According to Le Progrès, Line C of the Lyon metro has been out of service since the afternoon of Monday 2 November. The line links Hôtel de Ville-Louis Pradel station with Cuire.
Why the line is closed
TCL said on Tuesday that the stoppage is linked to checks and complete inspections of the line. Le Progrès notes that Line C uses a rack-and-pinion system, which it describes as the only one in service in the world, and the only such line in France. The system lets trains climb the Croix-Paquet slope, which has a gradient of 17.4%.
Line C normally requires a full, tailored check of its wheels and track every two weeks. During the latest checks, anomalies were found on the rails, and the train service on Line C had to be interrupted. According to the information released by Le Progrès, these anomalies may come from a mechanical change that affects the left-side wheels of the trains. Further checks are needed on this point.
Alternative for passengers
Until the maintenance work is finished, TCL recommends taking bus line C13 to travel between Hôtel de Ville Louis Pradel and Croix-Rousse. The article does not give a date for the end of the works.