Opening of the Rhônexpress rail link

9 August 2010 - Projects update and handover - France

The Rhônexpress rail link between the Lyons city centre and Lyons-Saint Exupéry Airport began operating, on schedule, at 5:00 a.m on Monday, 9 August 2010.

Rhônexpress, a project initiated by the Rhône department in 2001, is France’s first rail concession linking a city centre and an airport. The success of the project carried out under a public private partnership perfectly illustrates the relevance of VINCI’s concessions-contracting business model.

Group companies pooled their expertise in project design, finance, construction and overall project management to build the rail link under a 30-year concession awarded to the Rhônexpress consortium led by VINCI Concessions (35.2%).

Less than four years elapsed between the signing of the concession contract on 8 January 2007 and the opening of the rail link.

Construction started on 9 October 2008, with 500 people from all over France working on it. VINCI Construction, VINCI Energies and Eurovia companies together built the five engineering structures and the maintenance centre and laid the seven kilometres of new track required for the operation of the service.

VINCI Group subsidiaries carried out design and construction. VINCI Construction subsidiary Campenon Bernard Management as well as Eurovia subsidiaries Entreprise Jean Lefebvre Sud Est and ETF (Eurovia Travaux Ferroviaires) handled infrastructure works, including track laying. VINCI Energies subsidiary Roiret Transports and Cegelec were responsible for electrical system works.

Rhônexpress will enable more than one million passengers per year to travel from the airport to the centre of Lyons in less than 30 minutes.
Reliable and regular service will be provided 365 days a year.
Comfortable and safe, Rhônexpress will offer high-quality service, including information screens announcing flight arrivals and departures, electrical outlets, space for luggage and a conductor on every train to handle passenger queries and sell tickets.

Rhônexpress at a glance
• Overall investment of €120 million.
• 22 kilometres in length and 4 stops, including the two end stops.
• A dedicated maintenance centre combining a shop and operations offices, access roads and storage sidings for trains, a sand loading station and a washing station with technical facility.
• Rhônexpress trains running every 15 minutes between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. and every 30 minutes between 5 and 6 a.m. and between 9 p.m. and midnight.
• Guaranteed travel time of less than 30 minutes between Lyons Part-Dieu and Lyons-Saint Exupéry Airport.
• 100 km/hr cruising speed between Meyzieu and Lyons-Saint Exupéry Airport.
• 300 seats per hour and per direction.
• Rhônexpress operates 365 days a year between 5 a.m. and midnight.
• Rhônexpress offers a modular range of competitive prices, with a price suited to every need: from €13 per one-way trip (€23 per round-trip) and €11 per trip for six-trip ticket.

 

About VINCI
VINCI is a global player in concessions, energy and construction, employing 280,000 people in more than 120 countries. We design, finance, build and operate infrastructure and facilities that help improve daily life and mobility for all. Because we believe in all-round performance, we are committed to operating in an environmentally, socially responsible and ethical manner. And because our projects are in the public interest, we consider that reaching out to all our stakeholders and engaging in dialogue with them is essential in the conduct of our business activities. Based on that approach, VINCI’s ambition is to create long-term value for its customers, shareholders, employees, partners and society in general.