RER NG (French: ''RER Nouvelle Génération'', English: ''RER New Generation'') is a double-deck, dual-voltage electric multiple unit trainset that is currently under construction. Also known as the Class Z 58000 and Class Z 58500, the trainsets are expected to operate on line D and line E of the

Réseau Express Régional The Réseau Express Régional ( en, Regional Express Network), commonly abbreviated RER (), is a hybrid commuter rail and rapid transit system serving Paris and its suburbs. It acts as a combined city-centre underground rail system and suburbs-t ...

(RER), a hybrid suburban commuter and

rapid transit Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT), also known as heavy rail or metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban areas. A rapid transit system that primarily or traditionally runs below the surface may be c ...

system serving

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...

and its

Île-de-France The Île-de-France (, ; literally "Isle of France") is the most populous of the eighteen regions of France. Centred on the capital Paris, it is located in the north-central part of the country and often called the ''Région parisienne'' (; en, Pa ...

suburbs. The trainsets were built by a consortium of French manufacturer

Alstom Alstom SA is a French multinational rolling stock manufacturer operating worldwide in rail transport markets, active in the fields of passenger transportation, signalling, and locomotives, with products including the AGV, TGV, Eurostar, Av ...

and

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

conglomerate Bombardier. The RER NG is considered to be a part of Alstom's X'Trapolis Duplex platform and is an evolution of several generations of double-deck trainsets built by the consortium, including the Z 2N, MI 2N, and

MI 09 The MI 09 (French: ''Matériel d'Interconnexion de 2009'', English: ''interconnection rolling stock of 2009'') is a double-deck, dual-voltage electric multiple unit trainset that is operated on line A of the Réseau Express Régional (RER), a ...

series.

History

Île-de-France Mobilités Île-de-France Mobilités (ÎDF Mobilités), formerly ''STIF'', is the brand name of the ''Syndicat des transports d'Île-de-France'', the organisation authority that controls and coordinates the different transport companies operating in the ...

and SNCF prepared to extend the RER E line west across Paris, the agencies issued a

invitation to tender An invitation to tender (ITT, otherwise known as a call for bids or a request for tenders) is a formal, structured procedure for generating competing offers from different potential suppliers or contractors looking to obtain an award of business ...

for new trainsets for the line and overall fleet replacement. Several manufacturers responded including a consortium of

and Bombardier, CAF, and Siemens. Ultimately, the contract was awarded to Alstom and Bombardier on 6 January 2017. The consortium had previously built several generations of double-deck trainsets, including the Z 2N, MI 2N, and

series. Similar to those earlier contracts, Alstom would build the two end cars, which contain the cabs, while Bombardier manufactured the intermediate cars. The contract will supply 255 trainsets, 130 for the RER E and 125 for fleet replacement, which are planned to be assigned to the RER D, replacing older trainsets. In October 2018, Île-de-France Mobilités purchased an additional 64 trainsets for fleet replacement, increasing the total contract to 371 trainsets. In spring 2020 the first trainset started testing in the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. Th ...

Description

The design of the RER NG is similar to Bombardier's Regio 2N trainsets with a mix of single and double-deck cars. The single-level end cars are designed to offer

level boarding Various terms are used for passenger railway lines and equipment; the usage of these terms differs substantially between areas: Rapid transit A rapid transit system is an electric railway characterized by high speed (~) and rapid accelerat ...

that accommodates disabled passengers who are unable to use stairs and standing passengers traveling short distances. The double-deck intermediate cars accommodate seated passengers traveling longer distances. RER NG trainsets will have two configurations: * 130 six-car trainsets for the RER E line with two single-level cars with cabs and motors, two bi-level cars with motors, and two unpowered bi-level cars at a total length of . * 125 seven-car trainsets for the RER D line with two single-level cars with cabs and motors, two bi-level cars with motors, and three unpowered bi-level cars at a total length of . The single-level end cars are long, with two doors per side (one wide and one wide). The double-deck intermediate cars will each have two doors per side. The doors located just behind the driving cabs are fitted with gap fillers to enable level boarding for passengers using a mobility device, like a wheelchair. RER NG trainsets will have open-gangways allowing passengers to travel from one end of the trainset to the other, allowing more an even distribution of passengers on board, reducing crowding during peak periods. Unlike some other open-gangway trainsets, the RER NG will not use a

jacobs bogie Jacobs bogies (named after Wilhelm Jakobs,, 1858–1942, a German mechanical railway engineer) are a type of rail vehicle bogie commonly found on articulated railcars and tramway vehicles. Instead of being underneath a piece of rolling stock ...

between cars, but rather a conventional architecture, each car having two bogies. Like all RER trains since the MI 84, the RER NG is required to meet strict acceleration standards, being able to fully depart a platform in 23 seconds. Despite the fact that the RER NG is heavier and up to longer than a MI 84, it is able to meet this standard with its 8 or 10 motorised bogies. The maximum top speed for the RER NG in service is . During testing speeds of were reached. The RER NG should be equipped with the NExTEO system for operating the central section of the RER E. With this system, the train will be able to travel at in the tunnels of the central section of the RER E.

Formations

, at least 3 Z58000 trainsets were in tests. Six-car trainsets are planned for RER E. They will be based at Noisy-le-Sec and Nanterre SNCF depots. As shown below, they will be formed with four motored cars and two non-powered trailer cars. * < or > show a pantograph. Cars 1 and 6 are each equipped with one pantograph. * All cars are connected by gangway. Seven-car trainsets are planned for RER D. They will be based at Villeneuve and Joncherolles SNCF depots. As shown below, they will be formed with four motored cars and three non-powered trailer cars. * < or > show a pantograph. Cars 1 and 7 are each equipped with one pantograph. * All cars are connected by gangway.

References

{{SNCF units Z58000 Electric multiple units of France Réseau Express Régional multiple units 25 kV AC multiple units Double-decker EMUs Alstom multiple units Bombardier Transportation multiple units 1500 V DC multiple units of France