Bordeaux tramway

Tram system serving the city of Bordeaux

The Bordeaux tramway network consists of four lines serving the city of Bordeaux in Nouvelle Aquitaine in southwestern France. The system has a route length of , serving a total of 133 tram stops.

The network consists of four lines, with a total route length of The routes serve a total of 130 tram stops, counting the nine stops on the section of track shared by lines C and D, and the three interchange points in the city centre (Hotel de Ville, Porte de Bourgogne and Quinconces) once only. The line is in length and serves 51 tram stops. The line is double track throughout, with the exception of the approach to and terminal platform at Le Haillan Rostand and Mérignac Aéroport, which takes the form of a single track stub.

Line B of the Bordeaux tramway starts at in the north of Bordeaux and runs in a southerly direction towards the city centre, running parallel to the left bank of the Garonne river. An intermediate terminus is passed at , where some trams from the south terminate. In the city centre it crosses and has an interchange with lines C and D at and with line A at It then runs south west to Here the line divides into two branches, one running north to and the other west to .

Line C of the Bordeaux tramway commences with two branches to the north of Bordeaux. One branch starts at Parc des Expositions and runs south to Cracovie. The other branch starts at Gare de Blanquefort and runs alongside the SNCF lt=line to ''Pointe de Grave as far as Ausone, from where it follows a disused railway line to Cracovie. From here the combined line runs south to the city centre. In the city centre it joins and shares tracks with line D at Quinconces, where it also has an interchange with B. Lines C and D continue to run south together, and share an interchange with line A at Porte de Bourgogne and with the city's main railway station at Gare Saint Jean. At Carle Vernet, line D terminates, leaving line C to continue by itself. An intermediate terminus is passed at Gare de Bègles, where some trams from the north terminate, before the final terminus is reached at Villenave Pyrénées.

Line D of the Bordeaux tramway starts at Eysines Cantinolle to the north west of Bordeaux and runs in a south easterly direction towards the city centre. An intermediate terminus is passed at Hippodrome, where some trams from the south terminate. In the city centre it joins and shares tracks with line C at Quinconces, where it also has an interchange with B. Lines C and D continue to run south together, and share an interchange with line A at Porte de Bourgogne and with the city's main railway station at Gare Saint Jean. The line terminates at Carle Vernet, leaving line C to continue by itself.

A particular feature of the new Bordeaux tram network is its ground level power supply system which is used in the city centre to avoid overhead wires spoiling the view of buildings. This was the source of many difficulties and breakdowns when first introduced. Improvements since then, however, have increased reliability and the network is now one of Bordeaux's principal plus points, valued not just for enabling the people of the city to get about easily but also for its contribution to the aesthetics of the city and its quality of life. The new trams are an essential part of Bordeaux's current tourist redynamization strategy. The three lines were extended in 2007 and 2008 to reach several housing estates as well as the suburb of Mérignac. The whole system is under video surveillance, with a camera installed inside each vehicle.

Trams operate on all lines from around 4.30am until midnight, seven days a week with later service on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays until around 1.30am. All stops have panels showing the waiting time until the next tram. On Sunday and holiday mornings, trams run every 30/40 minutes until around 1000am then every 20 minutes. Weekday and Saturday services operate every 10 – 12 minutes with additional service during 'rush hour' and for special events. However, there is no service at all on May 1, Labour Day holiday.

In 2018, the tram system carried 96.77 million passengers. until as recently as December 31, 2020.