Métro Espérance

This is an article related to the Commonwealth of New Duveland

Métro Espérance
Gare centrale d’Espérance
Overview
Owner	Government of Lapérouse as Connexion Lapérousean
Area served	Greater Espérance, Loisieux , Thouarcé, Valéry
Transit type	Suburban rail Rapid transit
Number of lines	9
Number of stations	263
Daily ridership	750,000 (2021-2022)
Annual ridership	250,000,000 (2021-2022)
Operation
Began operation	July 3, 1868 (1868-07-03) (First steam train)
Operator(s)	Métro Espérance
Rolling stock	X'Trapolis Duplex 1.0 X'Trapolis Duplex 2.0 X'Trapolis Duplex 3.0
Number of vehicles	268 five to six-carriage trains
Headway	Line dependant
Technical
System length	749.2 kilometres (465.5 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Average speed	63.6 km/h (39.5 mph) (fastest average) 30.2 km/h (18.8 mph) (slowest average)
Top speed	130 km/h (81 mph)
Espérance Metropolitan rail network

Métro Espérance is the operator and brand name of train services of the electrified metropolitan rail network serving the city of Espérance, Lapérouse, New Duveland. It is the largest urban railway network in New Duveland, with 9 lines and 263 stations across 749.2 kilometres (465.5 mi), and the second busiest network in New Duveland, with a patronage of 250 million as of 2021–2022. The network has extended over the years from originally serving just the Espérance metropolitan area, to reaching the cities of Loisieux (where there are two additional lines that serve the city's suburbs as it's own separate commuter network), Valéry and Thouarcé, the 2nd, 4th and 10th largest cities in Lapérouse respectively.

The railway network is under the ownership of the Government of Lapérouse, administered by Connexion Lapérousean, which subsequently sublets the infrastructure and rolling stock to Métro Espérance for operational management. During the late 20th century, the network underwent a brief period of private ownership. However, by 2010, the provincial government intervened due to observed deterioration and decay in the network's condition. Over several years, the government gradually acquired ownership of the company, subsequently embarking on efforts to revitalize and modernize the railway infrastructure. As a result of these initiatives, the network has undergone significant improvements, emerging as the largest in New Duveland in terms of distance served.

Métro Espérance oversees a substantial transportation network, boasting a fleet of 220 six-car train sets operating across an extensive1,738 kilometres (1,080 mi) of track infrastructure. The rail system encompasses nine regular service lines, three of which operate in a loop service around the city of Espérance, catering to diverse commuting needs. With a focus on facilitating seamless travel experiences, Métro Espérance manages a total of 263 railway stations. To support the efficient operation of the network, the company maintains a dedicated workforce comprising approximately 3,000 employees, encompassing train drivers, mechanical and electrical engineers, network operations specialists, and customer service representatives. This comprehensive workforce ensures the smooth functioning and reliability of Métro Espérance's rail services, contributing to the overall connectivity and accessibility within the region.

Espérance, Loisieux and Valéry are connected by a single metro network made up of a fleet of double-decker X'Trapolis trains.

The railway infrastructure, including the track and rolling stock, is under the ownership of Connexion Lapérousean on behalf of the Provincial Government, with operational leasing rights granted to Métro Espérance. Additionally, the Provincial Government holds ownership of the brand name 'Métro,' ensuring its continuity irrespective of potential changes in operators. Métro Espérance Trains has previously encountered criticism, having been voted the worst rail system in New Duveland in 2011. However, notable improvements have been observed since 2014, marked by enhancements in operation, punctuality, and network consistency. The expansion of services, notably northward to Valéry and southward to Loisieux, alongside increased frequency, signifies a concerted effort towards enhancing the overall quality and efficiency of the rail network within the province.

Rolling stock

The majority of rolling stock is owned by the Lapérousean Government business enterprise Connexion Lapérousean. Métro Espérance is responsible for maintaining the train fleet. All trains on the Espérance suburban network are electric, operated by drivers, and fitted with power-operated sliding doors which are closed by the driver, but opened by passengers. The doors of newer model X'Trapolis Duplex 3.0 are opened by a button, but the older 2.0 and 1.0 X'Trapolis trains are opened using handles. Trains also have inter-car doors to enable passengers to change carriages while in transit. All trains are fitted with air conditioning, closed-circuit cameras, and emergency intercom systems. Trains are fixed into three car units, and may operate alone or in pairs. All trains are also double-decker, with increased capacity catering towards longer trips from the network's extensive reach.

