Automatic train operation to be installed on Line A of Paris RER

An automatic train operation system will be developed and installed on Line A of the Paris RER network by Alstom Transport.

In a contract worth approximately €20 million, Alstom will produce the automatic pilot system for RATP (Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens), STIF (Syndicat des Transports d’Île-de-France) and the Ile-de-France region for Line A of the Paris RER. The contract includes detailed studies, the development of the prototype and equipment for the train sets, testing and project assistance until completion scheduled for 2018.

RER A transports 1.2 million passengers per day making it the most heavily frequented regional line in Europe. It is hoped the system will improve performance and frequency of the line.

The train operation will be implemented on 173 trains of the MI2N and MI09 type currently circulating on Line A of the RER. The programme, integrated into the current SACEM (system for aiding control, usage and maintenance) system, will improve the regularity of the line, while offering time savings of approximately 2 minutes on the average journey between the stations of Vincennes and La Défense.

Ana Giros, Managing Director, Alstom Transport France said: “This new contract demonstrates RATP’s renewed confidence in us and illustrates Alstom’s ambition to reinforce its position in the signalling market.”