Video: Nice's new tram system can operate without overhead cables

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Line T1 (the first of three lines) commenced service before Christmas in central Nice. There are no catenaries over the city squares, where the air conditioned CITADIS trams switch over to Saft NiMH batteries to power the vehicle between stops.

Video: http://der.probe.googlepages.com/nce_tram51.mp4

The tram system has brought back the city streets to pedestrians, and boulevards which used to carry four or five lanes of traffic in one direction are now substantially or totally pedestrianised.

This part of Place Massena used to have about 16 lanes of traffic coming together at traffic lights:
Picture taken 26.1.2008 at 12h20 on Saturday morning: http://der.probe.googlepages.com/nce_massna1a.jpg

People can now relax and breathe fresh air in relative quiet – before it was traffic noise and smog all around: http://der.probe.googlepages.com/nce_massena2a.jpg

And kids have more space to play in the urban jungle:
http://der.probe.googlepages.com/nce_tent.JPG

Network map: http://www.lignedazur.com/ftp/FR_plan/CANCA16-01-2007.pdf (you’ll need to zoom in to see the detail)

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Lennoxschips

Awful choice of paving stones.

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Lennoxschips wrote: »

Awful choice of paving stones.

They look fine in reality - come and see! The camera image from the angle of the shots distorts the view you are getting.

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