They often say ‘bigger is better’, and metro trains don’t come much bigger than the brand new trains for SNCF’s Transilien network.
An Alstom-Bombardier consortium has won the contract to supply a whopping 255 trains for France’s Île-de-France network. The order, worth an estimated 3.75 billion euros, is the largest contract ever financed by STIF, the authority which controls Paris’ public transport network. The trains will start to enter service from 2021, running through the heart of Paris on RER lines D and E.
The new trains (catchily named ‘X-Trapolis Cityduplex’) will be the first double deckers for the RER to feature entirely open carriages, with no separations between each coach. The interior of each coach will be split into zones, to reflect the diverse travel patterns across the Île-de-France network.
Gigantic entrance doors, and cavernous ‘platform zones’ will greet customers on entry to the trains, from where they will be able to choose from mixed-use zones on the lower and upper decks. Alstom-Bombardier envisage customers travelling on the lower decks for journeys of 20 minutes or less, and on the upper decks for longer distance regional journeys.
In each of the end cars, platforms will provide wheelchair users with direct and quick access to dedicated spaces. Air conditioning, lighting and seating have all been designed to provide maximum levels of comfort.
Each train will be able to transport a completely mind-blowing 1,860 passengers all at once, in one gargantuan gallop.
Now THAT is how you do ‘underground mobility’.
What do you reckon? Can you think of anything more impressive than a sub-two-thousand-seater underground metro train? Leave your suggestion in the comments, or drop us a tweet – @transportdsn.
