130 years ago, the seaside resort of Les Sables d'Olonne was in full development: hotels, casinos, railways, modern market halls, a gas factory... and the town decided to equip itself with one of the latest innovations in transport: a tramway!
Inaugurated on Sunday 14 August 1898, this urban transport service changed the habits of the people of Sabl and delighted bathers!
The installation of the Sablais tramway was entrusted to the former concessionaire of the tramways at the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1889. To create the line, a great deal of development work had to be carried out on the seafront. A dedicated power station was even built on the dune, at the end of the embankment, rue Félix Faure.
Starting at the station, it ran along the quays of the port of Les Sables, past the large casino on the beach, then along the embankment and finally up Avenue Aristide Briand to the Rudelière pine forest.
It only ran during the bathing season, but also on public holidays. Its speed was limited to 20km/hour and stops were made "on demand", so it sometimes took 50 minutes to cover a 3km journey!
The service was temporarily discontinued during the First World War, and was finally shut down on 13 September 1925.
Born in Les Sables-d'Olonne, she developed a passion for history and heritage at an early age.
Passionate about architecture, she has set up a number of guided tours designed to showcase the local heritage, always seeking to link the built and the human.
