TCL Reorganizes Its Bus Lines in Vénissieux: What’s Changing This Fall

In Vénissieux, in the Lyon Metropolis, regular users of public transit are going to have to relearn their routes. Starting August 31, 2026, several TCL bus lines serving the town are changing number or color, as part of the final phase of a sweeping overhaul the Lyon network has been carrying out since 2025.

Why TCL Is Renumbering Its Network

The TCL network has nearly 600 lines, and some share numbers too similar to tell apart easily: that's the case, for example, with lines 25 and C25, which regularly caused confusion at stops. To fix this, the operator began a numbering overhaul of its entire network last year, with the goal of giving each line a unique number and its own color code.

What's Actually Changing in Vénissieux

The town is served by numerous lines affected by this change: lines 35, 39, 54, 62, lines C12 and C25, as well as school lines 211, 212, and 213. For most of them, the change will be limited to a new visual identity – a different color on maps and at stops – without any change to the number. The notable exception is line Zi1, which serves Vénissieux's industrial zone: it is indeed getting a new number this fall.

On the ground, this means regular riders shouldn't rely solely on the color or number they know by heart: it's advisable to check your route before using public transit again in early September, especially for parents whose children take the school lines.

How to Check Your Line Before the Start of the School Year

TCL has set up a line converter, available on its website and app, which lets you enter a line's old number to instantly find out its new number and new color. The trip planner also already includes, starting now, the changes taking effect on August 31. Affected stops are also expected to display temporary signage ahead of the start of the school year, showing both the old and new reference.

This simplification effort isn't an isolated case: other transit networks across France have, in recent years, sought to modernize their tools for riders, such as the Naolib app in Nantes, which now brings together public transit and parking in a single tool. Elsewhere, disruptions haven't come from a deliberate change but from major construction work, as in Bordeaux, where the closure of the Pont de Pierre to streetcars upended the habits of many TBM network riders all summer long.

A Matter of Clarity for All Riders

Beyond convenience, this clarification addresses an accessibility issue: a more legible network makes it easier for newcomers, tourists, or people less comfortable with digital tools to find their way around. When an everyday service changes without warning, the consequences can quickly become burdensome for residents, as was recently the case in Haubourdin, where a prolonged elevator outage penalized dozens of families. In Vénissieux, the advance communication is precisely intended to avoid that kind of inconvenience.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do the new line numbers take effect?

The change takes effect on August 31, 2026, the day before the start of the school year.

Do all of Vénissieux's lines change number?

No. Most lines keep their number but change color; only line Zi1, serving the industrial zone, actually changes number.

How can I find out if my usual line is affected?

The TCL website and app offer a line converter that shows the old and new number, as well as a trip planner already updated with the changes.

Sources

TCL – New numbers for certain bus lines
Presse Agence – Vénissieux: the TCL network reorganizes its bus lines
Lyon Mag – TCL: number changes starting August 31

This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence. Editorial policy