The Shipping company of Aglomération Stéphanoise (STAS) serves 29 of the 43 communes of the agglomeration inhabitant of Saint-Etienne (Saint Etienne Métropole) that is to say a basin of approximately 400  000 inhabitants.

Presentation

The joint Shipping company of the agglomeration Stéphanoise (STAS) is the trade name of the company which manages and exploits the various lines of trams, trolley bus and bus of the agglomeration inhabitant of Saint-Etienne.

Organized and financed by Holy Etienne Metropolis, community of agglomeration to the responsibility for public transport for the 43 communes. The network is structured around the 2 lines of trams ({{Lignes STAS|Tram 4}} and {{Lines STAS|Tram 5}}), of 2 lines of trolley bus () and 54 lines of buses which traverse the agglomeration of 4:08 at midnight ().

The official name of the company, although not used is the TPAS which is a public limit company with a capital of 154.000 euros. The principal shareholder is Veolia Transport subsidiary of the group Veolia Environnement since April 1st, 2000.

The network is organized in 2 zones:

• the zone Grand Saint-Etienne is made up of 47 lines (2 tram lines, 2 lines of trolleys, 43 lines of bus). It extends on 17 communes (15 communes of the old SIOTAS and St Héand and the Tower in Jarez) around Saint-Etienne and along Ondaine.

• the zone Grand Gier includes/understands 5 lines of bus (2,3,4,5,8 and 79) as well as 4 school lines (12,13,14 and 16). It extends on 12 communes along Gier

• These two zones are connected by the lines and the star FOR THE THIRD TIME which is organized around the agglomeration (accessible with a step Oùra combiant FOR THE THIRD TIME in the agglomeration and the STAS).

History

The network inhabitant of Saint-Etienne is known to have kept its electric tram (the only one in France with Lille and Marseilles) since its creation. But it is also one of the rare French networks to have preserved lines of Trolleybus with Lyon and Limoges.

The tram inhabitant of Saint-Etienne

See also: Tram of Saint-Etienne

Great modifications of the network since the Nineties

New traffic organization, September 1st, 1998

All the lines serving the downtown area inhabitant of Saint-Etienne knew modifications following the change of direction of several streets:

• Carnot (): passage by the street Amp in direction of the center town.
• Street of Peace (line 5): Passage by Michel Rondet and Augustin Dupre in direction of Michon and passage by the streets Augustin Dupre and Georges Tessier with the return like currently to the place of the streets Aristide Brian (direction Town hall). New terminus in the south of the place of the Town hall. Route set up on August 7th, 1998.
• Montaud (old Red Gate/Bel Air): urban boulevard then normal route on the level of the church of Montaud in direction of Bel Air and Street Borie in direction of the Red Gate.
• Jacquard (, old): in direction of the West, passage by the Duchamps streets and H. of Balzac (in the past Bush and Hard shell clam) and in direction of the Large Field, passage by the street Bush (before Duchamps). Line 38 joined the street of the Limes by the Urbain Boulevard.
• Blanqui (old Release/Crêt de Roc) terminus AV of the Release (before Dorian) and passage by the street Blanqui instead of the avenue of the Release and Street of the Play of the Arc.
• Center town (): front terminus of the Release
• Prolongation of the line of Bertrandière to the Northern Hospital.

Trolley bus

Historically the number of lines of Trolleybus was of 7 (). Today there remain only 2 about it (lines). Indeed, the line with lost its trolley buses (in 1999) following persistent work on its course then with the esthetic will of the mayors (Chambon-Feugerolles in particular). The current line corresponds to the lines and histories. The line was stopped with the arrival of the Agora L (more modern than the old articulated trolleys become decayed). But this line could in the next years being again equipped in the trolley bus (line strong TCSP which cannot easily receive a tram because of an important slope on part of its course). The line was amalgamated with the line, then since October 2006 (arrived of the second tram line) with the southern line, thus losing its connection station-center city. Finally the line is preserved only in its part south-western and partially included in its north-eastern part by the second line of () and the line.

The new network (October 2006)

Work

Work related to the construction of the second line of tram, complicated by the impressive building site of cleansing of the Furan which crosses in underground the center town reorganized the network of surface.

Tram () : In parallel of work of the line (section Populates/Châteaucreux), the line was modified on the level of the Course Victor Hugo/Rue Gambetta and Rue of November 11th.

Work began Cours Victor Hugo (January 2004/May 2005). The trams will borrow it one year (September 2005/May 2006) in the two directions (with a central avoidance Albert Thomas places) during the reorganization of the Street Gambetta (April 2005/March 2006). The installations of shunting and the swings were carried out during July, June and August 2005 and 2006 when the trams were replaced by buses (line divided into 2 in 2005 then course continues in 2006).

