A Transit System of EPIC Proportions | Paris RER

[@RMTransit]

Thanks for watching our videos this year! We have a full playlist of all of the explainer videos here if you want something to watch! kzbin.info/aero/PLwoYcvp1EGSeL1hZCfeQodba_VNW7pe8v

[@williamhansen9456]

Tog in Danish is pronounced a lot like the English word 'tow'. S-tow 👍

[@zied6456]

Bonne année et meilleurs voeux! Happy new year and best wishes!

[@Privateuser9999]

It’s definitely epic you can get pickpocketed in 5 mins Among the most unsafe systems in earth as they intentionally target tourists from the airport The French should remove the pickpockets and crooks Have you ever been IN this system Let’s see if your passport and wallet makes it with you when you reach Making videos is good but you must visit to understand the risk

[@W00DMAST3R]

I think you kind of compared the RER to german S-Bahn Systems. After seeing this in the case of Berlin for instance, you should rather compare the RER to the VBB map, since it adds an inner city express service on top of the S-Bahn.

[@maxbarr3954]

Do you will do an video for the Transillien (a fusion between regional train and RER) service?

[@Harry-Truman1]

Watching this on the RER

[@h0u5n17]

Which one?

[@ZigZag83304]

Same here 🤣

[@pokaface564]

*jealous

[@transitspace4366]

@@pokaface564 Don't be jealous, taking the RER is often a horrible experience, it’s so unsafe because it serves dangerous areas of the suburbs, you have to stand for sometimes 2 hours in super busy trains and when there is an incident, RER stations become so crowded that it becomes dangerous.

[@LaT00pe]

@@tortellinifettuccine Unsafe for Parisian and French standards.

[@UncommonManFromEarth]

It's refreshing to hear somebody speak about the RER with such enthusiasm! Being French, I usually hear people complaining about it 😅

[@holiamdebirbevoie9420]

On oubli la chance que l'on as

[@banksy7863]

The smell man. The smell....

[@didierdubos]

I'm using it everyday to go to work and believe me it is not a pleasure to use the rer....

[@Sindor33]

As frenchmen, we always complain... But maybe we aspire to a better future?

[@NikHYTWP]

It's a feat of city building and it should be admired but the way it's run (at least the SNCF-operated lines) leaves a lot to be desired. I use the C and my biggest annoyance is how early in the evening they stop running trains, if you wanna go to dinner or an event in Paris that ends after 22:00 good luck catching a train back to the suburbs!

[@mathieuduboisrecords]

Being french and from Paris, i will show this video to people i know saying "Paris has the WORST transportation network in the world." Being tired of this. Very good video Thanks a lot !

[@NapoleonTrotski]

c'est pas possible de sortir ça hahaha, faut vraiment ne pas être sortie de paris

[@mathieuduboisrecords]

@@NapoleonTrotski Ne vous en deplaise, je connais bien le reste des villes de France, et ai pu vivre dans d'autres métropoles européennes, et je n'en connais aucune avec un réseau aussi étendu, et une qualité de service aussi grande. Très simple de critiquer le réseau de transport de Paris lorsque l'on ne connaît que des villes avec uniquement 2 trams et 5 métros.

[@NapoleonTrotski]

@@mathieuduboisrecords j'étais d'accord avec vous, je pense justement que les Parisiens qui pensent que le réseau parisien est le pire au monde sont ceux qui ne sortent pas de paris

[@mathieuduboisrecords]

@@NapoleonTrotski désolé de la mésentente ! Nous sommes raccords haha 😂

[@NapoleonTrotski]

@@mathieuduboisrecords haha pas de soucis, ma phrase n'était pas précise

[@aidanclarke6106]

FUN FACT: the RER A was initially named Métro Express Régional Défense-Étoile. Only when the painter in charge of painting the signs realised that the acronym would spell MERDE (sh*t in French) they decided to rename it RER. 😂

[@ChezRG-YT]

Lol

[@TheSilentGeorges]

J'espère tellement que cette anecdote est vraie

[@FrSosac]

@@TheSilentGeorges ça l'est

[@aidanclarke6106]

@@TheSilentGeorges - Si tu cherches "RER MERDE" sur internet, tu devrais trouver des articles provenant de journaux sérieux. J'espère qu'ils ont vérifié leurs sources.

[@TheSilentGeorges]

@@aidanclarke6106 Magnifique !

[@gloofisearch]

The RER is awesome. I remember the first time I visited Paris in 1988 and was amazed by the huge stations underground. In addition, the ride quality has something only the French can do. It feels like the trains are on air. Chatelet les Halles is a station of grand proportions. I think it is the only station in the world that has one metro line, line 4, with 2 stops within one station.

[@atallshadeofthecolorred6918]

It might be... Unless you count the Saint-Lazare-Havre-Caumartin-Opéra complex, where line 3 has 3 different stops :) I'll concede however that the route on foot is quite a bit more complicated than "walk in a straight line across Châtelet-Les-Halles".

[@fischX]

I like that it short stops like a metro - therefore it's not so slow like the S-Bahn systems in Germany

[@user-jk2zm7uq5s]

Canada has a shopping centre so large that it has two metro stops ;)

[@zanedepiver2002]

@@user-jk2zm7uq5s Les halles is a shopping center with 1 metro and 3 rer

[@quoniam426]

Also, Line 4 les Halles station was actually displaced closer to the RER station when it was built (the former station was in front of St Eustache Church were the garden is now); so Line 4 was effectively SHORTENED in the operation losing about 100 meters in length. The switcheru happened in the course of three days, one track at a time. The old tunnel was in the air when the shopping center complex was being built, not unlike New York Subways lines under the World Trade Center during the rebuilding after 9/11, although the tunnel was still in one piece and covered in plastic, it was demolished after the swtich from the older to the newer station.

[@JBS319]

Most suburban/urban rail systems like the RER or S-Bahn have a single city center tunnel with trains fanning out on either end. Meanwhile, Paris has FIVE TRUNK LINES on the RER. It's no wonder it's the example everyone looks to.

[@bearcubdaycare]

Then again, Boston has none, and the trains terminate at the north and south end of the central city a mile apart, despite a massive decades long, tens of billions of dollars transport tunneling project from one station to the other.

[@1978dkelly]

@@bearcubdaycare Insane that Boston hasn't connected these two stations but allocated $24 Billion for the Big Dig.

[@drdewott9154]

Yeah I mean Paris basically has 5 different S train systems as a result, more or less.

[@yannischupin7787]

Yet they interconnect very well, changes are effortless most of the time. And it is not only between rer lines but also with the metro, the tram, buses and even tgv stations. They are different because they were a bunch of old lines repurposed towards a better use. So it was cheaper than building new lines. It is even what made those projects a reality. But most of the efforts today are to remove those barriers and it takes a lot of time for sure.

[@RMTransit]

Its not exactly 5, but its a lot more than one!

