Paris Transit Thread

[Minato Ku]

Originally Posted by ardecila

Why is it so good? Why??

I understand that the US' discomfort with public spending will never allow rail networks like those of Paris but we could definitely up our architecture/design game.

Yet in Paris, the design is quite basic, we don't have the very ornamented stations like in Moscow metro or in Naples.
______________________

A good news, the idea to close a line during several months instead of only during the night and weekend to increase the speed of the renovation is more and more popular among politics.
In the past the STIF (transport organisation authority of Paris region) refused to allow long closure despite the numerous requests of the SNCF and RFF.
This is about to change

Jean-Paul Huchon agree to stop the traffic of some suburban lines in order to accelerate the renovation.
Jean-Paul Huchon, President of the Ile-de-France region and of the regional transport union, said he was "ready", Thursday, January 9, 2014, to authorize the full stop of traffic of some commuter trains to accelerate the renovation of lines.

"I'm ready, where necessary, to allow the interruption of traffic for the work of improvement be accelerated and completed, "said in his vows Huchon, president of the Syndicat des transports d'Ile-de-France (STIF), transit authority in the region.

[...]

Executive Director of SNCF Transilien Bénédicte Tilloy, also defended the "break" in the manner of conducting the work in the Île-de-France, asking to "stop doing work with a spoon," given the magnitude of sites.
The idea to completely stop a line to achieve faster work rather than perform night and weekend, had already been advanced to the Stif, at a hearing in November 2013 pf Mr Pepy, Ms. Tilloy and Jacques Rapoport, President of RFF (infrastructure manager).

http://www.lagazettedescommunes.com/...2014-quotidien

[ardecila]

Yes, we did this successfully with a busy L (metro) line in Chicago.

People worried but ultimately they loved the temporary shuttle buses because they were faster than the train!

[Minato Ku]

Western extension: La Défense.
Map, layout and rendering
The new RER station of La Défense will be built under the CNIT building.

View of the whole station of La Defense.
RER A platforms, RER E platforms (Gare Eole), suburban rail and T2 platforms (Quais du Transilien et T2) and the metro line 1 platforms (under Coeur transport).










http://www.agenceduthilleul.fr/portf...it-la-defense/

[Wizened Variations]

Originally Posted by ardecila

Why is it so good? Why??

I understand that the US' discomfort with public spending will never allow rail networks like those of Paris but we could definitely up our architecture/design game.

The US discomfort, IMO, is due to a relatively small number of very powerful companies (and individuals) who insist that transportation will remain as is, while at the same time accepting tremendous federal government largess in oil, agriculture, and, military hardware subsidies.

A high percentage of powerless urbanites and suburbanites want great public transportation, but a relatively few very powerful people do not. And, these people have the money to pay the best and brightest to steer our attention where they desire.

That is how the US in the 21st Century is run.

Think of it this way: if the TBTF Banks had not been bailed out to the tune of $17 trillion dollars when the QE programs are included how many miles of world class urban and suburban transit could be built.
Even in hyper corrupt US where public construction is extremely expensive per mile, how many miles could be built at $500 million per mile with that $17 trillion? 34,000 miles!

The French in some ways are more savvy than we are, and, take the role of government in transportation very seriously. Consequently, government backed transportation works very well in France.

[mousquet]

Originally Posted by Minato Ku

http://www.agenceduthilleul.fr/portf...it-la-defense/

Uh, wait, this looks quite abnormally good, eh. Is that wood flooring for real, RATP? Naaaan... Have you ever seen this, Minato? Trying to remember, I don't think I have. On the other hand, it reminds me of some renderings of the Rosa Parks station that were showing something that looked like wood flooring on footbridges to the upper RER platform, that had much surprised me yet. I bet anybody would think twice before dirtying some actual warm wooden floor, but it just seems too good to be true, doesn't it? I mean, I certainly won't believe it till I see it for real.

[Minato Ku]

This is in tune with the other central stations of the RER E (Magenta and Haussmann Saint-Lazare). Design is quite similar except the wood on the platforms.
Note that the RER E is SNCF, the RATP only operate the RER A and B (northern section of the RER B is operated by the SNCF).

Agence Duthilleu is an architects agency widely used for the SNCF stations.
Some exemple designed by Agence Duthilleu.
Avignon TGV station
Saint-Lazare renovation
Gare du Nord Transilien.

