Geneva – making public transport simpler, more reliable and more efficient

The Geneva tram network operated by TPG, the public transport authority, is undergoing a development that is nothing short of revolutionary. By the end of 2011, when our three separate lines come into operation, we will have a network that is simpler, more comprehensible and easier to manage in the event of disruptions.

Until then, the six tram lines that are currently in service today – lines 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 – will continue to provide what is called in the professional jargon a ‘meshed system’. What this means is that two lines share the same terminus but serve different routes, even though certain sections intersect at some of the main transfer points on the network.

The birth of an urban light railway network in constant flux

To better understand the changes that will be ushered in, let us for a moment cast our eyes backwards and look at how the current tram network operated by the TPG came into being. Trams went through a period of neglect for a number of decades because cars and buses were considered to be more modern. However, there was a renewal of interest in trams at the end of the 1980s. The first steps included an extension of line 12 (Moillesulaz–Palettes1) from Carouge to Bachet-de-Pesay (which is where the TPG headquarters and the gleaming new tram depot are located). Line 12 in fact was the last surviving stretch of what in 1925 used to be a network covering some 125km – and one of the largest in Europe.

The tram network has undergone a steady development since that time and new lines have been created at a fairly fast pace:

1995

1995 saw the entry into service of line 13 – Bachet-de-Pesay–Gare Cornavin (Geneva’s main station); this was then extended southwards to Palette in 1998, and then northwards to the Place des Nations in December 2003.

1996

1996 saw the entry into service of line 16 – Moillesulaz–Augustins; its terminus was changed two years later when the line was extended to Geneva’s main railway station, and subsequently on to Avenchets in 2007.

2004

2004 saw the entry into service of line 15 – Lancy-Pont-Rouge–Nations1.

2006

2006 saw the entry into service of line 17, Gare des Eaux-Vives–Bachet-de-Pesay; subsequently shortened to Lancy-Pont-Rouge to the south and extended to Moillesulaz to the north.

2007

2007 saw the entry into service of line 14, Augustins–Avanchets; extended to Meyrin– Gravière, at the same time as the extension of line 16 in December 2009.

A meshed network of six tram lines used by more than 60 million passengers a year, that is 167,838 a day, and one that is constantly growing. At the beginning of 2011, the future line 18 will provide a public transport link to one of the most prestigious scientific laboratories in the world, CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research. A further highlight in 2011 will also be the inauguration of a brand-new 6.5km line in the south-western part of the canton with the entry into service of the TCOB, the Cornain–Onex–Bernex tram line.

Thus, in 2011, Geneva will have a new tram network with a layout that is easy to understand, and is both more reliable and more attractive.

Today, the Geneva tram network has reached the limits of its capacity. The problem is that the current six lines – soon to become seven – all pass through the city centre, share certain sections of track and intersect at the main transfer points in the canton – Cornavin station, Stand and Plainpalais. As a result, the network has gradually reached saturation point. Passengers have difficulties understanding the routes because everything is so concentrated in the city centre, and the management of the network is becoming increasingly complex, particularly in the event of disruptions (as the lines are interconnected, any modification on one of the lines has an immediate spill-over effect on the others). The situation is further compounded by the fact that the potential for increasing the commercial speed actually decreases as new lines come into service.

On the other hand, the policy of the Geneva authorities is to increase public transport services in the region (35% increase between 2011 and 2014, with specific emphasis on the use of trams). Not surprisingly, it has become urgent that we modify the way we currently run the network. Increasing services cannot be achieved by adding new lines alone; we also have to increase the frequency or headway.

The Geneva public transport authority has been preparing these transformations in close cooperation with the cantonal and municipal authorities. By the end of 2011, the TPG’s tram network will undergo a radical make-over: the current system with its six separate lines (seven as of May 2011) will be replaced by a simpler structure with three lines which will intersect at major junctions to facilitate connections. Once each terminus, each destination and each route have their own dedicated lines, the network will become much more logical. Instead of having a service run to a specific timetable with specific times of departure and arrival, we will switch to a system where we specify a frequency of service. By simplifying the network, TPG hopes to win over new customers.

Disruptions will also become easier to handle; as lines become independent of one another (no need to change the number of the line when the tram reaches the terminus); the modification of one line will no longer have any repercussions on the others. This will ensure that the system does not become gridlocked, which unfortunately can happen at the moment.

Changing our habits, making trips easier

The cantonal authorities have ambitious plans for the development of public transport offerings. The new operating system will help us to meet the challenge and, at the same time, allow us to adapt our service to match real demand. The new system, in conjunction with a better management of traffic lights, will in the medium-term help optimise the commercial speed and increase the frequency of tram services. An increasing number of vehicles, with a larger capacity than those currently operating, will also run on the network, thereby providing more seats per kilometre.

There is one sensitive aspect to the new operating system – transfers. The number of trips which require passengers to change lines will in fact increase. For example, if we take a figure of 45,000 trips – which is a sample of passenger numbers on a weekday during the evening rush hour, i.e. from 5p.m. to 6p.m. – the number who will need to transfer will rise from 27% to 32%, whereas the number of trips requiring two or more changes will remain constant at 2%. TPG are currently working hand-in-hand with the Geneva cantonal and municipal authorities on the design of future transfer points – Bel-Air, Cornavin and Plainpalais, in order to facilitate and improve passenger flows and to provide the necessary level of security.

Obviously, the new operating system will imply a change in habits on the part of TPG’s passengers. Currently, all they have to do is to wait for the right tram on the right tram line to take them to their final destination. In the future they will have to get used to changing from one tram line to another. Although an inconvenience (people in Geneva, on the whole, do not like having to change) this will be offset by shorter waiting times (there will be a tram approximately every three minutes), an increase in headway, in the medium term an increase in the commercial speed, a more ‘resilient’ network in the event of a disruption, a higher transport capacity, and more space on board the vehicles. In the future, the Geneva tram network, together with the rapid transport CEVA link, will become without any doubt a beacon of public transport development in the city, a symbol of the long-awaited progress.

Reference

1. Current terminus