[@maxsupernova]

As a former Torontonian now living in Paris ... there is no way I could return to the transit of Toronto. Unlike the TTC, the metro and RER systems are an integral part of the city that the only time I think of taking any other form of transit is late at night. Edit: If you can ever avoid going to Chatelet-Les Halles, avoid it. It's so large that it can feel like you've walked 30 minutes just to catch a connection (you haven't, but it can feel that way).

[@VincentMuambiAuthor]

Max, I was born in Paris but raised in Toronto. Can you tell me how life is like in my birth city? How would you compare it to Toronto? Thanks!

[@kueller917]

Though it also depends on how you're using it. If the metro line exits at the right "sector" it's fine. Also L4 and the RER stop right at Les Halles. Also sometimes if I reaaaally gotta transfer and it's a nice day I'll go outside and walk to the other entrance.

[@szurketaltos2693]

I kinda like Chatelet, at least outside of rush hour. Agreed it's not great if you're in a rush, but as a tourist it's fine.

[@grantcanty7294]

it feels like an endless maze... it's crazy that châtlet-less halles is connected to châtlet as well. truly an overwhelming station to be in if you don't understand how to get out

[@MrGaters34]

Chatelet-Les Halles is the busiest African metro station.

[@vongodric]

What impressed me and shocked first time I used RER was when a train pulled into station while another train was leaving... CRAZY tight service running. Literally stand on the platform and watch 2 trains at both ends, one speeding away another slowing to stop. 🤯

[@wadzar]

Not possible.

[@user-kw9qu2gz8v]

Go to nation, Auber, or Étoile and you'll see it tens of times a day.

[@diz9606]

@@wadzar He ain't lying, it's true.

[@madao7052]

@@wadzar it is

[@wadzar]

Mea culpa!

[@WaddleQwacker]

I grew up in Île-de-France on the J Transilien line till I moved out at 18 years old. Like any kid from the outer Parisian suburb, i had to take the train to get to high school, i took the train then RER then Metro to get to some events in Paris, I had to cross the entire region to visit friends, ... I used all kinds of transit systems in the entire region and Paris itself. If you ask local people about Paris and the region's transit system, most of them will tell you how it's terrible, always late, dirty, expensive, not enough convenient... And I would probably said the same thing when I was 18. All I could see about our trains and metros is the hours I spent standing up under the snow waiting for a train to arrive because of drivers on strike. All i could think is that it's barely functional and maintained, and people don't even care about it. So I didn't care either. Now almost 10 years older, I've been to other places. Lyon, Strasbourg, Annecy, and now living in Montréal Canada. Each time I come back home, I feel happy. Because what I used to think of as an eyesore and a national shame, I now know is actually something to be proud of, something that many people could not even dream of, something that is not to be taken for granted and normal. Heck, I didn't need a driver's license and a car to do anything for 18 years, I could just use my yearly 300€ Navigo card and go basically anywhere in the entire damn region and I thought this was normal! Traveling makes you change how you see your world. Even at a small scale.

[@Hiro_Trevelyan]

Glad I could help making this video :) Nice job as usual It's interesting to note that RER A and B also contain among the oldest rail lines of France (and probably in the world), considering it's now being used as a frequent mass-transit system today is astonishing. RER A to St-Germain-en-Laye was finished in 1837 and was the first line of France to be built and used only for passenger transit. RER B southern side was built between 1846 and 1867, up to Luxembourg station (south of Chatelet les Halles but not that far) and is incredibly curving, imposing huge restrictions for choosing rolling stocks. Really puts the engineering challenges in their context. If anyone is wondering, line E is technically not part of the RER since RER lines are converted suburban Transilien lines that pass-through Paris. So, since it's stopping in Paris, it's not an RER yet. Most Parisians are not even aware the line exists since it doesn't go to important destinations outside of Paris. It was supposed to be extended to la Défense and further before 2000's, but the tunnel section between Saint-Lazare and Magenta caused subsidences above, shortly after opening. So they had to stop everything to repair that, it cost so much that the project had to be delayed (and they certainly could not continue like this under Paris). The RER B only has single-level trains because they couldn't upgrade to bi-level trains. Since the tunnel sections of the southern part is so old, they had to upgrade emergency exits first. Larger trains mean larger crowds, and evacuating them in a tunnel designed almost 200 years ago usually don't comply. That's why bi-level trains are coming out only now on this line.

[@ogamiitto8627]

Line E isn't useless for a lot of people living in the east/north east suburbs and working in Paris. Once the extension to La Défense will be completed, line E will even be crucial in order to divert part of the busy line A trafic.

[@clemsuryoutube798]

Rer B can, actually, have bi-level trains (and it will be the case in 2026). The "problem" about bi-level on the rer B is different. Indeed, rer B is, a kinda metro (maybe more than some "official" metros in the world), so, to simplify the passengers flux, it's better to have a lot of side doors,, which is really difficult with bi-level trains...

[@AD-ry7br]

​@@clemsuryoutube798 Yeah, I can see the RER B being basically a metro, considering how close to each other some stations are, like Port-Royal/Luxembourg/Saint-Michel per example.

[@Hiro_Trevelyan]

@@clemsuryoutube798 It's not the reason since RER A has 3 doors per car with bi-level trains. They just didn't have the money to replace them and upgrade the line to standards.

[@Hiro_Trevelyan]

@@ogamiitto8627 Not saying it's useless, just saying it's not as known as the other RER to the point many people are surprised the line even exists when I tell them about it, which never happened with other RER lines.

[@amyinorbit]

As someone who took RER A and B daily for years: We used to have single-level trains on the A, and while I tend to agree the new stock is mostly stairs, it's still somehow better and slightly less crowded!

[@jambon2730]

@@amyinorbit Double level trains have also been ordered for Line B

[@christianwestling2019]

17:10 I've always apreciated french unique engineering. You can see similair things in their cars and other industrial things; a unique way of doing things. It might not always be the best, but they try something different. Awesome in my book :)

[@alexandremoi331]

As a french i think it's both a blessing and a curse. Sometimes it's nice to reinvent the wheel, sometimes it's just pain in the ass.

[@christianwestling2019]

@@alexandremoi331 I can imagine 😄

[@clementbouvard8457]

A really nice video overall, you just forgot to mention how line C is gonna lose its loop to be replaced by a tram-train which will make looking at its map a bit less confusing

[@8jof544]

I hope he won't forget to mention it in his future video about Paris trams. The old loop branch of the RER C line will become the Tram 12 line

[@RMTransit]

@@8jof544 Exactly my plan!

[@obkb1]

Which section is being eliminated?

[@8jof544]

@@obkb1 That's the branch C8, from Savigny to Versailles Chantiers. And it won't be eliminated, instead it will be transformed to receive trams (firstly the southern half to Massy-Palaiseau), plus a new part will be built on streets on the south side to Evry-Courcouronnes.

