RER A
| RER A | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 
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| Overview | |||
| Stations | 46 | ||
| Ridership | 300,000,000 journeys per year | ||
| Operation | |||
| Opened | 1977 (last extension in 1994) |
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| Rolling stock | MI 84, MI 2N, MI 09 | ||
| Technical | |||
| Line length | 108.5 km (67.4 mi) | ||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) | ||
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RER line A is one of the five lines in the RER rapid transit system serving Paris, France.
The line runs from the western termini of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (A1), Cergy Le Haut (A3) and Poissy (A5) to the eastern termini of Boissy-Saint-Léger (A2) and Marne-la-Vallée – Chessy (A4).
Line A is one of the world's busiest lines, and the busiest line in Europe with over 1,200,000 passengers per day. It is formed from the connection of the Saint-Germain-en-Laye-Nanterre line in the west to the Vincennes – Boissy-St-Léger line in the east. Two branches were added in the west, to Poissy and the new town of Cergy-Pontoise, and in the east to the new town of Marne-la-Vallée. The two latest extensions were to Cergy-Le Haut and Disneyland Paris.
With more than one million passengers per workday, line A is the busiest Parisian RER and metro line. Ever-increasing traffic volume and the need to ward off imminent saturation have been major factors in RATP and SNCF's planning since the inauguration of the line. At least five major capital investment decisions can be directly traced back to this issue:
One simple (if partial) solution to the congestion problem that has never been implemented is a change in the seating configuration in the trains. The RER is unusual among high-capacity urban train networks in its attachment to transverse (front and back facing) seating. A change to longitudinal (sideways window-lining) seating typically reduces the number of seats by 10% but increases standing room by 30%. The result is increased capacity and a less cramped ride for those without seats.
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