RER B

RER B is one of the five lines in the Réseau Express Régional (English: Regional Express Network), a hybrid suburban commuter/rapid transit system serving Paris, France and its suburbs. The 80 km (50 mi) RER B line crosses the Paris region from north to south, with all trains serving a group of stations in central Paris, before branching out towards the ends of the line.

RER B
 B3 
Aéroport
Charles de Gaulle 2 TGV
 B5 
Aéroport
Charles de Gaulle 1
Mitry – Claye
Parc des Expositions
Villeparisis – Mitry-le-Neuf
Villepinte
Vert-Galant
Sevran – Beaudottes
Sevran – Livry
Aulnay-sous-Bois
 Le Blanc-Mesnil
 Drancy
 Le Bourget
 La Courneuve – Aubervilliers
 La Plaine – Stade de France
 Gare du Nord
 Châtelet–Les Halles
Seine
 Saint-Michel – Notre-Dame
 Luxembourg
 Port-Royal
 Denfert-Rochereau
 Cité Universitaire
 Gentilly
 Laplace
 Arcueil – Cachan
 Bagneux
Bourg-la-Reine
Sceaux
Parc de Sceaux
Fontenay-aux-Roses
La Croix de Berny
Robinson
Antony
 B2 
Fontaine-Michalon
 Les Baconnets
 Massy – Verrières
 Massy – Palaiseau
 Palaiseau
 Palaiseau – Villebon
 Lozère
 Le Guichet
Yvette
 Orsay – Ville
 Bures-sur-Yvette
 La Hacquinière
 Gif-sur-Yvette
 Courcelle-sur-Yvette
 Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse
  B4 

all stations are accessible except La Croix de Berny

RER B
Overview
TypeRapid transit/commuter rail
SystemRéseau Express Régional
StatusOperational
TerminiAéroport Charles de Gaulle 2 TGV (B3), Mitry–Claye (B5)
Robinson (B2), Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse (B4)
Stations47
Ridership165 million journeys per annum (2004)
Operation
Opened8 December 1977
(last extension in 1994)
Operator(s)RATP/SNCF
Rolling stockMI 79, MI 84
Technical
Line length80.0 km (49.7 mi)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Route map

Geographically accurate path of the RER B

The line runs from the northern termini Aéroport Charles de Gaulle (B3) and Mitry-Claye (B5) to the southern termini Robinson (B2) and Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse (B4).

  • First opened: 9 December 1977
  • Length: 80.0 km (49.7 mi)
  • Number of stops: 47
  • Traffic (2004): 165 million journeys per annum (figure only for the RATP section of the line)

The southern part of the line (south of Gare du Nord) is operated by the RATP, and the northern part by the SNCF. Trains are owned by either company.

Until December 2009, drivers changed at Gare du Nord; RATP and SNCF drivers now operate their trains along the full length of the line. Trains moving from one network to the other at this station is known as the Interconnexion.

Technical difficulties of the Interconnexion include the shared tunnel with RER D between Châtelet – Les Halles and Gare du Nord, and the fact that while the SNCF part in the northern suburbs use 25 kV AC, the RATP part uses 1500 V DC, forcing the use of dual-voltage trains.

Chronology

Line B was the product of the connection in 1977 of the Ligne de Sceaux terminus, Luxembourg, with the Gare du Nord via Châtelet – Les Halles. In 1988 St-Michel – Notre-Dame station between Luxembourg and Châtelet – Les Halles was opened to provide connection with RER C and Métro Line 10 at Cluny – La Sorbonne, a station which had been closed since the beginning of World War II and was entirely renovated for the occasion.

  • 1846: The Ligne de Sceaux is inaugurated from Massy to Denfert-Rochereau.
  • 1862: The Chemin de Fer du Nord line from Paris to Soissons via Mitry-Claye is opened.
  • From 1889 to 1895: The Ligne de Sceaux is extended from Denfert-Rochereau to Luxembourg.
  • 1937: The CMP (the company which operated Paris subways at the time) buys from the PO company the "ligne de Sceaux" which connected the Luxembourg Garden to Robinson and Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse.
  • 1976: A new 13.5 km (8.4 mi) long line from Aulnay-sous-Bois to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (terminal 1) is opened, linking it with Paris.
  • 9 December 1977: The "ligne de Sceaux" is extended to Châtelet-les Halles, 2 km (1.2 mi), and becomes the RER B.
  • 10 December 1981: The line is extended from Châtelet-les Halles to Gare du Nord, 2.5 km (1.6 mi) (branch B1). RATP trains to Robinson and Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse make end-to-end ("bout à bout") connections with SNCF trains to Aulnay-sous-Bois, Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport and Mitry, 42 km (26 mi), but without through working due to a difference in electrical system (1500 V DC to the south, 25 kV AC to the north).
  • January 1983: New station, Parc-des-Expositions, opened. Located between Villepinte and Roissy.
  • 7 June 1983: Some trains work through between points north and south of Gare du Nord ("Interconnexion Robinson / St-Rémy – Roissy / Mitry"). Service increased in 1984 and 1987.
  • 17 February 1988: The station St-Michel – Notre-Dame is inaugurated between Luxembourg and Châtelet in order to offer a quick connection with metro line 10 and the RER C.
  • 2 October 1994: OrlyVAL line opens, connecting Antony station with Orly Airport, 8 km (5.0 mi).
  • 13 November 1994: The line is extended to Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2 – TGV, 1 km (0.62 mi)
  • 28 January 1998: "La Plaine – Voyageurs" station is moved by a few hundred meters and renamed "La Plaine – Stade de France" in order to reflect the name of the Stade de France for the 1998 FIFA World Cup held in Paris.

List of RER B stations
Inside a RER B train
Luxembourg on the RER B.
Inside an RER B train
Travelers waiting for RER B at Châtelet–Les Halles during a day of strike in 2019
RER B at La Plaine – Stade de France.
  • RER B3
  • B5
    • Mitry – Claye
    • Villeparisis – Mitry-le-Neuf
    • Vert-Galant
    • Sevran – Livry
  • Aulnay-sous-Bois
  • Le Blanc-Mesnil
  • Drancy
  • Le Bourget
  • La Courneuve – Aubervilliers
  • La Plaine – Stade de France
  • Gare du Nord
  • Châtelet – Les Halles
  • St-Michel – Notre-Dame
  • Luxembourg
  • Port-Royal
  • Denfert-Rochereau
  • Cité Universitaire
  • Gentilly
  • Laplace
  • Arcueil – Cachan
  • Bagneux
  • Bourg-la-Reine
  • B2
  • B4
    • Parc de Sceaux
    • La Croix de Berny
    • Antony
    • Fontaine-Michalon
    • Les Baconnets
    • Massy – Verrières
    • Massy – Palaiseau
    • Palaiseau
    • Palaiseau – Villebon
    • Lozère
    • Le Guichet
    • Orsay – Ville
    • Bures-sur-Yvette
    • La Hacquinière
    • Gif-sur-Yvette
    • Courcelle-sur-Yvette
    • Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse

Rolling stock

RER B is operated by 117 sets of the MI 79 series and 31 sets of the MI 84 series. These are to be replaced from 2025.[1]

Past fleet include the MS 61, which operated on the line from 29 June 1967 to 28 February 1983, and the Class Z 23000, which operated from 16 November 1937 to 27 February 1987.

See also
  • List of stations of the Paris Métro
  • List of stations of the Paris RER

References
  1. MING fleet to replace RER B Interconnexion stock Metro Report International 28 June 2018
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