Passenger trains

Type	Image	Type	Top speed (km/h)	Built	Number
X'Trapolis Duplex 1.0		EMU	120	1995–2005	108 5-car sets
X'Trapolis Duplex 2.0			140	1997–2000	90 5-car sets
X'Trapolis Duplex 3.0			140	2018–	72 6-car sets

Services and lines

Espérance uses "clock-face" timetables in off-peak periods, but generally not in peak periods, due to operating near to the capacity of the infrastructure and having to accommodate single-line sections, flat junctions, regional and inter-province trains. Even in off-peak periods, however, frequencies vary according to time of day and day of week, and by line. In some places, services on two lines combine to provide more frequent services on common sections of tracks. Saturday and Sunday services are identical during the day, but differ during the evening on some lines. Sunday morning services however start later than on Saturdays, and run less frequently until around 10am.

Lines

San Jose station on the western edge of the city centre is the second largest in the network.

Opened in 1875, Gare centrale d’Espérance is the busiest train station in all of Lapérouse.

Le récit bridge carries 4 lines between the mainland and Île de L'Espérance.

The south-western network, especially around Matahuru is very mountainous, with many of the stations found in the bottom of valleys.

The underground platforms at Gare centrale d’Espérance allow for direct transfers to the national NDLoop network.

The new underground portions of the Smauvert - centre-ville line have proved immensely popular.

The city's international airport is connected to the network underground by both the Boucle sud and the Demi-boucle Bessan-Tiniroto lines.

Almost all of the city's smaller stations have been upgraded in recent years to be fully accessible, with lifts and escalators found at most major stations.

The central core of the network, from San Jose to Gare centrale d’Espérance is the busiest in the network, with 7 lines converging into the city centre, as well as NDLoop & regional trains.

Many stations were upgraded in the 1990s, such as Sud Pinheira station on the Loisieux line.

Various viaducts exist throughout the network, being elevated over highway medians or just to cope with the hilly terrain of the western suburbs.

•  Boucle nord intérieure Line 
  • An Inner-suburb line that goes through the central city and connects the coastal suburb of the mainland and on Île de L'Espérance around Baie nord, smallest of all the lines.
  • Has NDLoop connections at Gare centrale d’Espérance.
  • The line acts as a loop, so has no terminus station, instead trains will keep circling until change of shits at Gare centrale d’Espérance during off-peak hours
  • Connects to all lines in the network except for the two Loisieux lines.
  • From Gare centrale d’Espérance east, the line crosses the iconic Le récit bridge until the major interchange Tetahi Taha station, turning north to follow the Boucle nord extérieure line for one stop before they diverge. The line continues on along Île de L'Espérance's inner coast along Baie nord, before reconnecting with the nord extérieure line at Poussy. Crossing the Daniela Strait back to the mainland where the line has a major interchange at Tīhukina, where it connects with the Valéry-Espérance line and diverges from the nord extérieure line. It travels 4 stops with the Valéry-Espérance before diverging inland to serve the city's inner western suburbs. Moving south to the main interchange at Forquilhas where it reconnects with the nord extérieure line, as well as the Smauvert - centre-ville and Boucle sud lines. Heading east to the city centre it joins with the Valéry-Espérance line again, as well as the Loisieux line at San Jose station.

