transporting 10 million spectators, a major challenge for public transport

Transporting as many passengers as on a working day in Ile-de-France, but on a few sites concentrated in Paris and Seine-Saint-Denis: this is the challenge facing public transport in the Ile-de-France region during the period of the Olympic Games and Paralympics. The transport organizing authority of the capital region, Ile-de-France Mobilités (IDFM), therefore unveiled, on Sunday March 12, its plan to ensure the smoothest possible traffic between July 26 and September 8, 2024, with as a scarecrow the fiasco of the Champions League final in May 2022 at the Stade de France.

The plan “nothing trivial because there is not just one site to serve, but 25 operating at the same time”, asked the managing director of IDFM, Laurent Probst, during a meeting with the press. The Olympic Games (July 26-August 11, 2024) are divided into 750 “sessions”, with seven million spectators expected. On average, this represents 50 sessions per day and “for each, there is a transport plan. It’s as if we had 50 matches a day for two weeks”explained Laurent Probst.

Back to school at the same time as the Paralympic Games

For the Paralympics (August 28-September 8, approximately 3 million spectators), it will be on average 18 sessions per day but “with the particularity that the second week will also be the back-to-school week”.

The Olympics will bring together up to 500,000 spectators per day – with peaks scheduled for July 28 and August 2 – not to mention open events such as cycling or the marathon, for which hundreds of thousands of spectators are expected along the routes. In Saint-Denis, around the Stade de France, peaks of 1,000 people per minute are expected “but for several hours, it’s quite unprecedented to manage”according to Laurent Probst.

In Versailles, to transport 40,000 spectators to the Etoile Royale for the equestrian cross-country, bus shuttles will be organized from the stations at the rate of two rotations every minute, “a military organization”insisted Laurent Probst.

Distribute flows

Even if the number of trains will be increased by 15%, the main challenge lies in the distribution of passengers between the existing lines. “We are on a target of 100% of people coming to the Stade de France by public transport” against 60% on average usually, recalled Laurence Debrincat, director of studies and Olympic Games at IDFM.

Paris 2024 will therefore recommend to spectators holding tickets a preferred route for “encourage them to fetch” other lines than those used in normal times, the Stade de France being for example served by the RER but also the metro. “To get to a site, forget how you usually go and go as you are told to do”, explained Ms. Debrincat. IDFM is also working on an application dedicated to transport during the Olympics, and will have 5,000 agents in stations to guide travelers.

The logistical challenge of the opening ceremony

On July 26, the opening ceremony should represent the biggest challenge for IDFM, with approximately 600,000 spectators expected on the banks of the Seine for the parade of athletes on a hundred boats. It will take place “a Friday of crossover therefore with departures of travelers heading for the stations in addition to the spectators to be transported to the ceremony“, indicated Laurent Probst. “To manage all this, we will need less than 500,000 spectators, otherwise we will not be able to do it”he warned, specifying that the revaluation of the gauge was “under study” by the organizers.

Transporting people with reduced mobility will also be a major challenge for IDFM, as the Paris metro network is not suitable for them. Ile-de-France Mobilités has provided specific shuttles for people in wheelchairs, whose departures will be made from the six major Parisian stations, in addition to the Rosa Parks station, in the north of Paris. You will have to reserve your place and they will be authorized to use the 185 kilometers of Olympic lanes (one lane from the A1 to Roissy or on the ring road, for example)