[@obkb1]

@@8jof544 Thanks!

[@jambonavecdubeurre]

Personally, I'm french and I really think this video was extremely well explained and very clear. Great job !

[@zdavis4222]

I used the Paris Metro and RER for twenty years before I retired and generally found it pretty good. Having frequently used RER B to the south, it is a bit frustrating that there are so many stations where the train stops. Even more frustrating was that the RER didn't go within easy walking distance of where I wanted to go. However, that is a perennial issue with public transport: the further you go out from the centre of a metropolis, the more the radial lines fan out and the larger the areas that are not adequately served.

[@KyrilPG]

Fantastic last 2022 video! I'll just add a precision : they "will" not build an intermediate station on line E at Porte Maillot : it IS built and currently in the finishing stage, much like the gigantic one under La Défense which has its own tracks separate from RER A. The West extension of line E is almost ready, phase 1 to Nanterre La Folie will soon open, then phase 2 up to the far reaching end of the Western suburbs will open a year later. There are a few videos available here showing the new stations (Porte Maillot, La Défense and Nanterre la Folie) of line E's West extension in a very advanced stage. Porte Maillot is particularly nice and interesting with its "light well". I'm very excited for the upcoming opening of phase 1. Sadly, the new rolling stock is delayed due a production issue, for which the region / IDFM is super angry as the new trains are absolutely needed for the high frequency goal to alleviate RER A's (and M1's) burden. Kudos for the video and enjoy your NYE.

[@MidnightAspec]

Watching now. Had the opportunity to ride the RER-A from Paris to Disneyland Paris this past August. Great system with fantastic frequency. As a regular rider of NJ Transit commuter rail and occasional rider of Metro North/LIRR, I wish the NYC area had such a service.

[@RMTransit]

Ask your politicians!

[@MidnightAspec]

@@RMTransit I’m in a deep blue region, with heavy support for mass transit….. but not that heavy of support.

[@puccaland]

@@MidnightAspec Too much money embezzlement in the US for construction projects. In NYC they spent 6 billion dollars just to add 3 new stations on some already existing line and cosmetic work here and there. For a comparison the Grand Paris Project which encompasses retrofitting the entire network with cosmetic work but also heavy work like elevating the old platforms, changing the old tracks, refurbishing tunnels, putting thousands of elevators and escalators everywhere, extending several lines, building new stations, building 4 new metro lines over 200 km of tracks, much more tramway lines, cost 36 billion euros and people were already complaining for the overspending and every single euro has to be strictly justified now. Same issues with high speed trains and even the current train network in the US.

[@etbadaboum]

Strasbourg has indeed launched a new RER-like train network and other cities are implementing one like Bordeaux. But there is already a fantastic network already working between France and Switzerland in the Genève area, the Léman Express. Go check it out!

[@joriss5]

However those "RER" projects generally don't involve any new tunnel. They just mean running more all-day suburban trains on existing networks, with capacity improvements when we're lucky (as in Strasbourg) and hopefully fare integration with the urban network (and maybe new stations on existing corridors later).

[@etbadaboum]

@@joriss5 Tunneling would be very expensive. But truly having meaningful RER networks imply massive investments over 10-15 years. So far the money isn't there.

[@SuperKiki93]

I live in Strasbourg and this is news to me. Are you talking about the CTS network?

[@etbadaboum]

@@SuperKiki93 No the REME, Réseau Express Métropolitain Européen, it just has been launched but with difficulties

[@SuperKiki93]

@@etbadaboum Okay I just checked it and indeed it has been existing for a month already. However it feels more like putting more TER trains than creating a whole new dedicated network such as the RER in Paris and IDF.

[@ravenmusic6392]

The RER is fantastic. The crazy thing is just the sheer size and scale of it all, the RER A has an 18km long Central tunnel and extended far far out, its like the precursor to the Elizabeth line with a similar length tunnel. But they have 5 of them! Albeit not as long, but 5 central tunnels all longer than 5km for a commuter rail network is just insane. The only thing that even comes close here in the UK is the Thameslink central tunnels (video on thameslink core would be cool) and northern city line (basically a giant tube tunnel for mainline trains), but those are smaller commuter railways. The sheer scale of the thing is just crazy

[@TMD3453]

So impressive. Good points about transit making a city into a region. Also, it seems like technology development and transit planning went hand in hand in Paris. That kind of cooperation- and public support to do that - seem very French. Thanks and happy new year! / PS The Magenta station is intense! Very unassuming entrance - probably to blend in with street- opens into a really deep station. Wikipedia: “There are nine levels in the station, with the RER using the lower-most basement.”

[@aspexpl]

A few precisions from a daily RER user : - RER A double-deckers are a great improvement in capacity,. The seat count may not be that impressive, but since the line is stupidly overcrowded at rush hour, the rows and platforms serve as standing place for unfortunate commuters such as your servant - The reason why RER B is still single-level is the height of that damned tunnel between Chatelet and Gare du Nord. It's regularly discussed to redo it, and the proposition is regularly dismissed as "nah, let's connect some random suburb instead" - RER E is currently expanding west, with stops at La Defense supposedly in 2024 and then a bucolic trip to Mantes some 30km away, the goal being,, believe it or not, to relieve line 1 and A. At this point we should just raze Paris and replace it by a 300m wide train line - All the RER lines should-would-could-eventuallould be connected by the Grand Paris project that would make a loop around the suburbs, allowing lower-class citizens to visit each others without bothering quality people in Paris, that's a great thing. The project is due to complete shortly before the Andromeda galaxy hits the Milky Way

[@AminulJahid]

Before what 😂😂😂

[@Fr_Desperado_Fr]

The statment on rer B is false. Rer D have 2lvl train and use the same tunnel.

[@aspexpl]

@@Fr_Desperado_Fr Yes, I've checked on their site, you're right. But there are some heavy work on the whole line tp accomodate the double deckers and they won't run before 2025 (at best).

[@tricosteryl]

The gare du nord tunnel is used by standard two deckers Z2N of the D line

[@paulfeldmann3267]

Rer e c’est jusqu’à Nanterre la Folie en 2024

[@TheLewistownTrainspotter8102]

10:59 You'd be surprised to know that at least with RER C, the "RER" actually stands for "Réseau Escargot Régional".

[@8jof544]

The D line won that name too 😅😢

[@YsterYuki]

@@8jof544 nah the line C is definitely taking that name within Paris. You can almost travel faster by bus or by bike on the Intramuros section.

[@joriss5]

@@YsterYuki The central section of the RER C is the perfect counter-example of mass transit : stops every 100 meters (or at lest is looks like that) with trains that are absolutely not meant for that (the Z2N with their tons of seats and scarce doors) and some inefficient stations as well (Saint-Michel with its very low platforms while the trains have high entries). The frequency is high (albeit not as much as it used to be with 24 tph !) but the ridership quite low, helping the whole thing to work quite reliably.

