Île-de-France Mobilités, Paris Transport Authority (RATP) and SNCF announced the organisation of a tender for the procurement of up to 180 new trains that would replace the obsolete ones currently travelling on RER B suburban line in Paris. This line carries 900,000 passengers every day and is the “backbone” of the north-south axis.
Initially, the procurement of the new multiple-units was estimated for 2029-2031, but the three companies decided to accelerate the acquisition to improve transport quality on Charles de Gaulle Airport -Mitry-Claye- Robinson- Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse route. Thus, the new trains (called MING- Matériel Interconnecté de Nouvelle Génération) will have to be delivered by 2024 and put into operation in 2025.
At present, 117 modernised MI 79 trains and 31 under-modernisation MI 84 trains are running on RER B line, all these operations having been financed by Île-de-France Mobilités, Paris Transport Authority (RATP) and SNCF.
The new multiple-units will be procured in two phases: a firm order of 146 trains and an option to deliver an additional 34 multiple-units.
“Builders have to come up with an offer for trains with 20-30% more capacity than current vehicles, more comfortable, reliable and modern trains capable to carry the 900,000 passengers travelling on RER B line, the second most crowded suburban line in Europe”, declared Valérie Pécresse, president of Île-de-France Region and of Île-de-France Mobilités operator (former STIF).
“Moreover, apart from the rolling stock procurement, RATP also invests over EUR 1 billion to rehabilitate the infrastructure on RER A and B lines by 2020”, pointed out Catherine Guillouard, President and CEO of RATP Paris.
“These new trains will meet all public transport demands in Île-de-France, regarding the services provided, comfort and innovations. As passenger flow increases annually with almost 3%, we will have to deliver adapted trains for everybody’s comfort”, added Alain Krakovitch, Managing Director of SNCF Transilien.
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