Lausanne Métro
The Lausanne Métro (French: Métro de Lausanne) system is a two-line urban rail transport system in Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland. Around a quarter of the system has been used for urban rail transport since 1877, when the route between the city centre and Ouchy opened as Switzerland's first public funicular railway. The network is owned by two distinct companies and operated by a third.
| Lausanne Métro | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Line M2 near Grancy station | |||
| Overview | |||
| Native name | Métro de Lausanne (in French) | ||
| Locale | Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland | ||
| Transit type | Light rail (Line M1) Rapid transit (Line M2) | ||
| Number of lines | 2 | ||
| Number of stations | 28 | ||
| Annual ridership | 45.4 million (2013) | ||
| Website | Transports Lausannois (TL) (in French) | ||
| Operation | |||
| Began operation | 1991 (Line M1) 2008 (Line M2) | ||
| Operator(s) | TL | ||
| Number of vehicles | 40 | ||
| Technical | |||
| System length | M1: 7.8 km (4.8 mi) M2: 5.9 km (3.7 mi) Total: 13.7 km (8.5 mi) | ||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge | ||
| Electrification | yes | ||
| |||
Of the operating lines, only line M2 can be considered a true, grade-separated rapid transit line. It is a fully automated, rubber-tyred metro line based on the technology of the Paris Métro and opened on 27 October 2008. Upon the opening of Line M2, Lausanne replaced Rennes, France as the smallest city in the world to have a full metro system. A third line (Line M3) is now planned, based on the same rubber-tyred metro technology as Line M2.