a late metro for the RATP?

In terms of supply, RATP has objectives to meet. They are set by Ile-de-France Mobilités, the organization in charge of transport for the region. L’Oeil du 20h has obtained the table which sets the pace of the metros during rush hours, ordered last January from the RATP.

Over the course of a month, we compared and analyzed the number of actual metro passages on three lines which will be particularly busy during the Olympics. In total, 42,000 data collected on line 8, line 6 and line 13.

On line 8 for example, during peak hours, between 7:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m., the scheduled interval between two metros is 2 minutes 15 minutes. In reality, on average, according to our calculations, a metro passes every three minutes.

45 seconds late. This may seem trivial. But put end to end over a rush hour, that’s 6 metros less. At least 3,500 travelers potentially remaining at the dock.

On its neighbor, line 13, there would even be more than 5,100 people, with 9 trains missing, on average, during a rush hour. And for users, an affected daily life, with metros often crowded in the morning and evening.

How can we explain the difficulties observed on these lines? According to several drivers we met, all of whom wish to remain anonymous, these unmet objectives are the consequence of aging equipment, considered less and less reliable. The trains of lines 8 and 13, for example, have been on the rails for more than 40 years. Despite regular refreshing work, this obsolescence would weigh on the performance of the machine.

“Material damage is becoming more and more numerous. On a train you have three engines. One that breaks down, obviously, that gives less capacity to the train. But it could also be the windshield wipers that break down. When it rains, if you don’t have windshield wipers, it’s complicated.”

Anonymous RATP agent

At the Eye of the 8 p.m.

Concerning the dilapidation of the metros, we asked the RATP to film in the maintenance workshop of line 8. No response from the company which, however, agreed to receive us in the more modern one of line 9. Much fewer problems here. Almost all trains are on time.

So to address the case of more difficult lines, we showed our calculations to the RATP. While the company recognizes that certain lines remain fragile, it points out that the situation has generally improved across the entire network since the covid crisis. And considers himself ready for the Olympics.

“We are confident that we are deploying all the necessary resources to ensure that this goes well on all lines of the network. Strengthening drivers, strengthening maintenance capacities, strengthening passenger reception capacities in stations”

Jimmy Brun, RATP spokesperson

At the Eye of the 8 p.m.

But other employees we contacted are more worried, particularly for the lines we studied. These old trains could, according to them, not withstand the very sustained pace expected during the Olympic Games. And disrupt the network.

“Currently when a piece of equipment has a breakdown, it is possible to remove it from the circuit and replace it with another because there is no need to have all the trains running at the same time. During the Olympic period, many trains will be necessary for the smooth transportation of passengers. The trains that may break down mean that there will be one less train to be able to transport passengers.”

Anonymous RATP agent

At the Eye of the 8 p.m.

On this point, the RATP responds that the metro trains will not all run together, all day. The transport offer, explains the company, will adapt to the timetables of the events. Concerning line 8, new, more modern trainsets will arrive on the tracks from 2029.