The Rouen “metro” is still one of Normandy’s most ambitious transport projects: it had to run through the city centre without being an eyesore, span the Seine to take passengers from one bank to the other and work alongside road traffic. The Rouen tram/subway system launched 30 years ago and is still a public transport pillar in the city.
Rouen in the early 60s. The city was flourishing: its perimeter was getting bigger whilst its population was soaring in number. 400,000 people lived within 20km of the cathedral, that’s 40% of the population of Seine-Maritime (1)! The boom was so huge that the area’s roads and public transport system were saturated by the 80s…
A bridge between two banks
The CAR (Rouen Council) decided to tackle the problem head-on. It began working on a tram/subway just like the one the city had before the war. The idea was to connect both riverbanks, enable locals to get around and the economy to thrive.
The idea was appealing, the project was complex. The transport system would have to have as little impact as possible on the already heavy road traffic, run through the old town without being an eyesore, span the Seine to reach the left bank etc. In the end, a tram system with an underground section was the solution decision-makers went with. That’s how it earned its nickname as a “Metro” or subway.
I've been living in the area for just a year and a half and the Metro is how I've explored Rouen! I take it to get across the river, go to work at Université de Rouen or attend events. For example, I took the metro to Armada, an international event where I experienced wonder and travelled with peace of mind. A resounding success!
A complex project
The project was recognised by a declaration of public utility in April 1991. Preliminary work began. The Société du Métro de l’Agglomération Rouennaise was in charge of construction. The Y-shaped route starts in Boulingrin then splits in two at Saint-Sever to continue to Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray on one side and Grand-Quevilly on the other. It covers the most popular areas and neighbourhoods in and around Rouen from north to south.
The line is almost entirely underground on the right bank. That way it doesn’t affect the old town and makes the tram as little of an eyesore as possible. The construction of a 1800m long tunnel was the trickiest part of the build because of Rouen’s heritage restrictions. The other major technical challenge was crossing the Seine. The decision was made to take the tram onto Pont Jeanne d’Arc bridge to reach the left bank, where the line is mainly overground.
After three years of work, the first section of the Rouen Metro was completed in December 1994. It was inaugurated on December 16th by Laurent Fabius, the MP for Seine-Maritime at the time. The line to Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray was completed in September 1994. It was the last piece of the puzzle with 15.4km of track and 31 stations, including 5 underground stops.
The Rouen Metro, the backbone of public transport in the city
The Rouen Metro was a mini revolution among locals. It has right of way and its own lane, which makes crossing the city quick and easy. Journeys are faster, more comfortable and reliable. The smooth transport solution has seen many locals leave the car at home to commute: the Rouen Metro had far more users than predicted from the outset. Success! By reducing people’s reliance on cars, the new transport method encouraged the transition to sustainable transport and reducing greenhouse gases.
The economy also gained from the new network. Easy access to the city centre gave the economy a boost, with more customers from nearby suburbs. As for local businesses, the Metro helped staff get to and from their workplace. According to the OMMeR (Rouen Traffic and Road Safety Observatory), the Rouen Metro transports 30,000 passengers a day, the equivalent of over 16 million trips a year (2022 figures).
The Metro has become the backbone of Rouen’s city transport system in the space of 30 years. An entire network appeared after the Metro launched: bus rapid transit (TEOR), buses, self-service bikes and more. The area is united by the Astuce network: 40% of the people living in the Rouen area are now within 500m of a tram stop or line (2). A possible extension to the Metro line is now under consideration. It would connect the current Rouen station to the new station on the left bank as part of the Ligne Nouvelle Paris Normandie project. There’s more to come from the Metro!
(1) La croissance de la région de Rouen et ses problèmes, François Gay, études normandes, 1964
(2) Local Urbanisation Plan, February 2020, Presentation report, Tome 1 Territorial Diagnosis.
Thematics