[mousquet]

Originally Posted by Minato Ku

Note that the RER E is SNCF, the RATP only operate the RER A and B (northern section of the RER B is operated by the SNCF).

Yeah, but that's weird. Those line E stations could be a great job of the SNCF designers, but I'm in favor of RATP to take over everything in the metro area, anyway. When it comes to rail, huh? Private operators are ok for buses in remote suburbs. RATP doesn't even operate entire line A, that makes everyone waste a couple of minutes in Nanterre Préfecture for their annoying interconnection. Why is that? Some trolling of the SNCF officials to not lose power over the metro area?

Edit: it also raises questions about funding. I'm not so sure the entire country is interested in the RER network that's exclusively regional. Pretty strange that the national agency's still in charge of any RER line, really. As if Paris needed national help to operate its own metro area network? Weird, huh?

[Minato Ku]

Nanterre Université
Construction of a new main station building.







In this picture, you can notice a MI 09 of Cergy/Poissy branch goign to Nanterre Prefecture.
While passing next to the station, RER A trains going to Cergy or Poissy don't stop at Nanterre Université.
New platforms will be built here to create a stop for the Cergy/Poissy branch trains.

[Minato Ku]

Olympiades
First MP05 in service on the line
• Video Link
Video by ErebosSan

[Minato Ku]

MP 05
The MP 05 581, the first MP 05 on line 14.

[Minato Ku]

Tranports in Paris region will be free, this Friday and all the weekend because of high pollution allert.

Paris offers free public transport to reduce severe smog


The Eiffel Tower and other landmark buildings in Paris have disappeared in a milky fog
14 March 2014

Authorities in Paris have taken the rare step of making public transport free for three days to reduce severe smog caused by unusually warm weather.

The French capital region and 30 other departments have been on maximum pollution alert for several days.

Landmark buildings like the Eiffel Tower were barely visible after a white fog settled over Paris.

The capital's air quality has been one of the worst on record, French environmental agencies say.

A lack of wind, combined with cold nights followed by unseasonably warm days, has contributed to the worsening conditions.
...

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26574623

[Minato Ku]

Free transit, Friday and all this weekend.



Fare gates are off service

[Minato Ku]

Porte Maillot
Map, layout and rendering
The station will be built in under the big traffic circle of Porte Maillot

Underground infrastructures, the new RER E station is in green.
It be built between a big underground car car and the metro station of the line 1
There are also the RER C and a road street on the extremities

The space is limited underground, so the station will be vertical





A large skylight

[Minato Ku]

Rosa Parks
Opening December 15, 2015

A complicated construction works, the station is built on the busy Gare de l'Est tracks, everythting need to be done without interrupting the railway traffic.
Especially the substructures are built under the big railway backfill.

In my opinion the big green space will not stay empty for long.





http://www.lemoniteur.fr/147-transpo...64863#23890710

A 3D Google Earth view of the station location.
The area is being redeveloped

[zilfondel]

Originally Posted by Minato Ku

Why are their hoods over the escalators? They have a nice, sun-lit metro station (a rarity), and then block the light when you ascend to the surface???

[mousquet]

^ Relevant question... It looks like keeping people safe from anything that would fall down from above, but why? Idk. What could ever fall down there?

[ardecila]

^ They're probably going for that Space Mountain experience...

[ed24]

Possibly to stop people jumping onto the tracks?

[mousquet]

^ Grim... But that's a possibility. Although I don't think trains are a favorite for committing suicide. Are they? To my knowledge, that kind of death rarely happens. Granted, once is yet far too many. Ugh yuck...

[ed24]

Originally Posted by mousquet

^ Grim... But that's a possibility. Although I don't think trains are a favorite for committing suicide. Are they? To my knowledge, that kind of death rarely happens. Granted, once is yet far too many. Ugh yuck...

Yes it is obviously a horrible topic, but unfortunately I think it is a serious enough one to warrant some sort of barriers on the escalators. For example, you can see that it was one of the major reasons (as well as accidental falls) for the platform screen doors that are gradually being installed across the network.

From my own year in Paris, reasonably regularly there was a delay on the network due to someone falling on the tracks (noted as 'accident grave de voyageur' on the information screens) unfortunately...