Réseau Saint-Lazare
Encyclopedia
Réseau Saint-Lazare is the network of railway lines originating from Saint Lazare Station
Gare Saint-Lazare
Paris Saint-Lazare is one of the six large terminus train stations of Paris. It is the second busiest in Paris, behind the Gare du Nord, handling 274,000 passengers each day.-History:...

 in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

. The network stretches from Paris to Normandy and encompasses suburban services. Parisian suburban rail services are operated under SNCF
SNCF
The SNCF , is France's national state-owned railway company. SNCF operates the country's national rail services, including the TGV, France's high-speed rail network...

's brand name Transilien
Transilien
The Transilien is the brand name for suburban railway services of the SNCF-owned railway network operating within the Île-de-France région...

, intercity
Inter-city rail
Inter-city rail services are express passenger train services that cover longer distances than commuter or regional trains.There is no precise definition of inter-city rail. Its meaning may vary from country to country...

 services are also operated by SNCF but under the brand name Corail.

Track

Cohabitation of both intercity
Inter-city rail
Inter-city rail services are express passenger train services that cover longer distances than commuter or regional trains.There is no precise definition of inter-city rail. Its meaning may vary from country to country...

 and suburban rail did cause problems. Junctions were not carefully planned, and extensions were simply grafted onto the existing network. The Chemins de Fer de l'Ouest
Chemins de Fer de l'Ouest
The Compagnie des chemins de fer de l'Ouest , often referred to simply as L'Ouest or Ouest, was an early French railway company.- Birth of the company :...

's suburban network was particularly touched by problems of cohabitation on the line and at stations since it had the largest suburban network in France. The problem resided in the fact that lines crossed each other, creating unnecessary bottlenecks and hold ups. In 1880, the Chemins de Fer de l'Ouest
Chemins de Fer de l'Ouest
The Compagnie des chemins de fer de l'Ouest , often referred to simply as L'Ouest or Ouest, was an early French railway company.- Birth of the company :...

 operated four lines out of Saint-Lazare
Gare Saint-Lazare
Paris Saint-Lazare is one of the six large terminus train stations of Paris. It is the second busiest in Paris, behind the Gare du Nord, handling 274,000 passengers each day.-History:...

: the lines to Versailles Rive Droite and Argenteuil separated at Asnières
Asnières-sur-Seine
Asnières-sur-Seine is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France, along the river Seine. It is located from the center of Paris.-Name:...

 whilst the lines to Saint-Germain
Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Saint-Germain-en-Laye is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris from the centre.Inhabitants are called Saint-Germanois...

 and Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...

 separated at Colombes
Colombes
Colombes is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-History:On 13 March 1896, 17% of the territory of Colombes was detached and became the commune of Bois-Colombes ....

. As they were, both lines to Argenteuil crossed those to Saint-Germain and Rouen at Asnières. The Chemins de Fer de l'Ouest
Chemins de Fer de l'Ouest
The Compagnie des chemins de fer de l'Ouest , often referred to simply as L'Ouest or Ouest, was an early French railway company.- Birth of the company :...

 thus decided create a spur, opened in 1891, from Bécon-les-Bruyères and La Garenne-Colombes
La Garenne-Colombes
La Garenne-Colombes is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from Notre Dame de Paris which is the center of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe.-Name:...

. In 1892, the line to Saint-Germain was rerouted to a spur of the line to Versailles instead of the line to Poissy whilst the line to Poissy was rerouted to a spur of the line to Argenteuil, avoiding crossings. The bridge over the River Seine
Seine
The Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...

 still had four tracks, but serving two pairs of lines. These modifications were only sufficient for a time as traffic was in constant increase, growing from 26 million passengers in 1888 to 42 million in 1898. The tunnel at Batignoles (now Pont Cardinet
Gare de Pont Cardinet
Pont-Cardinet is a railway station in Paris. It is situated on the Paris–Le Havre railway. It is the first station on the line originating from Gare Saint-Lazare, Paris. The station building is situated above the track level alongside Rue Cardinet...

