Vitrolles opens Cap Horizon multimodal hub and inclined elevator

The Aix-Marseille Provence Métropole has officially launched the Cap Horizon multimodal exchange hub in Vitrolles. A central feature of the project is ‘L’incliné’, an automated funicular/inclined elevator designed to bridge a 35-meter elevation difference between the Vitrolles Marseille Provence Airport SNCF station and the Estroublans economic plateau.

The elevator system, which cost 8.8 million euros, operates seven days a week from 5:30 to 22:30. It utilizes two cabins, each capable of carrying 20 passengers, to complete the transit in under one minute. The infrastructure is intended to encourage soft mobility and reduce reliance on individual cars for the 31,000 employees working in the Estroublans area.

The broader Cap Horizon hub is operated by Transdev and includes an eight-platform bus station serving high-level service lines (Zen A and Zen B) as well as intercity coaches to Aix-en-Provence. Additional amenities include a 430-space parking facility with electric vehicle charging stations, a secure bicycle shelter with repair tools, and pedestrian walkways.