[@YsterYuki]

@@joriss5 ...and that's why i love taking line C whenever i can, because i know there's always nobody

[@ambe5179]

Great video ! The RER A line has automatic piloting in the central tunnel, so you can see a train passing every minute during rush hour. New trains have been ordered also from CAF and Bombardier for RER B to modernize rolling stock.

[@Parmatt]

Every 140 seconds, doors opens 😉

[@parisathene1855]

Das Auto hat mir 😂

[@RMTransit]

Interesting that they are going to be from CAF!

[@haeffound]

@@RMTransit SNCF also went with CAF for new Intercity train, named Oxygen. Recently, a mock-up was shown at different station from Brive-la-Gaillarde and Clermont-Ferrand, to see what they look like. Nice, but the seating seems very worst that the old carriages we had unfortunately.

[@chorao4011]

Great vidéo, I live near la Défense and I got a few remarks. 1) I am so used to using the Metro and the RER interchangeably that I find it weird to separate the two networks. Sure the type of trains, their frequencies and reach are not the same, but they're too similar for rides inside the city. 2) RATP/SNCF interconnexions are quite often the weak spot of line A and B when there is a strike, forcing passengers from one train to another in order to continue onwards, especially on the rer B where people have to go from the underground station to the surface station of gare du Nord. 3) I was very lost entering the New York metro system earlier this year because of all those lines and I only just realized that it is just branched lines that are treated as as many different lines as there are branches.

[@lt2143]

Awesome, interesting video! Love, absolutely love Paris' RER and Metro systems! They take you to any areas of Paris and then some, with less waiting time between trains. Other types of transportation are neither needed nor necessary for us.

[@blitz3391]

A great video that gives a nice external point of view on our system. One HUGE downside however of the RER and Transilien network is that many tracks are shared, as you said, meaning that often a single accident or problem in one of the main line, like line A or B, can delay or bring down a huge part of the network and create many problems. Line B is the the most infamous for its delays and problems, mostly due to the single shared tunnel to access the main portion in Paris.

[@oakhauser]

absolutely

[@fabricedulin252]

Right I'm using everyday RER B Drancy to Paris it's very bad service and getting more bad . everyday's morning or evening it's surprise, luggage problems,person inside tunnel, material issue,and many more problems never know if I will be on time for job or back home....I forget STRIKE every 3 month for more money,and working get salary up french gouv afraid open pocket.the reason is this monopole! no concurrence power to block the France .....

[@puccaland]

@@fabricedulin252 There aren't strikes every month and disruptive problems everyday. Stop lying. The punctuality rate in 2021, during Covid, without enough staff and big constructions everywhere was 87%. A delay starts from 5 minutes.

[@fabricedulin252]

@@puccaland U are not use everyday ,that difference with me,ask many users of RER B and U will get same response.

[@KyrilPG]

​@@fabricedulin252 The problem is that most of the French public is convinced of living in a hell hole. Same for the RER : most users are adamant that it's the worst system on the planet or that it's extremely expensive... Surprisingly, expats living in Paris (area) for decades and using the very same lines everyday have a VERY different opinion about them... There are problems on the RER B but far less than what you're saying and far less than on the D line. Line D is the one that is much more affected by the single tunnel issue. Plus, there's no tunnel interlining on the RER except on B & D between Chatelet and Gare du Nord.

[@jamesdavies6228]

A little late. Congratulations on all the really thorough and well scripted videos throughout 2022! I have found myself having to watch this video twice just to comprehend somewhat the complexity of Paris' RER and I am sure you would put many Parisians to shame with the knowledge that you now have of their system. It also appears you stand alone within the transit oriented KZbin world for the sheer volume of videos that you push out. That is a testament to all the hard work you and C put into this channel. Well done.

[@MrGadd1]

I use the RER A everyday to & from work and barley have any issues. Definitely more convenient than the metro in the city (as well as line B) 👌🏼

[@trains_worldwide]

I take the RER B every day since 2015. I've lived quite some adventures on it... People say it isn't reliable, but I've been ditched by RER B only once in seven years, at La Courneuve-Aubervilliers, where line 12 of the metro is now within walking distance.

[@leveluxtordu]

Honnêtement tu dois avoir bien de la chance. Après je suis du même avis que c'est quand même assez fiable ( big up à tous les agents en sous-effectifs qui gèrent pas mal :D ! ), mais moi je prends le RER B tous les jours, et quand j'arrive avec moins de 3 minutes de retard sur l'heure prévue c'est un miracle en vrai. Et je te parle même pas des problèmes d'affichage réguliers, des trains qui changent de mission en cours de route (ça m'est énormément arrivé et c'est vraiment le pire truc), des trains en pannes, en septembre/octobre il y en a eu quelques uns quand même ! Comparé au RER C/D même si c'est pire, de leur côtés les Z2N sont vraiment bien plus fiables. Après moi je suis sur la partie Sud, peut-être que t'as pas ces problèmes dans la partie nord ^^

[@Fan652w]

Thanks Reece for an extremely comprehensive video, and it is certainly wonderful for you to be able to end 2022 on such a positive note. I would add two related points about line C. In the city centre line C is confined to the south bank of the Seine, the 'Rive Gauche', and the line C stations in the centre are close together, unlike the rest of the RER. However these two facts have (I believe) enabled the Paris City Authorities to severely limit road traffic along the Rive Gauche. On introducing RERs into provincial cities, note that the Geneva Trans-Leman RER is jointly run by Swiss Railways and SNCF, and extends well into France.

[@abelsuisse9671]

Indeed! The leman express network around Geneva severely lacks capacity and modern infrastructure on the French side - so much money spent on Paris and these lines in the outer regions don't even get double tracks!, but it already works as a proper RER network with a new trunk tunnel (and beautiful stations) across Geneva. It has also beaten the ridership expectations, despite covid, home office, and several strikes by French train drivers.

[@RMTransit]

@@ronylouis0 Too many stops!

[@Autruchement]

@@ronylouis0 It serves strictly no ones, except everyone that is visiting the Museum of Natural History (Austerlitz), Notre-Dame and the Quartier Latin (Saint-Michel), the Orsay Museum, the Invalides and its Museum of Military History, and the Eiffel Tower.

[@walideg5304]

@@abelsuisse9671 well it’s not black or white. Problems exist on both sides. I can tell you the CFF also have tons of problems including recruiting drivers. There are also a massive issue in the Lausanne train station with a fiasco on the design, and infrastructure issues on the busiest train corridor of Switzerland between Geneva and Zurich especially the section between Geneva and Lausanne where a hole stopped the network during 2 days. The rolling stock provided by Stadeler on the Leman Express also have a lot of problems.

