Tramway T9 in Lyon: first rail weld
10 February 2025 marked an important milestone in the construction of Lyon’s future T9 tramway line, with the first rail weld at Vaulx-en-Velin. To celebrate this milestone, the key players in the project gathered alongside Bruno Bernard, Chairman of the Lyon Metropolitan Authority and SYTRAL Mobilités, the Prefect, General Secretary of the Rhône Prefecture and Deputy Prefect for Equal Opportunities, Vanina Nicoli, the Mayor of Vaulx-en-Velin, Hélène Geoffroy, and the Deputy Mayor of Villeurbanne, Pauline Schlosser.
A line linking Vaulx-en-Velin-La Soie to Charpennes
The future T9 line will be 11.3 km long (including 8.8 km of new infrastructure) and will include 12 new stations linking Vaulx-en-Velin-La Soie to Charpennes. By linking the south and north of Vaulx-en-Velin, it will improve access to university centres such as the La Doua campus in Villeurbanne and the training centres in Vaulx-en-Velin. It will improve interconnections with other public transport lines, making journeys smoother and more accessible to all. By 2030, it will be carrying around 38,000 passengers a day, offering an efficient alternative to the car and making it easier to get around the Lyon metropolitan area.
A major project
The T9 line will cover 8,800 metres of new track, incorporating a range of different laying techniques: conventional track, track on a floating slab, permeable track known as a ‘green lane’ and resin track on an engineering structure. The project calls for the installation of 10 turnouts and around 2,000 aluminothermic welds.
After a preparation phase that began in July 2024, work began in January 2025. Four fronts of work will be carried out simultaneously, mobilising around fifty professionals. Connections to line T3 will be made from late February to early May 2025, while those to line T1 are scheduled for early April to early June 2025.
An innovative and eco-responsible approach
The construction of line T9 is using an innovative technique: gravel asphalt, replacing the traditional concrete base. This method reduces the environmental impact by halving the thickness of the sub-base, thus limiting the need for materials and site machinery. The reduction in the number of lorries used also helps to reduce CO2 emissions. This technique uses recycled materials, reinforcing the sustainability of the project.
📸 © Jean-Philippe Malartre for SYTRAL Mobilités
Works consortium: ETF, Eurovia, Jean Lefebvre Rhône-Alpes, De Filippis Entreprise, SOLS Confluence, Maïa Sonnier and Maïa Rail
