RER C is one of the five lines in the Réseau Express Régional (English: Regional Express Network), a hybrid commuter rail and rapid transit system serving Paris and its suburbs. The 186-kilometre (116 mi) line crosses the region from north to south. Briefly, between September 1979 and May 1980, the line was known as the Transversal Rive Gauche. The line is operated by SNCF.

RER C
RER RER C
RER C train crossing the Pont Rouelle, with the Eiffel Tower in the background, as seen from Île aux Cygnes
Overview
Termini
Connecting linesParis Métro Paris Métro Line 1 Paris Métro Line 2 Paris Métro Line 3 Paris Métro Line 4 Paris Métro Line 5 Paris Métro Line 6 Paris Métro Line 7 Paris Métro Line 8 Paris Métro Line 9 Paris Métro Line 10 Paris Métro Line 12 Paris Métro Line 13 Paris Métro Line 14
RER RER B RER D
Transilien Transilien Line H (Paris-Nord) Transilien Line J (Paris-Saint-Lazare) Transilien Line N (Paris-Montparnasse) Transilien Line U Transilien Line V
Tramways in Île-de-France Île-de-France tramway Line 1 Île-de-France tramway Line 2 Île-de-France tramway Line 3a Île-de-France tramway Line 3b Île-de-France tramway Line 6 Île-de-France tramway Line 7 Île-de-France tramway Line 8 Île-de-France tramway Line 9 Île-de-France tramway Line 11 Île-de-France tramway Line 12
Stations75
Service
TypeRapid transit/commuter rail
SystemRéseau Express Régional
Operator(s)SNCF
Rolling stockZ 5600, Z 8800, Z 20500, Z 20900
Ridership140 million journeys per year
History
Opened26 September 1979
(last extension in 2006)
Technical
Line length185.6 km (115.3 mi)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Electrification
Route map
TransilienTransilien Line H (Paris-Nord)Transilien Line J (Paris-Saint-Lazare)
 C1  Pontoise
TransilienTransilien Line H (Paris-Nord)
Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône
TransilienTransilien Line H (Paris-Nord)
Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône-Liesse
TransilienTransilien Line H (Paris-Nord)
Pierrelaye
TransilienTransilien Line H (Paris-Nord)
 C3  Montigny–Beauchamp
TransilienTransilien Line H (Paris-Nord)
Franconville – Le Plessis-Bouchard
TransilienTransilien Line H (Paris-Nord)
Cernay
TransilienTransilien Line H (Paris-Nord)Transilien Line J (Paris-Saint-Lazare)
Ermont–Eaubonne
Saint-Gratien
Versailles Château Rive Gauche  C5 
Épinay-sur-Seine
Tramways in Île-de-FranceÎle-de-France tramway Line 8Île-de-France tramway Line 11
Porchefontaine
TransilienTransilien Line N (Paris-Montparnasse)Transilien Line U SNCF
Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines  C7 
Gennevilliers
Tramways in Île-de-FranceÎle-de-France tramway Line 1
TransilienTransilien Line N (Paris-Montparnasse)Transilien Line U Tramways in Île-de-FranceÎle-de-France tramway Line 13
Saint-Cyr
Les Grésillons
TransilienTransilien Line N (Paris-Montparnasse)Transilien Line UTransilien Line V SNCF
Versailles Chantiers  C8 
Saint-Ouen
Paris MétroParis Métro Line 14
TransilienTransilien Line N (Paris-Montparnasse) Tramways in Île-de-FranceÎle-de-France tramway Line 6
Viroflay-Rive-Gauche
Porte de Clichy
Paris MétroParis Métro Line 13Paris Métro Line 14 Tramways in Île-de-FranceÎle-de-France tramway Line 3b
Chaville–Vélizy
Pereire–Levallois
Paris MétroParis Métro Line 3
Neuilly–Porte Maillot
Paris MétroParis Métro Line 1
Meudon-Val-Fleury
Avenue Foch
Paris MétroParis Métro Line 2
Issy
Avenue Henri Martin
Paris MétroParis Métro Line 9
Tramways in Île-de-FranceÎle-de-France tramway Line 2
Issy–Val de Seine
Boulainvilliers
Paris MétroParis Métro Line 9
Tramways in Île-de-FranceÎle-de-France tramway Line 3a
Pont du Garigliano
Avenue du Président Kennedy
Paris MétroParis Métro Line 10
Javel
Champ de Mars–Tour Eiffel
Paris MétroParis Métro Line 6
Pont de l'Alma
Paris MétroParis Métro Line 9
Invalides
Paris MétroParis Métro Line 8Paris Métro Line 13
Musée d'Orsay
Paris MétroParis Métro Line 12
Saint-Michel–Notre-Dame
RERRER B Paris MétroParis Métro Line 4Paris Métro Line 10
RERRER B TransilienTransilien Line V Tramways in Île-de-FranceÎle-de-France tramway Line 12 SNCF
Massy-Palaiseau  C2 
Gare d'Austerlitz
Paris MétroParis Métro Line 5Paris Métro Line 10 SNCF
RERRER B
Massy-Verrières
Bibliothèque François Mitterrand
Paris MétroParis Métro Line 14
Chemin d'Antony
[Tramways in Île-de-FranceÎle-de-France tramway Line 3a Avenue de France]
 
