FRANCE: Acting on behalf of Paris regional transport authority Île-de-France Mobilités, national operator SNCF has awarded Bombardier Transportation a firm order to supply a further three Omneo Regio 2N electric multiple-units.
They are to be delivered from the end of 2023 to strengthen the Omneo Regio fleets already operating on RER Line D and Transilien suburban Line R.
The order announced on January 13 has been placed within a 2010 framework agreement signed by the operator and manufacturer in 2010 which covers the supply of up to 860 Omneo Regio 2N trainsets of varying configurations to the French regions.
The articulated EMUs are formed of alternate single and double-level coaches, providing level access and two doors per side in the single deck vehicles for rapid boarding and alighting, coupled with a higher seating capacity in the adjacent double-deck cars. Two eight-car units operating in multiple have a maximum capacity of 2 100 passengers.
The extra EMUs will increase the Île-de-France fleet to 145 trains, spread across three service groups. The first sets began operating on Line R in December 2017, and the first of 73 units currently being delivered for Line N entered revenue service between Paris-Montparnasse and Sèvres-Rive Gauche on December 14.
‘Line N passengers can now enjoy a new travel experience’, said Laurent Bouyer, President of Bombardier Transportation, France & Benelux. ‘Our engineers have focused on space and comfort for the benefit of all travellers, on modern interior equipment, as well as on capacity and accessibility for persons with reduced mobility.’