•  Boucle nord extérieure Line 
  • An outer-suburb line that connects the central Espérance with the north-eastern suburbs of Île de L'Espérance, and the north-eastern outer suburbs on the mainland. Connects to the Boucle nord intérieure Line at Forquilhas, where services then run express to San Jose & Espérance city centre.
  • Has NDLoop connections at Gare centrale d’Espérance.
  • The line acts as a loop, so has no terminus station, instead trains will keep circling until change of shits at Gare centrale d’Espérance during off-peak hours
  • Connects to all lines in the network except for the two Loisieux lines.
  • East from Gare centrale d’Espérance, the line follows Le récit bridge until the major Tetahi Taha interchange station, following the nord intérieure line for one stop until diverging at Trinité. The line thge serves the east coast of Île de L'Espérance, circling back and reconnecting with the nord intérieure line at Poussy. The line then Crosses the Daniela Strait back to the mainland where the line has a major interchange at Tīhukina, where it connects with the Valéry-Espérance line and diverges from the Nord intérieure line to head north. It leaves the Valéry-Espérance line at Tīhukaha after just 4 stops, and turns inland to serve the north-western suburbs. Continuing south, the line joins the Demi-boucle Bessan-Tiniroto line at Catllar, and then moves towards the inner city. Joining with the nord intérieure and Boucle sud lines at Forquilhas, as well as the Valéry-Espérance and Loisieux lines at San Jose. Smauvert - centre-ville lines as well as NDLoop connections underground back at Gare centrale d’Espérance.

•  Smauvert - centre-ville Line 
  • Connects to the regional centre of Smauvert to Espérance city centre via a new underground connection from Tiniroto, which runs alongside NDLoop trains along New Duveland's high-speed rail network, and continues underground through the city, before becoming a viaduct along the inner city's northern beaches to Belle Vue.
  • Has NDLoop connections at Arato Aririu (tilt-trains only), and Gare centrale d’Espérance stations.
  • Most of it's inner-city portion is underground & is the newest section in the network, with it's terminus at Belle Vue connecting it to the Valéry-Espérance line, and the northern portion connecting the inner-northern beaches, as well as underground to Gare centrale d’Espérance. The line then follows the underground parallel to the NDLoop lines until it resurfaces at Tiniroto, connecting to the Loisieux and Demi-boucle Bessan-Tiniroto lines. Moving west, the line then connects to the Boucle Sud lines at Arato Aririu, and then diverges from the Demi-boucle Bessan-Tiniroto line at Matahuru to pass the south-western suburbs, before reconnecting at it's southern terminus station at Smauvert, offering a transfer to Loisieux line again.

•  Demi-boucle Bessan-Tiniroto Line 
  • Operates in a 'semi-circle' line connecting the south eastern suburbs of Île de L'Espérance to the western outer suburbs on the mainland via the city centre. Terminates at Akore on the south coast of Île de L'Espérance, and on the other end at Tiniroto. Connects to the city's airport on Île de L'Espérance, where it also connects with the Boucle sud line.
  • Has NDLoop connections at Arato Aririu (tilt-trains only), and Gare centrale d’Espérance stations.
  • It's mainland terminus is at Tiniroto, with connections to the Smauvert - centre-ville and Loisieux lines, as well as regional trains too. Continuing west, the line connects with the elevated portion of the Boucle sud line and then diverges from the Smauvert - centre-ville line at Matahuru station. The line heads north to serve the city's outer western suburbs before joining the Boucle nord extérieure line at Catllar station. The line continues eastwards towards the city-centre, joining the Boucle sud and Boucle nord intérieure lines at Forquilhas. Then continues into the city centre, joining the Valéry-Espérance and Loisieux Lines at San Jose, and the Smauvert - centre-ville line at Gare centrale d’Espérance. Crossing over to Île de L'Espérance, the line departs the nord intérieure and nord extérieure lines at Tetahi Taha, where the line moves south to serve the city's international airport, and then diverges south-east to the south-east coast of Île de L'Espérance along the Mourelle Strait, moving south to it's southern terminus at Akore.

•  Espérance-Valéry Line 
  • Connects to the city of Valéry north of Espérance, along a coastal route (often along viaducts above high-way medians) to the city centre.
  • Future NDLoop (tilt-train only) services are planned for Valéry and Ruatoria stations.
  • The line's southern terminus is Gare centrale d’Espérance, connecting to most other lines in the network. Heads west to San Jose and diverges north. With connections at Belle Vue with the Smauvert - centre-ville line, and then again joining the Boucle nord intérieure line at Saint-Michel, continuing north to the Tīhukina interchange joining with the Boucle nord extérieure line. Continuing north where the nord extérieure line diverges at Tīhukaha station. The line continues north, with regional connections at Ruatoria and it's northern terminus at Valéry.