Tramways in Île-de-FranceÎle-de-France tramway Line 7
Rungis–La Fraternelle
Ivry-sur-Seine
Pont de Rungis–Aéroport d'Orly  C12 
Vitry-sur-Seine
Orly-Ville
Les Ardoines
Tramways in Île-de-FranceÎle-de-France tramway Line 9
Les Saules
Choisy-le-Roi
Tramways in Île-de-FranceÎle-de-France tramway Line 9 Bus Tvm
Villeneuve-le-Roi
Ablon
Athis-Mons
 C10  Juvisy
RERRER D Ouigo
Savigny-sur-Orge
Épinay-sur-Orge
Tramways in Île-de-FranceÎle-de-France tramway Line 12
Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois
Saint-Michel-sur-Orge
Brétigny
La Norville–Saint-Germain-lès-Arpajon
Arpajon
Marolles-en-Hurepoix
Égly
Bouray
Breuillet–Bruyères-le-Châtel
Lardy
Breuillet–Village
Chamarande
Saint-Chéron
Étréchy
Sermaise
Étampes
TER
TER
Dourdan
 C6  Saint-Martin-d'Étampes
Dourdan-la-Forêt  C4 

Disabled access Wheelchair accessibility must be booked in advance.[1]

The line runs from the northern termini Pontoise (C1), Versailles-Château-Rive-Gauche (C5) and Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (C7) to the southern termini Massy-Palaiseau (C2), Dourdan-la-Forêt (C4) and Saint-Martin d'Étampes (C6).

The RER C line is the second-longest in the network, created from an amalgamation and renovation of several old SNCF commuter lines unlike RER A and B which had newer sections owned and constructed by RATP. Each day, over 531 trains run on the RER C alone, and carries over 540,000 passengers daily,[2] 150,000 passengers more than the entirety of the TGV network.

It is the most popular RER line for tourists, who represent 15% of its passengers, as the line serves many monuments and museums, including the Palace of Versailles. However, the numerous stops, combined with the old and fragile infrastructure the line inherited, makes the Parisian section of the RER C slow and inefficient. The numerous old curves and steep grades on RER C mean trains sometimes need to slow down to 30 km/h (19 mph) to safely pass sections with tight alignments.[3] In contrast, RER A was constructed with more modern standards enabling much higher average operating speeds. These problems are particularly evident on trips to and from the northern suburbs to the city center as taking Transilien lines and transferring to the Métro can be faster than taking the RER C with its closely spaced stops. In addition, the RER C's complicated operating schedule created by its complex network of numerous branches means the entire line is vulnerable to delays from even small incidents.

History edit

Line C was opened on 26 September 1979, following the construction of a new 1-kilometre (0.62 mi) tunnel connecting the Gare d'Orsay railway terminus (now Musée d'Orsay) with the Invalides, terminus of the Rive Gauche line to Versailles, along the banks of the Seine. Services operated between Versailles-Château-Rive-GaucheInvalidesQuai-d'Orsay, branching to Massy – Palaiseau, and JuvisyDourdan / Saint-Martin d'Étampes. At that point the line was named the Transversal Rive Gauche.

In May 1980, service was extended to Saint-Quentin-en-YvelinesVersailles – ChantiersGare des Invalides. The RER C designation was then only introduced from this point onwards, replacing the Transversal Rive Gauche name.

