Thank you; that's brilliant - now I can update my haulage hit list with the newer stuff...
No worries. Yes the Paris Tram networks have expanded massively in recent years. I visit Paris at least every year and sometimes a couple times a year and every time that i go there are some new lines that have opened or new extensions that have opened.
There is a lot more new stuff opening soon too. Brand new lines T10 and T12 are opening soon. Also on lines T1 and T3 and T7 and T11 there are new extensions that are being built which should open fairly soon.
One other thing to mention is that RATP have placed an order for thirtyseven new Alsthom Citadis 305 trams for line T1 which will start to be delivered at some point soon. So now is a good time to go and tick off the TFS trams if there are any units you have still not been on. All of the TFS trams will be scrapped once the new units get delivered and enter service.
I always find the Paris Tram network quite unique. It is very different to any other French city where the tram network is one combined network and serves the city centre. With the Paris Tram network it is thirteen lines that are operated completely independently of each other and most are unconnected and it goes nowhere near the city centre.
Just a question regarding the Paris Tram line T3 fleet. French wikipaedia suggests that the most recent order was for 10 new trams (364-373). Other sources suggest it was for 9 new trams taking the fleet to no. 372 as listed above. Can anyone confirm which is correct?
Yes i was confused by that too. I can only assume that it is a typo. If you look at one of those French Wikipedia articles it states 372 but then it the chart below it states 373 instead. So i can only really presume someone that accidentally typed a "3" instead of a "2" on the page.
All of the information i have seen states that the last order was for nine trams. Even the official news article publication on the RATP website stated nine trams. So it seems it was definitely nine trams that were ordered.
The only other possible explanation would be if perhaps a tram was damaged in an accident and at some point recently they had decided to order one extra tram. But i can find no evidence of this. Number 372 is the highest tram i know of and i can find no records or photos of a 373 anywhere.
A further extension of line T3 is being built and will open soon at the end of this year. It has been stated that an additional eight trams are being built for this. However none of these trams have been delivered yet so 373 can not be one of these.