Matt Transit Castelnau Le Lez - Palm Ridge Line
The Castelnau - Palm Ridge Line is a tram line which acts as a local street level service to the Gardellia Northwest Line between the two cities, serving Gospley along the way. Commercially, it is called Connect1. Services began in early 2017, serving separate regions of Castelnau Le Lez and Palm Ridge. In the future, the line will serve Traxia and Gospley, in addition to the New Oak extension.
| Castelnau Le Lez - Palm Ridge Line | |
|---|---|
| Line Overview | |
| Operator(s) | Matt Transit under the Connect brand |
| Line Length | 3.7km |
| Runs Through | Castelnau Le Lez, Gospley, Palm Ridge |
History
Core Section
An idea of having local services along the Gardellia Blue Line (now Northwest Line) was discussed among the cities of Castelnau, Gospley and Palm Ridge. This led to an economical solution of building this tram line. Phase 1 would be between Maguelones and Paillade in Castelnau Le Lez, while Phase 1A would be between Central and Aberdeen in Palm Ridge. The line officially started construction on 14 January 2017. The line opened on 8 March the same year, between Maguelones and Beaulieu. The official inauguration of phase 1 and 1A took place 3 days later when the Palm Ridge section was completed. Phase 1B, between Maguelones and Canal, was opened and inaugurated the next day. Campus Agropolis tramstop was a late addition, which merged with Phase 1B. When Castelnau Mainline Station was rebuilt, the platforms at Maguelones were relocated. This resulted in the closure of Expo station due to close proximity. Line D was extended further to Paillade to complete Phase 1. To allow for platform extension works and due to proximity, Luynes tramstop was closed and merged into lengthened Beaulieu station.
Gospley extension
There were plans since 2018 to finish construction in Gospley. However, a ban of trains in the city halted any form of construction. Eventually, it was decided that the line would continue underground to prevent disruption on developments in Gospley.
Line D was first renovated in 2019, which included track improvement works and station upgrades. As a result of the separation of Lines A and B, the section between Maguelones and Canal was taken over by Line A. The next phase was to extend the line to Gospley. There were several complications which delayed its extension. The tunnel portal and tunnels were too small, which means tunnel strengthening and widening had to be done. Works were completed in 2020. New sections of tunnel were dug in May 2021, with the two new stations Gospley Central and Gospley Bridesgate opened on 11 June 2021.
Extension to New Oak and Traxia
Line D was to be extended to North New Oak to serve the new developments in New Oak. Construction of new tunnels using existing diameters were done west of Palm Ridge Central and the line was extended in May 2020. When such work took place, the platforms at Palm Ridge Central had to be lowered due to space constraints. 3 new stations opened, Westlands in Palm Ridge, and New Oak Riverpark and North New Oak in New Oak.
Phase 2 of the extension would connect the existing Palm Ridge and New Oak section to the Gospley section. Due to incompatibility, tunnel widening and improvement works had to be done between New Oak and Palm Ridge - Aberdeen. Aberdeen would be relocated to be in a cutting when the line connects. Platform extension works were ongoing at Palm Ridge Central. Efficiency was at its peak to widen these tunnels, which were completed in weeks. The new Aberdeen station, together with widened tunnels to Palm Ridge Central, reopened on 12 June 2021. The section from New Oak tunnel portal up to Palm Ridge Central was completed a day later. Platforms at Palm Ridge Central were fully extended in June 2021. The Gospley connection between Aberdeen and Bridesgate opened on 18 June 2021, with a new station at Fellindre expected in September 2021. This connection was a key milestone after 4 years of separate services, and was inaugurated a day after revenue services began. Many Gardellians took the first train from Gospley Central or Aberdeen through the new section.
Construction of the Traxia extension caught up shortly after. Initially, new tunnels were dug, but were shifted due to space constraints and engineering difficulties on the sandy terrain. During these works, Traxia station was temporarily closed to allow for platform extension and station renovation works to occur. The original station had no proper entrance. New and wider stairs were built on the existing platform, while new escalators, stairs and a lift were fitted into the two new platforms, forming a new island platform layout. Works were completed ahead of schedule, with the extension opening on 6 July 2021.
Stations
| Status | Code | Name | Connections |
|---|---|---|---|
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Maguelones | Gardellia Northwest/Central Peninsula/Northeast Mainline | |
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Beaulieu | ||
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Paillade | ||
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Gospley Central | Gardellia Northwest/Central Peninsula Mainline | |
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Bridesgate | ||
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Fellindre (Future infill station) (closed) | ||
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Aberdeen | ||
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Palm Ridge Central | Bus 11 to Ferries | |
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Westlands | ||
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New Oak Riverpark | New Oak Tram | |
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North New Oak | New Oak Tram | |
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Traxia | Traxia Central Line |
Services and Infrastructure
Throughout the entire line, it operates in two tracks. During the peaks, trains run up to 2.5 minutes.
Updated 9 July 2021.
Operating Hours:
- Weekdays: 5am to 1am
- Weekends: All night
- Public Holidays: 5.30am to 12am
Service pattern:
Weekdays (M-F):
- 7-9.30am: Every 2.5 mins
- 4.30-7.30pm: Every 3.5 mins
- Off-peak: Every 8 mins
- Late nights (after 10.30pm): Every 15 mins
Weekends (S-S):
- 5.30-7.15am: Every 8 mins
- 7.15-9am: Every 4 mins
- 9am-5.15pm: Every 7 mins
- 5.15-8pm: Every 3 mins
- 8-10.30pm: Every 7.5 mins
- Late nights: Every 10 mins
Friday and Saturday nights:
- Every 12 mins
Public holidays:
- 5.30am-10pm: Every 6 mins
- Early mornings and late nights: Every 12 mins
The line has several crossovers, with a depot at Maguelones. This depot was built on 8 July 2021 by Perfecttrains. Gospley Central, New Oak Riverpark and Aberdeen have these crossovers, with the latter featuring a scissors crossover. Sidings are at North New Oak and Paillade.
Phases
Phase 1: Maguelones Luynes Beaulieu
Phase 1A: Palm Ridge Central Aberdeen
Phase 1B: Expo Canal
Phase Agropolis: Addition of Campus Agropolis Station, subsequently merged with phase 1B. Hence the narrow island platform.
Phase 1 Extension: Paillade Station. The station was opened due to the construction of the Halles de La Paillade (shopping mall) nearby.
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