On 25 September 1988, the VMI ("Vallée de Montmorency – Invalides") branch to the north-west opened. This branch mostly used the infrastructure of the "ligne d'Auteuil" (incorporated into the "ligne de petite ceinture" from 1867, closed to passengers from 22 July 1934), and a new 3-kilometre (1.9 mi) tunnel connection between Batignolles and Saint-Ouen, connecting to the RER C's main trunk at Champ de Mars-Tour Eiffel via a curved bridge (the only one in Paris) over the Seine river. That extended services to Montigny – Beauchamp and Argenteuil.

The station Porte de Clichy, located between Pereire – Levallois and Saint-Ouen, opened on 29 September 1991. In 1992, the line was extended from Juvisy to Versailles. A further 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) extension from Montigny – Beauchamp to Pontoise was opened on 28 August 2000. On the same day a new station, Bibliothèque François Mitterrand, opened in order to create a new connexion with Métro Line 14, located between Paris-Austerlitz and Boulevard Masséna, which was closed and replaced by the new station. Another new station, Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône-Liesse, opened on 24 March 2002.

On 27 August 2006, the C3 branch (from Ermont–Eaubonne to Argenteuil) was transferred to the Transilien Paris – Saint-Lazare suburban rail network (Transilien Line J).

On 16 December 2006, Boulevard Victor was renamed Boulevard Victor – Pont du Garigliano to highlight the new interchange with tramway line T3.

In February 2012, the station Versailles – Rive Gauche was renamed Versailles-Château-Rive-Gauche, to highlight its proximity to the Palace of Versailles and to avoid confusion with other stations in Versailles served by RER C.

In December 2023, the line between Versailles-Chantiers and Massy-Palaiseau was transferred to the new Transilien Line V which operates a shuttle service between the two stations. The line between Savigny-sur-Orge and Massy-Palaiseau was also separated from RER C and is since served by the tram-train line T12 Express.

Services edit

 
Schematic plan of the line as of 10 December 2023

Like all other RER lines in Paris, the mission code, or the name of service, consists of four letters. The names of services are displayed on trains and on passenger information display systems. The four-letter code begins with a letter that corresponds to the train's terminus.[4][5] For example, trains displaying NORA terminate at Pontoise because NORA starts with the letter 'N' (and codes that start with the letter 'N' indicate the destination of Pontoise).

Several services had the code name changed in 2015, for example KUMA to KYVI.[6]

Letter Destination Codes
A Gare d'Austerlitz ANNE
B Bretigny BALI
C Versailles-Chantiers CARO, CIME, CITY
D Dourdan or Dourdan-la-Forêt DEBA, DEBO, DYVI
E Saint-Martin-d'Étampes ELAO, ELBA
F Bibliothèque François Mitterrand FOOT
G Montigny–Beauchamp GATA, GOTA, GUTA
J Juvisy JILL, JOEL
K Chaville-Vélizy KAMA, KUMA, KYVI
L Invalides LARA, LOLA, LURA
M Massy-Palaiseau MONA
N Pontoise NARA, NORA
O Musée d'Orsay ORDO, ORET, ORSE, ORSU
P Pont du Garigliano PAUL, PUMA
R Pont de Rungis–Aéroport d'Orly ROMI
S Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines–Montigny-le-Bretonneux SARA, SLIM, SLOM
V Versailles-Château-Rive Gauche VERO, VICK, VITY, VURT
Y Dourdan or Étampes YACK, YETI, YONA[7]

References edit

  1. ^ "Map for journeys by wheelchair users" (PDF). Île-de-France Mobilités (in French and British English). Paris: Région Île-de-France. 11 May 2023. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 July 2023. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  2. ^ "JEUDI, le mag des jeudis de la ligne C Transilien", 27, Novembre 2012, p. 2.
  3. ^ André Jacquot, La ligne C du RER, p 108
  4. ^ Caron, Jacques. "Paris RER 4-letter codes". groups.google.com. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  5. ^ "Code Missions". michou94.free.fr (in French). Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  6. ^ "Le 13 décembre, vos RER C changent de nom!". Ensemble sur le RER C (in French). 8 December 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  7. ^ "Les travaux d'été 2021 du RER C". Ensemble sur le RER C (in French). 30 April 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2022.

External links edit