Montpellier became a talking point in recent decades as an innovative
centre of modern architecture and urban development. The tramway, opened
in 2000, satisfies this reputation: It is without doubt one of the most
stylish public transport systems in the world. Especially the design of
the rolling stock is very extravagant: The vehicles for line 1 are blue
and decorated with white swallows; those for line 2 are painted with
colorful flowers, those for line 3 feature a maritime design and those
for line 4 two different liveries in gold or black. You can like it or
not, it attracts attention in any case. Line 1 crosses right through the
heart of the Old Town; with more than 120,000 passengers per day it is
the busiest tramway line in France. Line 3 holds a record too, it is the
longest tramway line in France and it was opened as a whole in the
present layout together with line 4 in 2012. Simultaneously line 2 was
allocated on a more direct route via Comédie (before, this line was the
longest line in France). All four lines intersect at Gare Saint-Roch.
The outer sections of lines 2 and 3 are only single-track, and in the
southwest of line 2 there is a short shared section with a branch
railway. A fifth line is under development, as well as the ring closure
of semi-circular line 4.
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