) was another bottleneck, so a fourth tunnel was built, but later demolished along with all save one tunnel in 1912. At that time, the Chemin de Fer de l'État
Chemin de Fer de l'État
The Chemins de fer de l'État , often referred to in France as the réseau de l'État , was an early French railway company.-History:...

 possessed eight tracks leaving Saint-Lazare, which were split into four groups:
  • Groupe I: Auteuil
  • Groupe II: Versailles
  • Groupe III: Saint-Germain
  • Germain IV: Normandy

The eight tracks were supplemented by two sidings, used to transfer rolling stock and locomotives, as well as a second bridge at Asnières
Asnières
Asnières is the name or part of the name of several communes in France:* Asnières, Eure, in the Eure département* Asnières-en-Bessin, in the Calvados département* Asnières-en-Montagne, in the Côte-d'Or département...

. World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

 slowed expansion and the second bridge was only built in 1921, the year when a grave accident occurred in the Batignoles tunnel and precipitated its demolition. The demolition of the tunnels as well as the transfer of the terminus of the line to Auteuil at Pont Cardinet
Gare de Pont Cardinet
Pont-Cardinet is a railway station in Paris. It is situated on the Paris–Le Havre railway. It is the first station on the line originating from Gare Saint-Lazare, Paris. The station building is situated above the track level alongside Rue Cardinet...

 freed up platforms at Saint-Lazare and increased tracks in the tranchée des Batignoles from eight to ten and split in five groups:
  • Groupe I: Auteuil, leaving Pont Cardinet
    Gare de Pont Cardinet
    Pont-Cardinet is a railway station in Paris. It is situated on the Paris–Le Havre railway. It is the first station on the line originating from Gare Saint-Lazare, Paris. The station building is situated above the track level alongside Rue Cardinet...

  • Groupe II: Versailles
  • Groupe III: Saint-Germain
  • Groupe IV: Argenteuil
  • Groupe V: Mantes, via Poissy
  • Groupe VI: Mantes, via Conflans

An eleventh track, used for servicing, was built for reversing locomotives. The pont d'Asnières was widened to accommodate the ten tracks. A saut-de-mouton (flying junction)
Flying junction
A flying junction or flyover is a railway junction at which one or more diverging or converging tracks in a multiple-track route cross other tracks on the route by bridge to avoid conflict with other train movements. A more technical term is "grade-separated junction"...

 was built between Asnières and Bois-Colombes
Bois-Colombes
Bois-Colombes is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe...

 to avoid the crossing of the groupe IV and groupe V lines.

Two joining lines were built in 1923 and 1925 at La Folie and Bezons to relieve suburban lines from goods services. The station building at Bois-Colombes was rebuilt above the railway line in 1934 as well as the quadrupling of the line as well as replacement of all the remaining level crossing
Level crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...

s by bridges or underpasses between 1933 and 1935. The line was also rebuilt on a 585 m long viaduct between Bois-Colombes and Le Stade (Gennevilliers). Other modernisation projects included the electrification of the Réseau Saint-Lazare.

Third rail electrification

The Chemins de Fer de l'Ouest
Chemins de Fer de l'Ouest
The Compagnie des chemins de fer de l'Ouest , often referred to simply as L'Ouest or Ouest, was an early French railway company.- Birth of the company :...

 had hoped to electrify parts of its lines to Saint-Germain and Argenteuil as early as 1908. Many of the construction work on the lines were initiated to alleviate operational issues but steam traction meant that without remote driving or the locomotive, engines had to be turned around the train at termini. Third rail
Third rail
A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...

 electrification had been applied to Paris' underground
Paris Métro
The Paris Métro or Métropolitain is the rapid transit metro system in Paris, France. It has become a symbol of the city, noted for its density within the city limits and its uniform architecture influenced by Art Nouveau. The network's sixteen lines are mostly underground and run to 214 km ...

 and the Chemin de Fer de Paris à Orléans's line from Les Invalides
Les Invalides
Les Invalides , officially known as L'Hôtel national des Invalides , is a complex of buildings in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France, containing museums and monuments, all relating to the military history of France, as well as a hospital and a retirement home for war veterans, the building's...

 with success.

