Lpresidential announcement [le 27 novembre] of the objective of setting up ten RER in the large urban areas constitutes one of the events of this beginning of mandate, marking the will to develop powerfully public transport as an alternative to the private car, ecological structuring of the peri-urban territories.
France would thus join Germany (fourteen S-Bahn networks), Spain (thirteen Cercanias networks) and Switzerland (fourteen RER networks) in a major act of development of its railway sector.
No difficulty in identifying potential territories: nearly fifteen territories immediately expressed or confirmed their interest. A few days later, the European metropolis of Strasbourg opened the ball with the first stage of its European metropolitan express network (REME), a supply shock of one hundred and twenty additional trains, an increase of 43% on the axes served.
Express coaches and train + bike intermodality
However, several important conditions must be met to succeed in these complex projects:
– the offers to be put in place are volume offers: minimum speed of a quarter of an hour at peak time, extended range of service, equipment adapted to rapid uphill and downhill movements, so as to adapt to the urban or peri-urban lifestyle;
– these new offers will be based on the rail hubs that serve almost all of the conurbations concerned: a first stage with the current infrastructure is often possible. Beyond that, infrastructure development, new stations, and even new sections of track will be necessary. Diametricalization [c’est-à-dire la traversée directe des agglomérations, sans changement] services will limit connections for passengers and will reduce the saturation of stations by avoiding the prolonged parking of trains. The complete implementation of these RERs is possible in several successive stages between now and 2030 in the vast majority of the agglomerations considered;
– the articulation with the other transport networks will be done thanks to judiciously distributed hubs of exchange to create continuity of service between trains, metros, trams and buses. Express coaches will be added for sectors away from the train. Train + bicycle intermodality has significant potential to work on by developing bicycle parking areas near stations for the first and last kilometer and by facilitating the loading of bicycles onto trains;
You have 57.98% of this article left to read. The following is for subscribers only.