Think Railways

Alstom will develop and install, for RATP, STIF and the Ile-de-France region, an automatic pilot control system for Line A of the Paris RER. The contract, worth approximately 20 million euros, includes detailed studies, the development of the prototype and equipment for the train sets, testing and project assistance until the commissioning of the rehabilitated line, scheduled for 2018. The project aims to reinforce the performance and frequency of the RER A, which transports 1.2 million passengers per day, making it the most heavily frequented regional line in Europe.

“This new contract demonstrates RATP’s renewed confidence in us and illustrates Alstom’s ambition to reinforce its position in the signalling market,” says Ana Giros, Managing Director, Alstom Transport France.

The automatic pilot will be put into service on the fleet of 173 trains (MI2N and MI09) currently circulating on Line A of the RER. The system, integrated into the SACEM system, will improve the regularity of the line, while offering time savings of approximately 2 minutes on the average journey between the stations of Vincennes and La Défense. Alstom Transport’s sites at Saint-Ouen and Villeurbanne are involved in the project.

Since 1989, the SACEM system (system for aiding control, usage and maintenance) has ensured the performance and security of Line A of the RER by continually controlling the speed and the interspacing of the trains. Alstom has actively participated in the development and the implementation of this solution.