Poma 2000

The Poma 2000 in Laon, France, was an automated guideway transit, a cable-driven people mover which ran between the railway station and the city hall. The system was 1.5 km long with a maximum gradient of 13% and an elevation change of 100 m.

History
The system opened in 1989, replacing a former tram line (1899–1971), that used a rack for braking but not propulsion. There were three stations. The cars ran on rubber tyres on a metallic track at a 2.5 min headway. Four vehicles were used by the system, and each of them could carry 33 passengers at a maximum speed of 35 kph. The maximum capacity was 900 passengers/hour, and most recent ridership before its closure was about 1500 passengers/day.

The system ran every day from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. from Monday to Saturday and every day in Summer. A complete journey on the line from Gare to Hôtel de Ville took 3.5 min.

Citing €19 million maintenance costs and rising local taxes, the Agglomeration Community of Pays de Laon ended the service on 27 August 2016.