The funds will be used to part-finance the fleet of 172 Bombardier
Z50000 Transilien emus (pictured), the first of which are now entering
service, together with the acquisition of 24 Bombardier AGC trains and
the refurbishment of double-deck emus on Paris RER lines C and D.

eib-ile-de-france.jpgFinance for the Euros 2 billion programme is being split equally
between STIF and French National Railways (SNCF). STIF says the aim is
to increase capacity while significantly improving reliability, speed,
and passenger comfort.

"When the regional government took control of public transport in Ile
de France in 2006 we faced the legacy of 30 years of underinvestment in
both infrastructure and trains," says the president of Ile de France
regional council Mr Jean-Paul Huchon. "One of the first steps STIF took
was a commitment to upgrade the network and ensure that by 2016, all
the regional trains will have been built or refurbished less than 10
years before. Today's announcement shows they will achieve this."