Etienne and Saint-Etienne.

The Rhône-Alpes region is undergoing profound changes with regard to its rail network and many projects are being developed to the [Express Network of the urban area of Lyons, The Project of the East Rail Lyon, the Tram-train from the west Lyonnais.

Public transport links in Lyonnais

Métro

The Lyon Metro, in Lyon, opened in 1978 and now consists of four lines. It is part of the Transports en Commun Lyonnais (TCL) system of public transport.

Like the SNCF, but unlike all other French metro systems (excluding the RER), Lyon metro trains run on the left, the result of an unrealised project to run the metro into the suburbs on existing railway lines. The loading gauge for lines A, B, and D is ,Loading gauge more generous than the average for metros in Europe. The loading gauge for line C is . The total track length is , 80% of which is underground.

The métro system consists of four lines, A-B-C-D, each identified on maps by different colours: LineColourOpenedTerminus ARed 1978 Perrache - Vaulx en Velin La Soie BBlue 1978 Charpennes - Stade de Gerland COrange 1981 Hôtel de Ville - Cuire DGreen 1991 Gare de Vaise - Gare de Vénissieux

Lines A and B Lines A (Perrache - Laurent Bonnevay) and B (Charpennes - Part-Dieu) were constructed using the cut-and-cover method, and went into service on May 2, 1978. Trains on both lines run on tyres rather than steel wheels.

Line B was extended to Jean Macé on September 9, 1981, then to Gerland on September 4, 2000. A further extension to Oullins is expected to open in 2013.

An extension to Vaulx-en-Velin La Soie on Line A opened in October 2007.

Line C

The Croix-Rousse-Croix-Paquet rack railway, which was refurbished in 1974, was integrated into the Metro in 1978 as line C, running from (Hôtel-de-Ville to Croix-Rousse). It was extended to Cuire on December 8, 1984.

The line was constructed using various methods; the incline rising through a deep tunnel, the portion on the flat at Croix-Rousse using cut-and-cover, while the section beyond Hénon runs on the surface. The Croix Paquet station claims to be the steepest metro station in Europe, with an incline of 17%.

Line D Line D commenced operation under human control on September 4, 1991 between Gorge-de-Loup and Grange-Blanche. Rubber-tyred trains run automatically with no driver on board, controlled by a system known as MAGGALY (Métro Automatique à Grand Gabarit de l’Agglomération Lyonnaise). The line was extended to Gare de Vénissieux on December 11, 1992, at which time it switched to automatic operation. On April 28, 1997, it was extended again to Gare de Vaise.

Being the deepest of the lines in Lyon, it was constructed mainly using boring machines and passes under both rivers, the Rhône and the Saône. At 13 km (8.12 mi) long, it is also the longest of the lines in Lyon.

Operation The Metro, like the rest of the local public transport system, is operated by SLTC - the (Lyon public transport company), under the TCL brand - (Lyon public transport). It is operated on behalf of SYTRAL - the (Lyon metropolitan transport syndicate), a Syndicat Mixte.

Tramways

Line T1 Operates from 4:52am to 12:27am, maintained by the Centre de Maintenance de Saint-Priest - Porte des Alpes.

Musée des Confluences extension to Musée des Confluences once the museum opens Montrochet Sainte-Blandine Suchet Perrache train station (transfers : Gare de Lyon-Perrache SNCF, Metro A, Tram T2, Bus 8 - 31 - 32 - 46 - 49 - 49D - 55 - 63 - 73 - 91 / Navette Presqu'Île - 96 - N4 - 101 - 105 - 125 - 175 / Airport shuttle - 182 - 184 - 185) Quai Claude Bernard Rue de l'Université (transfers : Bus 53) Saint-André Guillotière (transfers : Metro D, Bus 12 - 23) Liberté Saxe - Préfecture (transfers : Bus 4 - 18 - 23 - 28 - 99) Palais de Justice - Mairie du 3ème (transfers : Metro B at Place Guichard - Bourse du Travail, Bus 28 - 99) Part-Dieu - Servient () *Part-Dieu (transfers: Part-DieuSNCF, Metro B, Bus C1 - 25 - 28 - 36 - 37 - 41 - 47 - 59 - 59E - 70 - 99 - 175 / Navette Gares Aéroport - Express Crémieu Bourgoin, Tram T3, Bus 198 - 296) Thiers - Lafayette (transfer : Bus 1) Collège Bellecombe (transfers : Bus 34) Charpennes - Charles Hernu (transfers : Metro B - Metro A, Bus 27 - 34 - 37 - 59 - 59E - 70) Le Tonkin Condorcet (transfer : Bus 38) Université Lyon I La Doua - Gaston Berger INSA - Einstein (transfer : Bus 69) Croix-Luizet IUT - Feyssine. P+R Tramway.

Line T2 Operates from 4:55am to 12:35am, maintained by the Centre de Maintenance de Saint-Priest - Porte des Alpes.

