The Nice Côte d’Azur metropolitan area has undertaken a vast program to expand its tram network, including two new lines: T4 (between Nice and Cagnes-sur-Mer) and T5 (between Nice and Drap). Here’s an update on their progress.
The Nice Côte d’Azur metropolitan area is facing serious challenges in completing the new T4 and T5 tram lines. These projects, essential for improving transport links, are progressing but are accumulating delays. Nonetheless, these lines are crucial. They aim to break the isolation of Nice’s peripheral areas. Additionally, they are intended to connect these neighborhoods to the city center more efficiently. Indeed, they will allow for easier access to strategic infrastructures, such as the airport and the Allianz Riviera stadium. However, the ambition of these projects is encountering obstacles.
Line 4: between Nice and Cagnes-sur-Mer
The Line 4 tramway, which is intended to connect Saint-Laurent-du-Var and Cagnes-sur-Mer to Nice, is a central project for the metropolitan area. Initially planned for 2026, the opening of the first section might experience a slight delay. According to Christian Estrosi, president of the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolitan Area, delays are inevitable in such large-scale projects. “If crossing the Var is not completed in 2026, it will be done in 2027, at most by early 2028”, he states. The delay is therefore expected to be limited, with a final terminus planned before 2030.
Line 4 will be developed in two phases. The first phase, initially slated for completion in 2026, concerns the section between the Nice administrative center and Saint-Laurent-du-Var. This part of the project includes three new strategic stops, facilitating access to the Cap 3000 shopping center and other key points in the region. The second phase, extending to Cagnes-sur-Mer, will include 11 new stations, thus efficiently linking this coastal city to the metropolitan area of Nice. The total cost of this project amounts to 285 million euros, a sum that could increase further due to inflation.
Line 5: between Nice and Drap
Meanwhile, Line 5, which is meant to connect Nice to Drap, is also experiencing delays. Initially planned for 2028, its completion could be postponed by up to two years. Like Line 4, the delays are attributed to obstacles related to the Covid-19 pandemic, inflation, and the technical challenges inherent in projects of such magnitude.
Nonetheless, this line is crucial for the development of the region and the metropolitan area. It aims to break the isolation of La Trinité and Drap, two municipalities currently underserved. This project is all the more strategic as it is part of a broader transport scheme for 2030. Despite the delays, the metropolitan area remains optimistic about completing this project before the end of the decade.