RER B

RER B
Year opened	1977
Last extension	1994
Rolling stock	MI 79, MI 84
Stations served	47
Terminal stations	St.Rémy, Robinson, Mitry-Claye, CDG 2
Length	80.0 km (49.7 mi)
Average interstation	1,739 m
Journeys made	165,100,000 (per annum)

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The RER B is one of the five lines in the RER rapid transit system serving Paris, France.

The line runs from the northern termini Aéroport Charles de Gaulle (B3) and Mitry-Claye (B5) to the southern termini Robinson (B2) and Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse (B4).

First inauguration : 9 December 1977
Length : 80.0 km (49.7 mi)
Number of stops : 47
Traffic (2004) : 165,100,000 journeys per annum (figure only for the RATP section of the line)

The southern part of the line (south of Gare du Nord) is operated by RATP, the northern part by SNCF. Trains are owned by either company. Until December 2009, drivers changed at Gare du Nord ; RATP and SNCF drivers now operate their trains all line long. Trains moving from one network to the other at this station is known as the Interconnexion. Technical difficulties of the interconnection include: the shared tunnel with RER D between Châtelet – Les Halles and Gare du Nord, and the fact that while the SNCF part in the northern suburbs use 25 kV AC current, the RATP part uses 1500 V DC, forcing the use of dual-voltage trains.

[edit] Chronology

Line B was the product of the connection in 1977 of the Ligne de Sceaux terminus, Luxembourg, with the Gare du Nord via Châtelet – Les Halles. In 1988 St-Michel – Notre-Dame station between Luxembourg and Châtelet – Les Halles was opened to provide connection with RER C and Métro Line 10 at Cluny – La Sorbonne, a station which had been closed since the beginning of the second world war and was entirely renovated for the occasion.

1846 : The Ligne de Sceaux is inaugurated from Massy to Denfert-Rochereau.
1862 : The Chemin de Fer du Nord line from Paris to Soissons via Mitry-Claye is opened.
From 1889 to 1895 : The Ligne de Sceaux is extended from Denfert-Rochereau to Luxembourg.
1937 : The CMP (the company which operated Paris subways at the time) buys from the PO company the "ligne de Sceaux" which connected the Luxembourg Garden to Robinson and Massy – Palaiseau.
1976 : A new 13.5 km long line from Aulnay-sous-Bois to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (terminal 1) is opened, linking it with Paris.
9 December 1977 : The "ligne de Sceaux" is extended to Châtelet-les Halles, 2 km, and becomes the RER B.
10 December 1981 : The line is extended from Châtelet-les Halles to Gare du Nord, 2.5 km (branch B1). RATP trains to Robinson and Massy make end-to-end ("bout à bout") connections with SNCF trains to Aulnay-sous-Bois, Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport and Mitry, 42 km, but without through working due to a difference in electrical system (1500V DC to the south, 25kV AC to the north).
January 1983 : New station, Parc-des-Expositions, opened. Located between Villepinte and Roissy.
7 June 1983 : Some trains work through between points north and south of Gare du Nord ("Interconnexion Robinson / St-Rémy – Roissy / Mitry"). Service increased in 1984 and 1987.
17 February 1988 : The station St-Michel – Notre-Dame is inaugurated between Luxembourg and Châtelet in order to offer a quick connection with metro line 10 and the RER C.
2 October 1994 : OrlyVAL line opens, connecting Antony station with Orly Airport, 8 km.
13 November 1994 : The line is extended to Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2 – TGV, 1 km.
28 January 1998 : "La Plaine – Voyageurs" station is moved by a few hundred meters and renamed "La Plaine – Stade de France"