[@Autruchement]

@@ronylouis0 Well living in the south of Ile-de-France, I'm frigging glad the C exists and I actually go to these places. Especially with the Saint-Michel station currently closed, it's a pain going to the Quartier Latin because the connexion to get line 10 at Austerlitz is quite unpleasant. You might not notice it because you might have a different use and needs from the line, but it is actually full of tourists or locals going to or from the city centre to Versailles or somewhere else without having to change. You can have a look at the twitter feed of the RER C, and people are annoyed when they announced Saint-Michel would be closed for another 5 months, or when it's cut between Orsay and Invalides for absolutely no reason during weekends, or when the summer kicks in and it gets so cumbersome going anywhere between Austerlitz and Javel.

[@leonpaelinck]

I just visited Paris and I think I like the RER even more than the Metro! Although nothing beats sitting in the front of the automatic metro pretending you're driving

[@jambon2730]

Fun fact: RER A is actually automated between Nation and La Defense, that's one of the reasons why trains could run so close during rush hours

[@SpectreMk2]

Just been back from Paris where I had a healthy dose of RER. Good timing!

[@theobeaver]

Small details such as drivers changing in sections of the line show your research is extensive, great video, very interesting 👍

[@LoneHowler]

Those double decker trains look awesome

[@zeykov]

12:12 Just wanted to point out that, the Navigo card is not a card for Paris, it's a card for the whole region where Paris is located, Île-de-France. So basically with the Navigo you can use public tranportations anywhere in Île-de-France, but the rer D extends just a little bit over the region, in the north branch, Creil, it goes to Hauts de France and in the south branch, Malesherbes it goes to Centre Val de Loire

[@yannischupin7787]

A very good video for the end of the year 👏. There is one thing to add though, there is also a project for the RER C that is to remove the massy Versailles section in order to turn it into the continuation of the brand new T12 line. Indeed it would better connect Versailles to Évry and it is going to make rer C easier to manage. It is going to heavily improve the service. (There are also projects to take some TGV services turning around Paris off the rer C tracks alowing more service and less traffic problems for the line.)

[@TheLewistownTrainspotter8102]

RER C needs a lot of work so as to not be known as Réseau Escargot Régional C.

[@huguesjouffrai9618]

Incredible work, great video. I'm amazed to find so much expertise on a foreign channel when there are a few quality KZbin channels dedicated only to public transport in the Paris region

[@maxbtl]

A few corrections : the extension of the E line to the west does not include absorbing one of the A west branch as completely new tracks are being built to join with the J line instead. I might be wrong but i've never heard any source mentioning that change. Also, the project NEXTEO has been ditched, to the disbelief of many of the supporters of the scheme and there is currently no plans anymore to double the Chatelet-Paris Nord tunnel. This is really a blow to the ability of the B line to absorb its nearly 2% increase in ridership every year. Today, the line is almost back up to 100% ridership pre covid and more than 900 000 ppl take it every weekday Awesome video, great work all around

[@joriss5]

Yes, in the west the line E will take over the current line J service to Mantes via Poissy (on tracks that will be quite saturated also used by long-distance trains). Line A is not supposed to change and will keep its three branches, however an change with the services pattern of the A/J branches to Poissy and Cergy is possible. Nexteo hasn't been ditched, but delayed for the B/D implementation as the funding isn't there... however it would not be operational until all trains on those lines are replaced and won't bring that much more capacity anyway.

[@maxbtl]

@@joriss5 The lack of political will to double the chatelet - GDN tunnel in the 90's will hurt every suburban inhabitant for the next two decades, its such a shame

[@Arkaid11]

Apparently NEXTEO is back on the table again, according to a very recent article of Le Parisien on the RER D.

[@unlapras9365]

You're right the Poissy branch will remain after RER E is extended to Mantes-la-Jolie. However there are talks to transfer the branch to Transilien L and replace L services to Cergy with more A services.

[@TukozAki]

Also, RER A, B and C were available to passengers with a *bike* from at least 1998. Allowing eg going to work 25 km away from downtown Paris in 45 minutes +/- 5' door to door. Excellent work (other than this bike omission) @RMTransit.

[@Lodai974]

It is a tolerance in off-peak hours only and if the train is not too crowded. A bike is made for riding.

[@TukozAki]

@@Lodai974 I used to work all over France and Belgium with a bike. Good luck with 'riding only' when commuting even at a mere 30 km from your place.

[@Lodai974]

@@TukozAki To go to Paris from the suburbs, you don't need a bike. Leave it at the station in the suburbs. The metro network is more than sufficient in Paris.

[@TukozAki]

@@Lodai974 Last time I checked there were people living in Paris (not suburbs), and even a few outside of the Île-de-France, where there are few metro stations. Also keeping one's proper bike in Paris downtown is so freaking handy when you need/want to freely pass by *anywhere* for lunch or after work hours.

[@Wasserfeld.]

As a Londoner I love the RER. It's choas, rammed and not the best of environments to travel in, but it's a impressive workhorse. Here in London, I've been surprised just how quickly Crossrail has filled up like RER A, although still not as busy!

[@OnkelJajusBahn]

What I really admire are the extremely gigantic vehicles used. Especially on line A. Absolutely incredible.

[@julosx]

RER C and D host the biggest ones.

[@leveluxtordu]

Yes, and that's funny how the newest EMU seems to have an armour haha! But well if you go on RER C/D, or in some Transilien lines which has Regio 2N EMUs (line N and R) , it's also such impressive machines !

[@the.abhiram.r]

i was recently in paris (staying in la défense), and it blew my mind that taking transit was actually faster than driving, despite it being a 40 minute drive, and that the RER was able to take me directly to the city center, ran every 5-6 minutes and allowed me to use the same ticket as for the tram and metro (for only 2 euros too!) . meanwhile in the us where i live, commuter trains are every 30-40 minutes and that's actually considered impressive by us standards. incredible how a city of 2 million people in france has the best quality transit while some cities of the same or a bigger size here are lucky to even have an amtrak station...

[@Lodai974]

Normal, it's been 30 years since anti-car policies do everything to hinder road traffic in France and especially in Paris.

[@benjobenjo407]

@@the.abhiram.r hello. 2 millions is only for the historical city. Urban area 12/15 millions

[@nicolaslaloge4811]

Interesting, Châtelet les halles is the middle of my day commute when I switch from RER A and B. And with the daily delay I never give a deep and deserve respect to this big infrastructure that I use since more than 20 years. Thanks for this hindsight.

[@cujoyyc4453]

Good stuff here but I'm surprised you made no mention of the ongoing Grand Paris Express project, that adds 200 kilometres of tunnels under and around Paris, and how it will connect with the current Metro, RER, and the assorted Trams/LRT of the system. And Happy New Year to everyone.