Trolley bus () : Work of the line (front of the Release and Fourneyron) prevented the use of the lignesest (Terrenoire) etest (Sun) in trolley. To keep a line of trolley (in particular for lack of bus), the lines are divided into two. the provisional line (exploited in trolley) takes again the western routes (Michon and Cotonne) tandisque provisional the lignereprend, in bus, the western parts (Terrenoire and Soleil)

Bus :

• Line : Since Montreynaud, the line carries out a loop by Carnot (correspondence tram) then serves Châteaucreux to find its route at the level it Fauriel college in order to avoid the place of the People and the avenue of the Release.
• Line : Borrow the same route as it starting from Carnot in direction of the Red Gate the first year (work places of the People) and the following year in the two directions (work avenue of the Release)
• Ligne : Work avenue of the Release does not make it possible any more to serve the Dorian place: terminus Public garden Violet (old stop Posts)
• Ligne : Does not pass any more by Dorian while coming from Châteaucreux but by the avenue Etienne Mimard (put at double direction).
• Lines 3,11,16,26 : Passes by the street of the Republic (as all the old lines which served the avenue of the Release:) to join Dorian.
• Lines : The streets Elisee Reclus and Michel Rondet borrow since the west to join Dorian.
• Lines : Terminus with the old stop Marcellin Allard of the line following work of the Place Chavanelle (construction of an underground car park).

The new network

• Firminy :

The arrival of the FOR THE THIRD TIME lately electrified (December 2005) and of the Oùra range (FOR THE THIRD TIME + urban transport) connects Firminy to Bellevue in 15 minutes. Line 15 (Bellevue Firminy by highway) was thus removed. The multimode pole (bus+ter) is created in front of the station of Firminy, terminus of lines 2,20,21 and 26 (regrouping of the termini of the avenue of the Station and Chaney Bridge). Line 1 is prolonged with the Église Le Corbusier approaching Firminy Vert with a test of frequency of 15 ' (in order to privilege FOR THE THIRD TIME with the bus), become again in 10 ' a few months afterwards. Lines 23,24,28 have their terminus close to the Hospital (in the south of the Place of Breuil). Only line 71 sees its offer increasing. It is limited to the Pertuiset (assured correspondence with line 2) in off-peak hours and is prolonged in Firminy only in rush hours.

• Holy Chamond and the valley of Gier

The new terminus of line 3 is in Crêt of the High Eyelet the every day and for all the services. The creation of line 79 (line with 3 antennas with folding back with Bank-with-Gier) serving Cula/Saint-Martin-the-Plain and Holy Joseph. This line is exploited by the companies Bluma and Chazot for the account of Saint Etienne Métropole.

• Holy Etienne (line of tram 4 and 5)

Displacement of stop : Place Carnot, Munitions factory and Peuple with his 3 new stops

New terminology : Munitions factory - > Quoted of the Design, Albert Thomas - > Victor Hugo

Suppressions of stop : Park Carnot, Rue of Hollow, Camille Colard

New stops : Terminus line 5 in Bellevue (creation of a new quay), Public garden Violet (old bus stop Post office building), Jean Moulin, Fourneyron, Dalgabio and Châteaucreux.

• Holy Etienne (trolley)

Line 3 finds its configuration of before work (Michon Terrenoire) and is exploited in the trolley bus. Line 10 is divided and only its Western part (Cotonne Town hall) is preserved, and exploited in the trolley bus.

• Holy Etienne (drunk)

6 : terminus with Jean Moulin (buckles by the street Barbusse)

7 (fusion with the ex line 12) : route of old line 7 to Jean Moulin then of old line 12 south (red Gate)

9 : After Châteaucreux, serves the Sun (ex 10) and joined Montreynaud without passing by Carnot

11A : Terminus with Jean Moulin. Prolonged with the CHPL and the Park of Europe

11B (fusion with the ex line 12 north : Replace old the 12 north (Bel Air) Terminus with Châteaucreux

16 : Line prolonged in rush hours with Villars (30 outward journeys returns daily newspaper)

25 (fusion with the ex line 52 : Line 25 takes again the route of the ex line 52 between Bargette and the northern Hospital (exploited by the SRT for Saint Etienne Métropole)

41 : After Montreynaud, the route from old the 9 to Carnot begins again

27/51 : Line 27 only passes by Châteaucreux Sunday and line 51 carries out its terminus there.

37 (fusion with the ex line 38 : From Fourneyron, route of the ex line 37 then return to Carnot to serve Crêt de Montaud (ex 38). In the return, Carnot/direct Fourneyron by street Desjoyaux.

108/109 : new terminus of the lines of the Valley of Gier with Châteaucreux

33 : line created in September 2007, in test for 6 months and connecting the district of the Sun to the place Jean Jaurès by the route of line 27 with a bus every half an hour between 6:00 and 20:00, of the Monday to Saturday.

Other activities

The company manages also a Musée of the urban transport of Saint-Etienne and its area which recalls the evolution of the rolling stock of the CFVE and the STAS

Network

See also: Line of bus STAS

Tram