WITH WORK now well underway on Phase 2 of the city's light rail programme (RG 4.07 p188), the greater Bordeaux authority has agreed to call tenders for consultancy contracts worth up to €28m covering studies and project supervision for Phase 3. Expected to cost a total of €342m, this would see 35 route-km opening in 2012-13.
Studies for the new Line D between the city centre and the northwestern suburbs will consider route options for the initial 1·8 km section, and then the feasibility of branches to Cantinolle, serving the districts of Eysines and Le Taillan-M?doc, or to Jean Mermoz close to the boundary between Eysines and Le Haillan.
Under Phase 3, Line A is to be further extended by 3·1 km from Mérignac-Centre to Mérignac-les-Pins. At its southern end, Line B is to be extended by 3·6 km to L'Alouette via the SNCF station at Alouette-France as well as the Haut L?v?que and Xavier Arnozan hospitals, and at its northern end by 1 km from Cit? Claveau to Bordeaux Nord. Line C will be extended southwards by 3·8 km to the future Lyc?e Terre Sud and the ring motorway, and at its northern end by 3·7 km to serve the exhibition centre.
A separate study costed at €150 000 will examine the feasibility of tram-train operations 'alongside' the existing RFF route between Parempuyre and Bordeaux Saint-Louis, with the possibility that services would then run on street to serve the right bank of the Garonne via a new bridge between Bacalan and Bastide expected to open in 2011. The studies will run in parallel to those being undertaken by the Aquitaine region into a new transport system using the belt line around the west of the city as well as the Bordeaux Saint-Louis - Pointe-de-Grave route.
- Systra, Coteba, Ing?rop Sud-Ouest and Eccta have been awarded a €120 000 contract to project manage the replacement of the APS ground-contact system with overhead wiring on the 410 m Gravi?res - Bois Fleuri and 544 m Pelletan - La Morlette sections of Line A.