[@RMTransit]

I mentioned that in the metro video! Worth a watch

[@greattyranny8920]

brooooo, i'm french and I live in Paris...This...is THE BEST explanation and a very detailed one of paris metro, rer, trains in general(SNCF), ... Your amazing my guy ! 🤟

[@SpectreMk2]

I think the prospect for further major RER network expansions beyond the RER E to la Defense and to the west is quite limited for the next few decades. Paris already has a healthy backlog of approved transit projects awaiting execution or financing. Most of them focus on suburb to suburb connections with metro and trams rather than suburb to center Paris like the RER. Some of these projects will help alleviate the current RER saturation and reliability issues, while a lot of effort is also put into train signaling and new rolling stocks on the existing network. I do like the idea of tunnel between Saint-Lazarre and Montparnasse though!

[@puccaland]

That's because no RER other than the E which ended at the center of Paris need an extension. They already all go at the edge of the Greater Paris and beyond. However many metro lines and tramway lines have been and will be extended.

[@abegue]

Watching this on the RER A 😆 Great video, as usual

[@RMTransit]

Thank you so much!

[@sm6allegro]

A Saint-Lazare - Montparnasse RER was part of the RER master plan from the beginning but due to budgetary restrictions, they extended Metro line 13 instead by merging it with the original line 14. That partly explains the overcrowding on line 13, why it's Paris' least favourite Metro line and why the current line 14 is being extended parallel to its Saint-Denis branch.

[@tricosteryl]

Also they initiated an enlargement of Line M13 stations and Platforms to accomodate trains extended from 5 to 6 cars but this project was Never completed.

[@guldklimp]

The transport system in Paris is really amazing. With the métro, RER, transilien, tram and the future grand express it's really incredible. Having lived in Paris for 5 years I know there are a lot of problems with the RER sometimes, but it still is an amazing transport system.

[@wawax-productions]

Really nice video. Once again well done ! Paris region is as a whole is a work in progress, because there's metro & RER extensions + the creation of 200km new automatic metro. The RER is a everyday challenge, especially RER B & D because of the shared tunnel between Chatelet and Gare du Nord. (If you can avoid Chatelet les Halles, it's better because it easy to get lost as there're so many exists & lines at the same place...) Happy new year !

[@eriqmav]

6:39 The rer A is really in a class of its own, as an rer B rider I'm always jealous when I see rer A trains on the other side of the platform at châtelet coming what feels like every 10 seconds while I've been waiting for mine for 10 minutes 🤣

[@jan-lukas]

And still RER B has nearly as many riders, impressive!

[@Parmatt]

@@jan-lukas Not really 1.4 million vs 900 000

[@leveluxtordu]

@@Parmatt It's closer from 1 million, you can be sure of it. By the way on the RER B we don't have double-decker trains, so... we can discuss about it you see what I mean

[@shakespear90]

I am french and I take rer closely everyday to go to work Its easier and more reliable to take the train from 2 cities in north africa country for example than 40miles with RER A every single day technical problem they fix it next day problem maintenance is very poor unreliable . a shame

[@jambon2730]

​@@shakespear901) that's wrong 2) if you think RER us bad , you're not living far enough to rely on the transilien lines

[@olmakey]

As a former RER B driver (for a few weeks only :)) this is very accurate and complete ! Through the entire video I was like "will he mention 'this' ?" and in the next 30 seconds you would mention it ! Great work

[@willingshelf]

First came the Madrid metro, where the Madrid Cercanías was mentioned. Then came the Paris metro, and the RER was mentioned. Now the RER has come. Is the Madrid Cercanías coming soon?

[@gruweldaad]

Ojalá

[@RMTransit]

Likely yes :)

[@camillelaurent-gengoux3543]

Nice video , thanks ! Just one minor point, RER B (called then Ligne de Sceaux) stopped in Luxembourg not Châtelet during a long time. I think this is what you meant. Also, only central part is modern, the outside parts, and some central parts, are mostly old lines from XIXth century that were reused. In fact, some stations are charming 100 years old buildings, like Port-Royal.

[@blitzznvlls]

I think RER played a somewhat significant role in Season 3 of Jet Lag the game. I think it was used to reach Massy (?). But what an amazing system

[@ricequackers]

This video just reminds me how much of a missed opportunity the Manchester Picc-Vicc tunnel project was. The plan to start off with was to link Manchester's two largest stations and enable easy transfers, but the eventual goal was to build a very RER-style network linking the city's suburbs via the city centre. This could have happened in the 1960s or early 1970s, before Paris built out its system, but sadly national economic issues conspired against it.

[@regisdumoulin]

This reminds me of a few months ago when I had 2 of my children born and bred in the UK visiting me in Paris... We went down to Auber station on the RER line A to catch a train to Disneyland. At that point they just thought we were taking the metro, the regular underground... Upon arrival my eldest noticed "this is a big station"... And then one of the double length double-decker units rolled in... And his jaw dropped 🙂!

[@evanzai1771]

11:04 2019 Ridership per day on RER lines is : A : 1,4M B : 1M C : 0,5M D: 0,7M E : 0,4M So ridership isn't similar between B and C lines :)

[@unlapras9365]

The northern branch of RER C to Pontoise has such a complexe history and design that it deserves its own video. It was created in 1988 by linking several existing or disused rail infrastructures. It took over the Auteuil line, the last surviving part of Paris's Petite Ceinture railway. That's why is has so many stations inside Paris and trains can be very slow. Due to NIMBY opposition (of course...) the route is also not great and it features sharp turns and steep slopes that contribute to the line's low speed. However it has truly great stations from the 1900s and the viaduct over the the Seine offers a beautiful view on the Tour Eiffel.

[@fandecaisses1]

I take the RER A regularily, and the double-decks with three doors per carriage are nice, because you are always near a door when you want to leave the train. Stopping times are usually shorter than with a long carriage with only two doors at the edges, and when leaving the crowded train you push against less people, and for a smaller time, which is nice.

[@RoshanRajSingh]

One of the best videos by RM Transit

[@jenishparekh1342]

Thanks for the amazingly informative video! So refreshing to hear a positive point of view about the RER!

[@markclemens3409]

The first RER in France's regions has already debuted in Alsace. Just a couple of weeks ago Strasbourg's RER opened. Although it's great news for commuters--and will likely be duplicated soon in Bordeaux and Toulouse--it's less good news for people living in more distant towns in the region who want to be able to get from Wissembourg to Strasbourg, for example. People living outside the Strasbourg-Kehl Eurometroplex are already complaining about reduced service as a result of the new RER's inauguration. Furthermore, as work-from-home becomes more widespread, transit planners need to avoid overdeveloping commuter networks at the expense of more long distance regional connections. Being able to travel on regular service between market towns and regional capitals like Villefranche de Rouergue to Toulouse or Wissembourg to Strasbourg is the only way to ensure car-free mobility in France's regions.

[@anteeklund4159]

Such an amazing system!

