PARIS celebrated the opening of the new tram-train Line T12 on December 10. The line serves the city’s southwestern suburbs, running from Massy-Palaiseau to Évry-Courcouronnes.
The new line operates over the existing 1.5kV dc heavy rail line from Massy-Palaiseau to a point near Savigny-sur-Orge, where it branches off to serve Épinay-sur-Orge, interchanging with RER Line C. From here the line continues on a completely new mainly on-street alignment to Évry.
RER Line C services over the Massy - Savigny section have been withdrawn following the opening of Line T12, but the tram-trains are sharing the line with freight and a few long-distance passenger trains - a first in France.
Line C services have been completely recast to take account of this change - the notorious Versailles Chantiers - Versailles Château service via central Paris, which confused many a tourist, is no more. Instead, a shuttle service is operating between Versailles Chantiers and Massy. In the long-term Île-de-France Mobility expects to extend T12 over this line.
The new T12 line is expected to carry 40,000 passengers a day. The 10km of new track between Épinay and Évry was built by a consortium led by TSO and including Terideal and Alstom.
The 25 new class U 52600 four-section tram-trains used on T12 are a further version of Alstom’s Citadis Dualis, which already operates on lines T4, T11 and T13 in Paris as well as in Lyon and Nantes.
The Épinay - Évry section is unusual in being electrified at 1.5kV dc, meaning the T12 fleet is equipped to operate only at this voltage.
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