ALSTOM has unveiled its new RER New Generation (NG) double-deck commuter train, ordered for RER services in the Île-de-France region, with a first journey between the Haussmann Saint-Lazare and Chelles-Gournay stations on RER Line E taking place in Paris on November 13.
According to Alstom’s own description of the new class Z 58000 double-deck EMU, the train is “more spacious, brighter, more accessible, more efficient” than its predecessors and is “specifically designed for dense areas.” The latter refers to Alstom’s and SNCF’s close collaboration with the transport authority Île-de-France Mobility, whose requirements for transporting an estimated 9 million daily commuters have been crucial for the design of the RER NG.
In practice, this means doors that are almost two metres wide, and the trains are fitted with open gangways between coaches, both intended to ease passenger flow. There are also standing room only spaces and areas with folding seats for short and peak hour trips on the bottom deck, while more conventional seating is used on the top deck. The six-car trains will accommodate up to 1860 passengers. They will also be fitted with the new NExTEO cab signalling system that will make it possible to increase line capacity on the central section of RER Line E although this is yet to be activated.
In addition, the RER NG offers passengers such amenities as USB sockets, air-conditioning, lighting adapted to the time of the day, and special access for wheelchairs at each end of the train.
The 140km/h EMUs will have eight motor bogies for enhanced performance and offer a 25% reduction in energy consumption. Moreover, the trains are equipped with multiple internal sensors to provide maintenance teams with diagnostics in near real time to support predictive maintenance.
Alstom is supplying a total of 131 RER NGs for RER lines D and E, signing a €1bn contract for an additional 60 sets in August. The original framework contract was awarded in 2018. The initial €1.55bn order comprised 56 112m-long six-car trains for Line E and 15 130m-long seven-car trains for RER Line D, the first of which will be rolled out in 2024. Both will replace the current 40-year-old rolling stock.
The RER NG is already being phased in on the RER Line E, which will be extended from Haussmann-Saint Lazare to Nanterre next year with a further extension to Mantes-la-Jolie expected to open in 2026. The fleet and infrastructure upgrades are part of a €3.75bn improvement programme which commended in 2016.
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