Transpole

Transpole is a mass transit company in the French department of Nord, which operates the local transport in the cities of Lille, Roubaix, Tourcoing and Villeneuve d'Ascq. To Transpole addition to numerous bus routes including the tram in the cities of Lille, Roubaix and Tourcoing and the fully automated metro. Transpole was established on 2 May 1994 and is a subsidiary of Keolis.

Metro

The opened in 1983, fully automated metro is operated by the VAL system that is characterized by very light and narrow vehicles with high headways. Has the metro network currently 2 lines and a route length of 45.5 km (as of 2012).

Tram

The first tram line in Lille was built in the year 1874. In 1897 they started the electrification of the routes. 1909 were connected by a tram route Lille and Roubaix and Tourcoing two neighboring cities, nicknamed the Mongy carries today, after its designer Alfred Mongy. While most city lines were shut down in Lille after 1950, the Mongy remained until the 1970s the backbone of the public transport of the former TCC, the predecessor of the Trans Pole.

The construction of the VAL -Métro and its opening on May 2, 1983, the fate of the tram seemed sealed. It has remained the same since it operates almost exclusively on its own roadbed, the track runs partly underground and cheap narrow gauge vehicles could be purchased from the Vestische tram.

In the years 1991 to 1994, extensive renovation measures were performed and converted the last two sections of 600 to 750 volts. The old cars were replaced in the late 1990s by new low-floor trams of Breda. Since the orbits are considered not very comfortable, they also carry the nickname le tram Tangue, which translated means the rocking tram.

The tram transports approximately 6% of all passengers in the region.

Bus

The Transpole operates a total of 92 bus lines, of which 43 city bus lines and 45 regional transport routes. They have a total length of 1,212 km ( as of 2012). They carry about 1 /3 of all passengers.