Exploring an RER tunnel

I explore a tunnel that is 1.5 miles long from the portal to the underground station. I don't know of anyone actually exploring these RER tunnels before (apart from the train graveyard section), so it really felt like I was exploring the unknown. This tunnel turned out to be far more interesting than I expected. There are loads of side passages and rooms to be explored. These ranged from signalling rooms, to substations, to sump pumps, and one room even looked like a bunker. Getting towards the station the tunnel became 2 single tunnels, then it opened out into a well lit siding. I rushed past this part as sidings often have sensors, thanks to graffers painting trains, which ruins the hobby for people who just want to explore, like myself. The only thing I regret from this explore, was not exploring the vent shaft half way through the tunnel. Often these vent shafts go into secret disguised houses, which people would walk past every day thinking that it is just a regular house.
Very few people explore these tunnels. A lot of people only go in a tunnel if there is an abandoned station, because people seem to copy each other, rather than using their own initiative to discover places for themselves. I feel that people too often go to a location because it is considered an "urbex spot" just because other people online have been there. This is known as the "urbex tourbus". Those kind of locations are usually trashed, and to be honest, I don't find them interesting. Why explore something that loads of other people have already explored. I prefer to find places that nobody has ever thought to visit, and discover the unknown.
Also, you may be interested in my video of the RER train graveyard
• URBEX - Trashed train ...

[@jakewynn]

why didnt you go down the staircase towards the end? Was it flooded?

[@Beno2-of1gi]

It looked like it was slightly flooded, also I felt too visible with how well lit the siding was, also I was worried that there would be cameras and sensors at the siding, aimed at catching graffers. So once I got to the siding I wanted to get out fast, and when I got to the staircase, I heard the next train coming and I wanted to board it at the station.

[@fuzzylion1172]

What is RER, is it like regional trains but like a subway?

[@Beno2-of1gi]

Yes, it is express suburban trains in tunnels. Crossrail was kind of based on this, but without the double deck trains.

[@Techno-Universal]

This would be impossible in Australia’s metro train tunnels as they are full of AI equipped cameras that will automatically stop all of the trains and alert the police if a trespasser is spotted by them! :)

[@Beno2-of1gi]

Are the cameras actually in the tunnels, or just the stations. There are many ways to avoid a camera on the station platforms, firstly you need to know who is watching it. If its just the station controller, you can have a look and see how much they are monitoring the screens. Then even if the camera is watched, you can time a moment when there is a lot going on at once, where if the station controller was watching the cameras, thee is too much movement for the to notice you running off the platform. In other words, doing it in plain sight in a way where they can't notice you. As for cameras in tunnels, these can be avoided by running beside the train as the train passes the camera, and the same goes for sensors. There is movement to be expected in a tunnel, so a camera can't detect movement when movement from a train is happening. The scarier cameras are the ones in side tunnels where there is no trains, as these are the ones to catch out trespassers. But the worst cameras are the ones in sidings, as these ones will alert security, thanks to the graffers who paint trains. If you are seen in a siding you will be assumed to be there to graff, and security will turn up very fast. As you mentioned "AI equipped cameras", these often are not much different to any other camera, unless it is something super high tech, which so far is rarely used. Usually software monitoring triggers loads of false alerts due to wind and trains passing, so often it is disabled, or a sensor is used that only triggers when no trains are expected to be passing.

[@Techno-Universal]

@ Apparently the ones in the Melbourne city loop are not only in the tunnels just past the portals in the stations looking towards the stations but are also at regular intervals and have visual motion detection that seemingly deactivates whenever a train is passing. It’s also extremely secure as they also have side passageway tunnels down there that contain critical signalling and cellular network equipment. Also in the city loop there are cut and cover rectangular tunnels between the entrance portals and the cylindrical bored out tunnels and the rectangular tunnels are very narrow with almost no space between the walls and the clearance zone of the trains with only there being refuge cut outs at regular intervals. Those rectangular tunnels are also the most targeted by graffiti artists and vandals so they are also just as secure as the sidings you mentioned but this also applies to the tunnels near the stations because of the equipment side tunnels being located just beyond each station on both ends. It’s also so secure that they have a timetable for when workers enter the tunnels to do various things and anyone will be confronted by security if they are seen in those areas outside of the timetable which also includes if they are authorised staff. So even staff can get in a lot of trouble if they enter the tunnel a bit too late or early from their scheduled time! :)