FRANCE: The board of Ile-de-France transport authority STIF approved on November 15 the provision of €500m to fund the purchase by SNCF of a further 52 Francilien electric multiple-units from Bombardier Transportation.
The EMUs are scheduled to be delivered from March 2018 to operate on suburban lines J and L from Paris Saint-Lazare. They will take the number of Francilien EMUs on the Saint-Lazare routes to 134.
The delivery of the EMUs will be accompanied by reinforcement of the traction power supply, resignalling and repairs to the Marly viaduct
The order forms part of a rolling stock masterplan adopted by STIF in July which envisages the replacement or refurbishment of a total of 708 trainsets by 2021.
STIF plans to exercise options for one or two further batches of Francilien EMUs by 2018. This would enable all suburban services from Paris Saint-Lazare to be operated by modern rolling stock, as well as Line P from Paris Est which is to be electrified between Gretz Armainvilliers and Provins.
