Like many recent tram projects worldwide, Nice's tram was designed not only to serve the transport needs of its citizens, but to help revitalize it's downtown area. Opened in 2007, the line is 8.7 km long and has 21 stations. Like many French tram lines, it uses the APS, or Alimentation Par le Sol, where power is derived through a cable built into the ground and stored in an on board battery, as opposed to the traditional overhead wire. Four additional lines are in the planning stages, including a light rail line which will connect area towns with Nice's airport. An extension to line T1 is also in the works.
The Las Plamas station is not quite underground but it is built into a trench. The tram proceeds from the station through a tunnel to the maintenance facility.
Nice is also home to a 151 km nice narrow gague railway which connects Nice with the town of Digne. It is run by the Chemin de Fer del Provence and is known locally as the Train des Pignes, or Train of Pine Cones.