Rolling stock chosen were two carriage 22m long EMUs
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...

 of Z 1300 class resting on two bogies and compatible with rolling stock used on the line at Les Invalides. 1500 V overhead electrification had been dismissed by the French Government following World War I and so 650 V third rail electrification was chosen. A special commission had found that the Réseau État Saint-Lazare was in need of electrification on the railway lines to Saint-Germain, Versailles Rive Droite, Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche, Puteaux, Issy-les-Moulineaux
Issy-les-Moulineaux
Issy-les-Moulineaux is a commune in the southwestern suburban area of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. On 1 January 2003, Issy-les-Moulineaux became part of the Communauté d'agglomération Arc de Seine along with the other communes of Chaville, Meudon, Vanves and Ville-d'Avray...

 and Argenteuil. The Chemins de Fer de l'Ouest
Chemins de Fer de l'Ouest
The Compagnie des chemins de fer de l'Ouest , often referred to simply as L'Ouest or Ouest, was an early French railway company.- Birth of the company :...

 and then the Chemin de Fer de l'État
Chemin de Fer de l'État
The Chemins de fer de l'État , often referred to in France as the réseau de l'État , was an early French railway company.-History:...

 from 1909 had worked towards that goal by simplifying track layout in Paris' close suburbs.

On 24 April 1924, the third rail was switched on groupe II on the 6 km section between Paris and Bécon-les-Bruyères and on groupe IV on the 6 km section between Paris and Bois-Colombes. The press as well as the public saluted the arrival of the electric train which made some steam hauled trains look old. Indeed some coaches in use were old 19th century double-deck passenger cars with notorious comfort. The rames standard was capable of carrying 372 seated passengers and were capable of being coupled together. They were stabled at Rueil-Malmaison, Bois-Colombes and Champ de Mars
Gare du Champ de Mars
Gare du Champ de Mars is a railway station in Paris. The site has accommodated a total of five stations, the last of which in service for Paris' RER....

 and servicing was performed at La Folie.

The 7 km long railway line to Auteuil was electrified in January 1925. The line to Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Saint-Germain-en-Laye is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris from the centre.Inhabitants are called Saint-Germanois...

 was electrified up to Rueil-Malmaison
Rueil-Malmaison
Rueil-Malmaison is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, in the Hauts-de-Seine department of France. It is located 12.6 kilometers from the center of Paris.-Name:...

 (14 km) in June 1926, then extended to Saint-Germain in 1927. The line to Versailles Rive Droite was electrified in July 1928 as well as between Puteaux and Issy-les-Moulineaux, Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche in May 1931 and the 10 km long line to Argenteuil in 1936 after the quadrupling of the tracks two years earlier.

Electricity was fed to the EMUs under the third rail, as opposed to above the rail in Southern England. The third rail
Third rail
A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...

 was fed by fourteen sub-stations themselves fed by 15000 V and 1500 V by power stations at Nanterre
Nanterre
Nanterre is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located west of the center of Paris.Nanterre is the capital of the Hauts-de-Seine department as well as the seat of the Arrondissement of Nanterre....

 and Issy-les-Moulineaux
Issy-les-Moulineaux
Issy-les-Moulineaux is a commune in the southwestern suburban area of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. On 1 January 2003, Issy-les-Moulineaux became part of the Communauté d'agglomération Arc de Seine along with the other communes of Chaville, Meudon, Vanves and Ville-d'Avray...

. the sub-stations was partially automated in the early 1930s.

When electrification was implemented, zoned services were put in place to decrease travel time, this meant that not all trains served all stations and semi-direct trains served the further stations. This decreased travel time for users of further town. From 1926, three trains served the Saint-Germain line:
  • Saint Lazare-Bécon omnibus every fifteen minutes
  • Saint Lazare-Bécon direct then omnibus to Rueil every half hour
  • Saint Lazare-Rueil direct then omnibus to Saint-Germain every half hour (steam operated until 1927)

To maximise electrification efficiency, Bloc automatique lumineux signalling (BAL) tested between Rueil-Malmaison and Le Pecq followed by a widespread implementation on all the close suburb between 1924 and 1931.

