[Transports] SNCF: Work necessary to make the lines in the direction of Paris Est more reliable

Regeneration of the tracks but also collapse of the embankment, counting of passengers and pricing: the CDIU (Defense Committee

of Users' Interests) of Château-Thierry in charge of informing users of the TER lines and the P line in the direction of Paris Est takes stock.

Weekend work this end of year

Last Sunday, November 10, we were on the tracks, tell us Julien Rousselot, President of the CDIU and Christine Perardel Guichard, communications manager. We were able to see the important work which currently consists of dismantling the tracks and wooden sleepers then laying new tracks, concrete sleepers and ballast over 7 km. An impressive deployment of equipment and human resources.

Indeed, as part of the territorial dialogue established with SNCF Réseau, the Château-Thierry, Meaux and Provins associations and collectives were invited to a visit to the large-scale works site between Meaux and Trilport.

This work or RVB (railway jargon: ballast track renewal) required the interruption of traffic over the weekends from October 26 to December 1.

SNCF Réseau interviewed, told us: “This regeneration should make the network more reliable and therefore fewer malfunctions,

of signaling breakdowns, overall fewer subjects to traffic delays for users. Today we are in the process of catching up for several years and we cannot, at this stage, give an end date for work on this axis. Moreover, within a year (November 2025) work at Château-Thierry station will begin: we will start with the pillars to accommodate the elevators on the platforms. Several weekends are already planned without traffic on this axis and consultation has already begun with the various carriers (TER, Transilien) for the organization of substitutions. »

And Christine Perardel completes: “There was a time not so long ago when SNCF Réseau did not communicate: I never stopped wishing

a direct link with this entity. Today, territorial dialogue will make it possible to work in consultation and upstream. No more question of imposing

dates on a calendar two or three months before the work. »

During the first dialogue meeting last April in Meaux; local elected officials, associations, Transilien and SNCF Réseau met around a table. The 2025 works have already been mentioned. The interest is to take into account weekends where demonstrations,

local festivals take place in the different territories and also jointly define transport plans. The associations have mainly focused on providing support in substitution mode: bus routes, respecting stops and defined timetables, as well as the charge

of travelers to be better evaluated in order to limit bus waits.

Embankment collapse – review of the event

To return to the collapse of the embankment at the edge of the tracks near Trilport on October 10 and the two-week traffic interruption, we returned to the IDF Mobilités territorial delegate very recently: “It is clear that the means put

implemented on the Transilien side were important. It was a situation, it must be admitted, that was quite exceptional but which could

reproduce, taking into account weather phenomena and increased rainfall. User feedback focused on travel times

too long by bus (more than 4 hours per day for users of Château-Thierry station to reach Paris). Even if some

took the Paris Nord line via Soissons, they were in a very large minority because this required them to take their personal vehicle at their own expense. In such a situation, we believe that the solution of direct buses to Paris, at the initiative of the Hauts-de-France and

Grand Est, would have made it possible to unload line P, which was already loaded in normal times. Regular Ter users had no solution

than to fall back on the Transiliens, even those coming from Dormans, Épernay for some. »

And Julien Rousselot adds: “Our Association, the Collective and the Adult of Epernay worked together to give users and members

information via our networks, this being transmitted to us by the Transilien Paris Est crisis unit with which we were in contact.

We tried to take into account the messages and calls from our members until late in the evening; sometimes to reassure them, to help them in

their chaotic journey. The first days were very complicated to put in place the transport plans because if certain bus companies (Transdev) are already in contract with SNCF, the latter had to look for others to complete. On the City of Meaux side, road work is underway around the station, IDF Mobilités had to obtain rapid agreements for the parking of the numerous replacement buses.

The City also contributed by strengthening the municipal police. This is where we see the collective work which helped in the management of

this event. »

Figures from passenger counts

The meeting in which we participated on November 5 was dedicated to the presentation of the counts carried out on line P and demonstrated the increase in the number of users of the line to Château-Thierry compared to the La Ferté-Milon line. , losing users. The counting was manual because the trains to Château-Thierry are not equipped with the automatic counting systems present on the Paris Meaux trains. The counts were carried out during the week and at weekends, on September 16, 17 and 19, 2023. The line showed a significant increase of 37% in users between 2010 and 2019, or 120,000 travelers per day. Today we are around 110,000 travelers/day.

Concerning the attendance of the axis towards Château-Thierry, we have the most significant increase of 4% compared to 2019, on weekdays

and 18% on Saturday. Concerning the Château-Thierry station, almost 30% of additional passenger lifts are announced,

on weekdays, compared to 2019.

President Julien Rousselot specifies: “We wanted these counts because the previous ones dated from 2019 and when we know the demographic increase, both in Seine et Marne and Aisne, this was relevant. The greater load of peak trains

on Saturday had been reported. If it were to increase in the years to come, new train paths should be found on this line and

this is where the electrification of the line to Trilport will also be of interest. But at this stage, it is only announced for 2032, the studies being ongoing.

It is also clear that the two additional trains put in place since May 2020, following our alerts, departing from Château-Thierry at 7:21 a.m. and Paris Est at 6:05 p.m., have been widely taken up, have made it possible to empty the other supervising trains and above all have improved comfort

users. As a reminder, we were on trains that were 140% full during peak hours. This became unacceptable and led to situations

conflict between travelers. »

Pricing side

From January 2, 2025, as part of the Île-de-France tariff reform (or single tariff), the cost for occasional users of line P, departing from Nanteuil/Saacy to reach Paris or its suburbs will be will increase to 2.50 euros allowing you to use both the Transilien, the RER and/or

the Paris metro, whatever the kilometer traveled. To reach Château-Thierry, you will still have to add a regional ticket at 4.60 euros

(i.e. a total of 14.20 euros for a round trip). As a reminder, the round trip by TER at a 50% reduced rate now costs 20.40 euros

(for 90 km). The Transilien line therefore remains very competitive.

Christine Perardel adds: “During our recent update with the IDFM Territorial Delegate, he announced to us that IDF MOBILITÉS and its president, Ms. Valérie Pécresse, were working with the neighboring regions on the Navigo map (Aisne, Aube, Oise, Normandy, etc.) to simplify pricing;

a unique title for P Château-Thierry Paris line subscribers would be welcome! Today, we buy two transport tickets: an IDF and

a regional one.

This is a file that we will follow because it has been one of the CDIU's requests for several years. It is enough for the Regions to talk to each other

and arrive at a financial compromise, in the interest of thousands of daily travelers. Today, the Nanteuil/Saacy border should be able to fade somewhat. »

CDIU