[@RomainSandt]

I'm French... Live outside of Paris and work in Paris. Didn't learn much. But the storytelling is great, a lot of informations in a clear understandable way. The work and research is visible. Since the informations are correct, makes me want to watch other videos trusting I'll learn, well trustworthy informations 😁👍

[@richard-riku]

The service pattern is not easy to understand if you're travelling to the suburbs. It took many trips to Paris and travelling into the city from CDG on line B before I realised that some line B trains skip many of the stations between Gare du Nord and CDG airport. I only found out when I took one of these express trains by chance. These express services are rarely mentioned in any materials that explain how to get from CDG to the city on the RER!

[@wikirexmax]

On every plaform there are screens with the train terminus, departure time, its name (a four letters coded name related to its itinerary), and all the stations where the train will stop.

[@nicolasblume1046]

16:41 Paris has 5 City Center tunnels, so giving each one a letter makes more sense than in munich. I think the German System is good, because you always know directly what branch the train will serve

[@8jof544]

The RER has also a number for each branch, with paired numbers at one side of the line and impaired numbers at the opposite side. That's another way to find easier a destination

[@MarioFanGamer659]

There also is the fact that Germans (at least the map designers) rarely see heavily interlined lines with branches as the same line aside maybe internal classifications like in Frankfurt U-Bahn (e.g. the map publically uses lines U1-U9 but internally lines A-D with numbers for branches), deviations (e.g. morning and evening lines) and having multiple lines merged together on a map. In other cases, the network as a whole makes it difficulty to classify what is a branch of what (e.g. Berlin S-Bahn where despite having three major lines, still has many individual lines which go all over the place).

[@ronyinparis]

Rush hour on the RER is literally what I'm experiencing rn. RER A is so busy lol

[@Parmatt]

1.4 million passengers per working day (monday to friday). it is the most used line in Europe and represents 1 quarter of the RER traffic

[@LaT00pe]

I actually love RER A. Living next to la défense, it is a proper God sent ! High frequency, beautiful new trains... Even if peak hours are packed, you know it's not for too long. And the line modernization really has improved service quality !!

[@haniminhas6237]

I always wanted to know more about RER. So informative. Loved it. Can't thank you enough. 👍👍❤️

[@HaussmannRider]

Can't wait for you to make some research on what we call here ' Le Grand Paris' ! 👍

[@kueller917]

I currently use the Navigo Liberté+ which is the "subscription" that acts as a pay-per-ride card unlike the proper subscriptions that give full access to the network. The downside of the Liberté+ is that it only works inside Paris proper, so to take the RER out I have to get a paper ticket. I know there are plans to integrate the card into the full system but not sure when that will happen. The state of Navigo is interesting and maybe worth a video on its own. It's in a state of transition to phase out paper tickets which makes for both interesting new methods of using the card and also has revealed all sorts of technical debt that have made the process painful and slow.

[@andrewclarkson3401]

I think this is a fantastic system for Toronto to aspire to. Shooting high doesn't hurt!

[@heidirabenau511]

Great video! Please do a dedicated video about tram-trains and why they can be an excellent transit solution!

[@zachp.3509]

He already did!

[@heidirabenau511]

@@zachp.3509 I said a dedicated video, I am aware that he has made a video about Karlsruhe!

[@zachp.3509]

@@heidirabenau511 Aah yeah fair, but he talked a lot about the subject in this video but sure a dedicated one would be great

[@BatPierrot]

There is unfortunely another side to this. RER is often shutdown on multiple points passed a certain hour, making this access to Paris difficult but more so, returning from Paris difficult. You can take the RER to catch up with friends on a saturday night and end up being stuck in Paris with no way to return home other than taking a Uber. So you end up taking your car through traffic to make sure to get home easily. In rush hour, RER is insanely loaded. If you wish to sit, you can take the long train which has more stops and less people in it but it will double the time of your trip. Otherwise, you'll have to stand compressed between people, sometimes without anything to hold on and avoid falling. This causes people fainting or being hostiles to each other. Also, most of your friends in Paris aren't really your friends since they tend to taking only Paris subway. They won't come often at your house in suburbs because they can't be stuck away from Paris and most of them don't drive. You will be the one making the trip. Don't get me wrong, RER is not really the cause of all this. It is a great transport meaning which i use all the time. But it also influenced companies and people to be in Paris, making rents too high and basically making mandatory to work in Paris while living in Ile de France. Too much people are now living around Paris and are taking the same 4 RER lines to go to work. No entire region should rely on such a transportation system instead of developing local neighborhoods and jobs.

[@Pablitopewpew]

YES the main problem today is how most suburbs are just dormitory towns

[@hach1koko]

couldn't have said it better myself

[@JenAiMarreDeSaucisse]

What about the night buses? I always manage to find one, but they probably don't go everywhere, true. You can't expect the trains to run 24/7 :D

[@ody5199]

@@Pablitopewpew not really actually. I mean a lot are but there are a lot of cities in the suburbs which are also central districts from some businesses. The three cities which form saint-quentin en Yvelines holds the headquarters of major companies like Renault and Bouygues. Same goes for Vélizy which attracts people working at Dassault systems and other major companies. The real problem of Paris is that there are too many people :/ thus congesting all (very well) developed public transportation system. The city should hold half as much people.. Another issue with the design (which is fortunately changing with buildings of new lines such as the line 18) is that it's very difficult to get from one suburb to another. All lines interconnect in Paris only, only a few other stations act as interchanges. Don't get me wrong that is still paradise compared to the USA but it's not perfect yet and sadly, many people still rely on their car to get around, mostly when they live in one city and work in another one which is not Paris itself.

[@ody5199]

@@JenAiMarreDeSaucisse they do work but first of all, have a major flaw of insecurity (😅) and are quite spaced out in time, one needs to wait quite a long time (like an hour sometimes) if interchange are needed. Uber and taxis are much more expensive but at least at night they're quite fast, going from the city center to the further suburbs is about 40 minutes drive when there are no jams

[@wdmfan]

Double-decker coaches for local transit is actually brilliant! Double Decker is way more useful in (rush hour) short/local transit, than in long distance trains.

[@henreereeman8529]

Hi Reece, random question but I'm just curious as to which city you think has the best public transport in Europe? I know it's quite a broad question but I would love to hear your thoughts! Also excellent video!

[@DanTheCaptain]

Oof that’s a difficult question. There’s a lot of cities that come to mind that could be considered as having the best. Literally too many to list in this comment.

[@henreereeman8529]

@@DanTheCaptain yep, I know! I go back and forth on this a lot so I'm curious about some (perhaps less biased) opinions!

[@RMTransit]

You can make a case for many cities!