Overhead electrification

Allied bombing in 1944 destroyed much of the railway installations and disorganised services. Operated by the SNCF
SNCF
The SNCF , is France's national state-owned railway company. SNCF operates the country's national rail services, including the TGV, France's high-speed rail network...

 since 1938, Réseau Saint-Lazare, like Réseau Nord and Réseau Est was to be electrified with overhead wire. As it had been the case with other modernisation projects, track alteration took place when it was being prepared for electrification. A fourth track was installed between Achères
Achères, Yvelines
Achères is a commune in the Yvelines department in north-central France. It is located from the center of Paris.The commune of Achères lies on the south bank of the Seine in a loop of the river, on the edge of the Forest of Saint-Germain-en-Laye...

 and Poissy
Poissy
Poissy is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris from the center.In 1561 it was the site of a fruitless Catholic-Huguenot conference, the Colloquy at Poissy...

 in 1961 as well as a saut-de-mouton and an intermediate terminus at Poissy. A fourth track was also installed on a 6 km long stretch of line between Vernouillet
Vernouillet, Yvelines
Vernouillet is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France.-Twin towns:* Hainburg , since 1962* Alberndorf , since 1972* Trumau , since 1977* Yarm , since 1985...

 and Les Mureaux
Les Mureaux
Les Mureaux is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the north-western suburbs of Paris from the center.-Transport:...

. Stations at Sartrouville
Sartrouville
Sartrouville is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. it is located in the north-western suburbs of Paris from the center.-Name:...

 and Les Mureaux
Les Mureaux
Les Mureaux is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the north-western suburbs of Paris from the center.-Transport:...

 were expanded and a through track installed for suburban services.

25 kV electrification by overhead wiring was made live on groupe V in 1966, on 11 January between Achères and Mantes
Mantes-la-Jolie
Mantes-la-Jolie is a commune based in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris from the center. Mantes-la-Jolie is a sub-prefecture department.-History:...

 for use for goods services only and on 20 September between Gare Saint-Lazare
Gare Saint-Lazare
Paris Saint-Lazare is one of the six large terminus train stations of Paris. It is the second busiest in Paris, behind the Gare du Nord, handling 274,000 passengers each day.-History:...

 and Achères for suburban passenger services alike.

To prepare for the arrival of overhead electrification, important structural work was done. Initiated in 1962, work ended in 1966. It included the raising of the bridge of the Place de l'Europe situated above the platforms at Gare Saint-Lazare
Gare Saint-Lazare
Paris Saint-Lazare is one of the six large terminus train stations of Paris. It is the second busiest in Paris, behind the Gare du Nord, handling 274,000 passengers each day.-History:...

 and lowering the tracks below the bâtiment des docks, offices situated above high numbered platforms, lengthening of the platforms allocated to intercity services
Inter-city rail
Inter-city rail services are express passenger train services that cover longer distances than commuter or regional trains.There is no precise definition of inter-city rail. Its meaning may vary from country to country...

 and the construction of the state of the art signal box, poste tout relais à transit souple (PRS). Electricity was switched on the line to Mantes via Conflans on 27 March 1967 and from Conflans to Pontoise on 14 May 1968.

Rolling stock

As a heritage of the Chemins de Fer de l'Ouest
Chemins de Fer de l'Ouest
The Compagnie des chemins de fer de l'Ouest , often referred to simply as L'Ouest or Ouest, was an early French railway company.- Birth of the company :...

 and the Chemin de Fer de l'État
Chemin de Fer de l'État
The Chemins de fer de l'État , often referred to in France as the réseau de l'État , was an early French railway company.-History:...

 and due to its size, the Réseau Saint-Lazare inherited a number of particular and specifically designed rolling stock.

Steam traction

The following locomotives were in use for passenger duties on the Réseau Saint-Lazare:
  • 030 T Ouest
  • 040 TA Ouest
    040 TA Ouest
    The 040 TA was an 0-8-0 tank engine of the Chemins de Fer de l'État.-Overview:The series of 143 engines were built between 1914 and 1922, with a break during World War I. These were designed to replace the 030 0-6-0 shunting engines. The 0-6-0 engines possessed a traction force of 40 tons, while...

