tramway lines 3a and 3b () are the first modern tramway in Paris proper since the 1937 closure of the previous comparable system. They are operated by the RATP and divided into two sections called T3a and T3b. The line is also known as the because it follows the Boulevards of the Marshals, a series of boulevards that encircle Paris along the route of the former Thiers Wall (built from 1841 to 1844). The boulevards are, with three exceptions, named for Napoleon's First Empire marshals (); they were transformed by redevelopment works carried out during the two-and-a-half-year construction of the line, which opened on 16 December 2006 under the designation T3.
The line initially ran in its own section of these boulevards' roadway between the 15th and 13th arrondissements, allowing it to connect the and in an average of 26 minutes. It carried 25 million passengers in its first year of operation, averaging 100,000 on weekdays and 70,000 on weekends; numbers have steadily increased ever since. In 2009, further work began to extend the line to the northeast, with the extension fully opening on 15 December 2012. Two separate lines were constructed to ensure the service's reliability: the existing line was extended to and renamed T3a; a second line (T3b) initially connected to . An extension of the latter to near the border with opened on 24 November 2018.
The lines have been operated by the RATP Group since opening, under the authority of . Future operation of lines will become subject to a competitive bidding process in November 2029.
T3a connects Pont du GariglianoâÂÂHôpital européen Georges-Pompidou station in the western part of the 15th arrondissement with Porte de Vincennes station in the 12th arrondissement. The line carries 112,000 people per day.
The first section, between and , opened as T3 on 16 December 2006. Work began in early 2009 on a extension from to , via . The extension project was then split into a smaller extension to and a separate tramway line for the remainder of the route, which became T3a. The opening of the extension and renaming to T3a occurred on 15 December 2012.
T3b initially connected with in the 18th arrondissement. It opened concurrently with the extension of T3a to Porte de Vincennes on 15 December 2012. The line was extended to in the 17th arrondissement on 24 November 2018.
A further extension with seven stops towards in the 16th arrondissement just east of the started service on 5 April 2024. It connects with Métro Line 3 at , Métro Line 1, RER A and RER E at , and Métro Line 2 at its new terminus.
The Little Ring Line () was constructed in order to link the major rail supply routes within the Thiers Fortifications that surrounded Paris. The line was opened in sections between 1852 and 1869, reaching a total length of and encircling Paris within the .
Initially, the line was for the exclusive use of freight traffic, before subsequently opening to passenger traffic. The , in contrast, opened to passengers only immediately in 1854, and only opened to freight in 1867. The railway saw a rapid growth in passenger numbers towards the end of the 19th century, especially during the Exposition Universelle (1878). However, the inappropriateness of the equipment, consisting of steam locomotives that made the cars hot and uncomfortable, made the line less and less attractive, and it was unable to resist competition from the Métro.
After 1900, passenger numbers saw a constant and relentless fall until, in April 1934, despite several failed attempts to improve the situation, the line permanently closed to passengers, except the , which remained open until January 1985. Some months later, in July 1934, the PC Bus Line was created, and was an immediate success.
Freight traffic also disappeared at the start of the 1990s, and most of the line has since been abandoned and split by modern development. The section of the between and , however, was integrated with RER C of the commuter rail network ().
The design selected for Line 3 was the Alstom Citadis 402.
The trams were ordered in December 2003 and manufactured in factories at (bogies), (electrical and electronic traction), (electronics), (motors), with final assembly performed at , near .
Their design aesthetic was the subject of extensive research by several designers: (and designers of his company RCP Design Global) for the general concept, the colorist for upholstery and indoor environment, and for the exterior. The livery of the trams is personalised, combining the RATP's traditional jade green with various visual symbols of the city.