•  Loisieux Line 
  • Connects Loisieux to Espérance's city centre and inner southern suburbs, as well as serving coastal settlements between the two cities such as Smauvert, Bourcefranc and Toulouges. Network is very popular in the summer months as there are often direct connections to beaches along the entire network. One of the network's newest lines, opening in 2018 and operates fully on a viaduct system to Loisieux, with stations and tracks above highway medians, similar to portions of Vancouver's SkyTrain network.
  • Has NDLoop connections at Thouracé, Brem-sur-Mer, Le Grau d’Agde and Gare centrale d’Espérance.
  • The only line in the entire network that has connections to all other lines in the network.
  • The line's northern terminus is at Gare centrale d’Espérance, connecting to all the northern lines, and heads south through Espérance's inner southern suburbs, south from San Jose to the large interchange at Tiniroto, and follows the eastern coast of the mainland along Baie Sud. Sharing the network with Boucle sud trains until reaching Le Grau d’Agde. The line follows the NDLoop network along the coast for the rest of the network, and connects to the Smauvert - centre-ville at Smauvert. The line has regional connections as it passes through Thouracé, and connects to the northern section of the Nord Loisieux line at Lacs Entrants, and then again at Gare centrale de Loisieux, as well as the northern section of the Sud Loisieux line. Travelling south along the coast until it reaches the Sud Loisieux's southern terminus at Brem-sur-Mer, and then terminates at Sipurei, just north of the border with Devereaux.

•  Boucle sud Line 
  • Serves the inner southern suburbs of Espérance, the south-western coast of Île de L'Espérance, and the inner coast of Baie sud, deters inland at Pahiko to the regional Arato Aririu hub and connects with the Boucle nord intérieure at Forquilhas and continues through to Espérance's CBD.
  • Has NDLoop connections at Arato Aririu (tilt-trains only), Le Grau d’Agde and Gare centrale d’Espérance stations.
  • The line acts as a loop, so has no terminus station, instead trains will keep circling until change of shits at Gare centrale d’Espérance during off-peak hours
  • Connects to all lines in the network except for the two Loisieux lines.
  • While there is no terminus for the line, it has a holding ground south of Le Grau d’Agde, which acts as a terminus during off-peak hours. North-east from Le Grau d’Agde, the line crosses Nofragados strait to Île de L'Espérance, and travels along the western coast of the island, joining the Demi-boucle Bessan-Tiniroto line at the city's international airport. The line then joins two others at Tetahi Taha and then heads west towards the city centre to Gare centrale d’Espérance, connecting to 6 of 8 other lines in the network. Going through the city centre past San Jose before turning south after Forquilhas, becoming elevated to transfer over at Arato Aririu. It then heads east, but skips the Tiniroto interchange, turning south-east after Bela Vista to Baie Sud's mainland coastline, heading back to Le Grau d’Agde.

•  North Loisieux Line 
  • Serves the north and eastern suburbs of Loisieux, around Lac Roi.
  • Has NDLoop connections at Loisieux Central station.
  • The northern terminus station is at Lacs Entrants, which then heads inland to connect with the Sud Loisieux line at Cendres. The lines join together on the same track and then terminates at Gare centrale de Loisieux, with connections to the Loisieux line as well as NDLoop.

•  South Loisieux Line 
  • Serves the western and southern suburbs of Loisieux
  • Has NDLoop connections at Loisieux Central station & Brem-sur-Mer.
  • The southern terminus is at Brem-sur-Mer, which connects the line to the Loisieux line. Heading north to the city's south western suburbs, it connects with the Nord Loisieux line at Cendres, where they then merge together, and then terminates at Gare centrale de Loisieux, connecting to the Loisieux line again.

Ticketing

Every station has automatic ticket gates activated via the smart card TahiPass system, where users can either use pay with a physical credit sized-card or via their smartphone wallet, available on both Android and Apple devices.