RER A

RER A
RER A
	RER A train at the underground La Défense station
Overview
Termini	Saint-Germain-en-Laye (A1), Cergy-le-Haut (A3), Poissy (A5); Boissy-Saint-Léger (A2), Marne-la-Vallée–Chessy (A4);
Stations	46
Service
Type	Rapid transit/commuter rail
System	Réseau Express Régional
Operator(s)	RATP/SNCF
Rolling stock	MI 2N, MI 09
Ridership	300 million journeys per year
History
Opened	8 December 1977; (last extension in 1994)
Technical
Line length	108.5 km (67.4 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	Overhead line:; 25 kV 50 Hz AC; 1,500 V DC;
Route map
	Houilles
	Carrières-sur-Seine
	↑ 25 kV AC
	↓ 1.5 kV DC
	all stations are accessible, except Achères–Grand-Cormier
	(*) Under construction

RER A is one of the five lines in the Réseau Express Régional (English: Regional Express Network), a hybrid commuter rail and rapid transit system serving Paris, France and its suburbs. The 108.5-kilometre (67.4 mi) line crosses the region from east to west, with all trains serving a group of stations in central Paris, before branching out towards the ends of the line.

The initial portion of the line was built in stages between December 1969 and December 1977 by connecting two existing suburban commuter rail lines with a new tunnel under Paris: the line between Vincennes and Boissy-Saint-Léger in the east (which formerly terminated at the now-closed Gare de la Bastille), and the line between Saint-Germain-en-Laye and Nanterre line in the west (which formerly used a surface alignment to Paris Saint-Lazare which is still in use as Transilien L). The viaduct between Vincennes and the former Gare de la Bastille terminus was redeveloped into the Promenade plantée elevated park in 1993.

Since opening, three additional branches have been added: one in the east serving Marne-la-Vallée and Disneyland Paris and two to the west serving Poissy and Cergy.

The RER A has had a significant social impact on Paris and the surrounding region by speeding up trips across central Paris, by making far fewer stops than the Paris Métro and by bringing far-flung suburbs within easy reach of the city centre. The line has far exceeded all traffic expectations, currently serving over 1.2 million passengers per day, on about 300 million journeys per year. It is the busiest metro line in Europe.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.