Perrache train station (transfers : Gare de Lyon-Perrache SNCF, Metro A, Tram T1, Bus 8 - 31 - 32 - 46 - 49 - 49D - 55 - 63 - 73 - 91 / Navette Presqu'Île - 96 - N4 - 101 - 105 - 125 - 175 / Airport shuttle - 182 - 184 - 185) Centre Berthelot Jean Macé (transfers : Metro B, Gare de Lyon-Jean Macé, Bus 4 - 11 - 18 - 35 - 47 - 53 - 96 - 175 / Navette Gares Aéroport) Garibaldi - Berthelot (transfers : Bus 12 - 35) Route de Vienne (transfers : Bus 12 - 35) Jet d'Eau - Mendès France (transfers: Bus 36 - 53 - 296) Villon Bachut - Mairie du 8ème (transfers: Bus 23 - 24 - 26) Jean XXIII - Maryse Bastié Grange-Blanche (transfers: Metro D, Bus 9 - 28 - 34 - 38 - 79 - 175 / Navette Gares Aéroport) Ambroise Paré (transfers: Bus 28 - 38) Vinatier Essarts - Iris Boutasse - Camille Rousset (transfers: Bus 81) Hôtel de Ville - Bron (transfers: Bus 9 - 24 - 79) Les Alizés Rebufer (transfers: Bus 52 - 78) Parilly - Université (transfers: Bus 81) Europe - Université Porte des Alpes (transfers: Bus 26 - 81). P+R Tramway Parc Technologique Hauts de Feuilly Salvador Allende Alfred de Vigny (transfers: Bus 62 - Zi1) Saint-Priest - Hôtel de Ville (transfers: Bus 50 - 53 - 54 - 62 - 94 - Zi1) Esplanade des arts (transfers: Bus 50 - 62) Jules Ferry (transfers Bus 50 - 53 - 94) Cordière Saint-Priest - Bel Air (transfers: Bus 50E - 53). P+R Tramway.

Line T3 Operates from 4:27am to 12:08am, maintained by the Centre de Maintenance de Meyzieu.

Codenamed "LEA" (Ligne de L'Est de l'Agglomération), Line T3 runs along a portion of the former CFEL (Compagnie des chemins de fer de l'Est de Lyon) train line from the Gare de l'Est de Lyon to Saint-Genix-d'Aoste (via Crémieu, Jallieu et Montalieu).Le Chemin de fer de l'Est de Lyon de MM. Domengie, Alquati, Moulin et Roze, Les Éditions du Cabri, 1996 Gare Part-Dieu (transfers : Part-Dieu SNCF, Bus 198 - 296. Metro B, Tram T1, Bus C1 - 25 - 28 - 36 - 37 - 41 - 47 - 59 - 59E - 70 - 99 - 175 / Navette Gares Aéroport - Express Crémieu Bourgoin) Dauphiné - Lacassagne (transfers: Bus 25 - 28 - 34) Reconnaissance - Balzac (transfer: Bus 99) Gare de Villeurbanne (transfer: Bus 38). P+R Tramway Bel Air - Les Brosses (transfer: Bus 81) Vaulx-en-Velin - La Soie (transfer: Metro A, opening September 20, 2007, Bus 16 - 64 - 68 - Direct Eurexpo). P+R Métro et Tramway Décines - Centre (transfer: Bus 67). P+R Tramway Décines-Charpieu - Grand Large (transfers: Bus 7 - 16 - 67 - 85 - 95). P+R Tramway Meyzieu - Gare (transfer: Bus 67). P+R Tramway Meyzieu - ZI (transfer: Bus Zi2). P+R Tramway.

Line T3, which is 14.6 km long, runs largely on ballasted railroad track. It takes 23 minutes to go from Part-Dieu Villette to Meyzieu - ZI, and runs at a maximum speed of 70 km/h (60 km/h at intersections, of which 26 are equipped with crossing gates). 7 km run near residential areas and are equipped with a noise barrier.

Line T4

Line T4 runs between Jet d'Eau and Cliniques Feyzin.The names of the stations of Line T4 come from site Internet du Sytral A future extension is planned from Gare Part-Dieu to Jet d'Eau.

Jet d'Eau - Mendès France (Revised bus network when new line opens to be determined later : Tram T2) Lycée Lumière États-Unis - Musée Tony Garnier Professeur Beauvisage - CISL États-Unis - Viviani Joliot Curie - Marcel Sembat La Borelle Gare de Vénissieux (transfer: Metro D). P+R Métro Croizat - Paul Bert Marcel Houël - Hôtel de Ville Lycée Jacques Brel Herriot - Cagne Vénissy Division Leclerc Maurice Thorez Lénine - Corsière Darnaise Hôpital Feyzin - Vénissieux.

Rhônexpress

Rhônexpress is an express line which will link Part-Dieu Villette to Saint-Exupéry airport, with intermediate stops at Vaulx-en-Velin – La Soie (transfer to Metro Line A) and Meyzieu ZI. It was scheduled to open in 2009. The Conseil général of the Rhône franchised the operation of this line for 30 years to Rhônexpress, a consortium including Vinci SA (28.2%), Veolia Transport (28.2%), Vossloh Infrastructure Service (4.2%), Cegelec Centre Est (2,8%) and the Caisse des dépôts et consignationsVille et transports - magazine, January 17, 2007.