[@precariousworlds3029]

I would say London, Madrid, Berlin, Paris, and Moscow

[@maltekoster817]

Hi there, have you heard of the "Grand Paris Express" project? I wasn't aware of this, and was really stunned what a huge project there is under construction. Defenitely worth a video. Cheers from Munich, Malte

[@jnicolas92]

Fun fact : the RER C Line C wasn't originally supposed to be this funky. According to the plans of the 60s, it was supposed to be a 2nd North-South corridor, parallel to the RER B line, connecting St Lazare to Montparnasse. Sadly the costs were considered to be too high and we ended up with the RER C the way it is today. I use it from time to time and find it a certain charm, though!

[@paulfeldmann3267]

ça sera le rer F (personne ne voudra le financer mais on peut toujours esperer)

[@joriss5]

About the trains used on the RER : - Line A has those special MI2N and MI09 double-deckers, that provide more seating for travellers from the "far" branches while still being efficient for the large crowds of the core. - Line B has long resisted to double-deckers for various reasons (mostly the shorter station spacing, and the curved platforms that basically forbid to have doors in the middle of the cars). The future MI-NG trains will be a mixed solution with short cars and many doors to solve this and try to crunch more capacity for the million of daily riders (a figure RER B reached in 2019). - Lines C and D both have Z2N (a longer version on the latter line), trains designed for "far suburbs" services and not really for the RER as they have few doors, many seats and narrow aisles. Line D will soon get RER-NGs (thus people are unhappy because they'll have less seats) in hope to make the whole thing more fluent with more doors and space for standing. Line C will keep Z2Ns until about 2035 while they try to figure out the least bad solution for the future rolling stock (considering some stations have low platforms while others have high platforms due to track sharing with other lines). - Line E originally has the SNCF version of MI2N (aka the cheap version, with less motors and central doors that are only connected to the lower rooms). Since there are not enough of them SNCF uses some Z50000 Francilien as a stop-gap until the RER NG ordered for the extension are able to take over the whole line. The Regio2N are no RER rolling stock. They operate Juvisy-Malesherbes and Corbeil-Melin shuttles that are branded "RER D" but never, ever, reach the central tunnels and should not appear on the RER map any more...

[@Benji_Toshi]

14:58 This illustration image shows the transilien N at versailles chantier. The rer C is not equiped with régio2N

[@shivsankermondal]

Chatelet les halles was confusing but now i dont get lost, but to go metro 7 to RER A its huge walk , i always admire the engineers who built it .

[@epilog99]

A video about the incredible Tram-System of Basel would be cool!

[@RipCityBassWorks]

Reece coming in clutch with the epic finale to 2022! An RER style system would work so great for many North American cities, yet Toronto seems to be the only one actively working on it.

[@chris51lee]

Grew up in Philadelphia where through trains are the norm. I am at a loss as to why NYC and Boston cant do it. Also can you look at why east side access was to extended to jersey? Finally there is a little used class 1 freight line parallel to the clogged pa turnpike called the Trenton cut off. It is so ripe for passenger rail it breaks my heart when i sit on traffic. 0:07 The

[@keacoq]

Excellent video thanks. Filled in some of the many gaps in what I'd learnt from occasional use of the system.

[@MaximeYlias]

Living near a RER C station and watching this x) : terrific

[@keyoneswain121]

I love your channel! All things Transportation! Keep up the good work! Oh and Paris has one of my favorite Transportation systems! The intermodal connections are so easy to use!

[@RMTransit]

Thank you so much!

[@ChuckConnNYC]

Love the RER

[@TheeEarthQueen]

I would proud of the RER is it actually worked smoothly

[@katrinabryce]

I think the first RER-type lines were the Argyle and North Clyde lines in Glasgow. They only provide east-west connections through the city though. It is on a much smaller scale, but Glasgow is a much smaller city. Elsewhere in the UK, the Merseyrail network in Liverpool opened in 1977/78, and Thameslink in London opened in 1988. Thameslink and the Elizabeth line Line were both first announced in the County of London Plan in 1943.

[@sihollett]

The Snow Hill tunnel whose reopening was the main part of Thameslink, of course, ran through N-S services (albeit typically only a few a day: most trains ran to Moorgate before diverging to north or south) from 1866 to 1916 (with services northward from Moorgate continuing on into this century) when it became freight-only. The Met and, even more so, the District also ran RER-style services from one suburban rail line, via a central tunnel, to another suburban rail line well before 1900. What makes the RER special is that the tunnel was specifically built for that purpose of crossing the city rather than being a tunnel whose services got extended over suburban branches - the Snow Hill Tunnel fits that bill, the SSLs not so much. However that the SSLs did both build and take over suburban railways (as did the deep tubes in the Interwar New Works Programme), and because (especially on the deep tubes) speeds in the heart of the city were reasonably fast, London had little need for an RER style tunnel as a way of integrating the suburbs into the city, nor for getting across the centre in a reasonable time. It needed it for capacity, and the speedy travel across the centre was a welcome side-effect.

[@RMTransit]

I think I would disagree, part of what makes the RER the RER is the big trains!

[@Lodai974]

Fun fact: the TGV is also the RER....many people live in cities 1 hour by tgv from Paris. The TGVs arriving around 8 a.m. are full of workers. 6/ 7 p.m. as well.

[@kaitlyn__L]

Hey man, your production quality just keeps going up and up! These are now really compelling mini documentaries, and it’s wonderful to see. Wishing you a nice new year!

[@RMTransit]

Thank you Kaitlyn, it means a lot!

[@casmatt99]

As an American, this entire video seems like science fiction

[@inglewoodea3149]

🤣🤣

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

Nice video! I haven’t ridden the RER much, but enjoyed the rides when I used it. I took the RER from the airport to Gare du Nord to ride the Eurostar to London! Great experience!

[@1abyrinth]

I love regional rapid transit systems so much. I live in the Bay Area in California which has BART, which despite it's popular portrayal as a metro is absolutely a regional transit system very similar to the RER in many aspects. It's amazing to be able to take a train from a satellite city or suburb to a central city center in barely any more time than driving (often even less time once factoring in parking), especially without (usually) having to wait upwards of an hour or longer for a train to arrive like is the case with many regional and commuter trains in North America. Admittedly BART isn't as good as the RER when it comes to frequency and it has a lot of issues with delays due to excessive interlining, but it's miles ahead of most regional transit in North America.

[@irtissayo5389]

Yep, and Epic Strike too!

[@ViniciusSC10]

I was watching this and a couple other videos on the RER and I couldn’t help to be: 1- impressed by the sheer size of the system and how it complements the subway 2- the size of Paris transit system and how well one complements the other 3- how similar the CPTM system in São Paulo is to RER, but way smaller and without the lines crossing the city center, so it’s more like the Transilien. But it’s same idea: a mix of commuter rail and rapid transit to suburbs and reaching the city center connecting with the subway. Also, as a user of CPTM, I would love to see this RER A double decker train with that amount of seats on it’s lines 🤣🤣🤣

[@holiamdebirbevoie9420]

I love Paris, France, and our train 💫 Happy new year's