With punctuality of less than 80% on 4 of its axes in 2021, line B of the RER suffers from a severe lack of regularity which will be compensated by partial refunds to its users.
Line B of the RER was the least regular in the Ile-de-France regional network in 2021, which will give rise to reimbursements for users living or working on this axis, indicated Île-de-France Mobilités (IDFM) Thursday.
Read alsoRER B: Alstom and RATP have reached an agreement
In accordance with the new contracts signed by IDFM with the RATP and the SNCF, train delays accumulated over a year can be reimbursed for travelers affected by punctuality of less than 80% for at least three months. This was the case in 2021 on four axes, all on the RER B (a line operated to the south by the RATP and to the north by the SNCF): Aulnay-sous-Bois/Mitry-Claye for eight months, Aulnay-sous- Bois/Roissy for seven months, Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse/Parc de Sceaux for four months and Robinson/Bourg La Reine for three months, detailed IDFM in a press release.
A reimbursement platform soon to be launched
Reimbursement is half a month for routes where punctuality was less than 80% between three and five months, and can go up to one month between six and nine months. A dedicated platform will be launched on March 2 to allow the travelers concerned to file a request for reimbursement, said the regional authority. “It’s a contractual mechanism that we invented with user associations“, told AFP its general manager Laurent Probst.
Read alsoRER B: after a giant breakdown, traffic has gradually resumed since 4.30 p.m.
“RER B is the least efficient line today“, he lamented, at the end of an annual hearing with the CEOs of RATP, SNCF Voyageurs and SNCF Réseau. Its overall punctuality rate is 86.9% over the whole of 2021. Lines D and R are also considered “in trouble», with punctuality rates of 88.1% and 88.2% respectively. The ten other RER lines and suburban trains havegood results», or even «excellent» for RER A (95.1%).
On the metro side, lines 4, 7, 8 and 13 did not meet their objectives. For metro lines 7 and 13 and lines R, B and D, IDFM pointed out “the need to implement the measures planned to improve punctuality, the short-term measures (improvement of operating processes, improvement of maintenance of rolling stock and finalization of renovation operations) as well as long-term measures (renewal signaling, automation, investment in infrastructure, renewal of rolling stock)“.