  • 120 T Ouest
  • 131 TA Ouest
  • 141 TC Ouest
    141 TC Ouest
    The 141 TC, or 141 TC Ouest, was 2-8-2 tank engine of the Chemins de Fer de l'État.-Overview:This series of 20 engines, numbered 42-001 to 42-020, was built by Fives Lille and was allocated to the Batignolles motive power depot. Although they were designed in 1913, production was delayed by World...

  • 141 TD Ouest

Electric traction

The following rolling stock is in use for passenger duties on the Réseau Saint-Lazare:
  • SNCF Class BB 16000
    SNCF Class BB 16000
    The SNCF BB 16000 are a class of 25kv 50Hz AC electric locomotives produced by MTE. They are the AC version of the BB 9200s A total of 62 were originally built between 1959 and 1963, although some have since been withdrawn. 15 BB 16000s were reclassified as BB 16100s after fitment of TDM control...

  • SNCF Class BB 16500
    SNCF Class BB 16500
    The SNCF Class BB 16500 electric locomotives were built by Alsthom between 1958-1964.They are part of the family of locomotives: SNCF Class BB 8500, SNCF Class BB 88500, SNCF Class BB 17000, SNCF Class BB 20200 and SNCF Class BB 25500.-Gallery:...

  • SNCF Class BB 17000
    SNCF Class BB 17000
    The SNCF Class BB 17000 B-B AC electric locomotives built between 1965 and 1968. It performs suburban duties on railway lines around Paris, notably VB2N carriages. They are monophase locomotives and have the nickname "danseuses" or "dancers"...

  • SNCF Class BB 26000
    SNCF Class BB 26000
    The SNCF BB 26000 locomotives are a class of dual voltage, four axle B'B' electric locomotives capable of a top speed of 200 km/h built by GEC Alsthom between 1988 and 1998 for SNCF...


Including some electric multiple unit
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...

s:
  • SNCF Class Z 1300
  • SNCF Class Z 6300
  • SNCF Class Z 6400
    SNCF Class Z 6400
    The SNCF Class Z 6400 electric multiple units were built by Alsthom/Carel et Fouché between 1976-1979.75 of these 4-car units are used on suburban service in the west of Paris, operating mainly from Paris Gare Saint-Lazare....

  • SNCF Class Z 20500
    SNCF Class Z 20500
    SNCF Class Z 20500 is a type of electric multiple unit operated on the Paris RER lines C and D.-General views:...

  • SNCF TGV Réseau
    SNCF TGV Réseau
    The SNCF TGV Réseau trains were built by Alstom between 1992 and 1996. These TGV trainsets are based on the earlier TGV Atlantique.The first Réseau sets entered service in 1993. Fifty dual-voltage trainsets were built in 1992-1994, numbered 501-550. A further 40 triple-voltage trainsets, numbered...


Diesel traction

Since the electrification of the main line to Caen and Cherbourg in June 1996, there no longer are regular services using diesel for Gare Saint-Lazare
Gare Saint-Lazare
Paris Saint-Lazare is one of the six large terminus train stations of Paris. It is the second busiest in Paris, behind the Gare du Nord, handling 274,000 passengers each day.-History:...

 although some regional services in Normandy, part of the Réseau Saint-Lazare use DMUs and diesel locomotives.
  • SNCF Class BB 67400
    SNCF Class BB 67400
    The SNCF Class BB 67400 diesel locomotives were built by Brissonneau and Lotz between 1969-1975. They can be found working all over France on both freight and passenger trains....

  • SNCF Class T 1000
  • SNCF Class T 2000
    SNCF Class T 2000
    SNCF Class T 2000 trainsets, also known under their French acronym RTG , were the second generation of turbine-powered trains in France and saw commercial service from 1972 to 2004....

  • SNCF Class X 4630
    SNCF Class X 4630
    The SNCF Class X 4630 diesel multiple units were built by ANF between 1974-1978....

  • SNCF Class X 72500
    SNCF Class X 72500
    The SNCF Class X 72500 diesel multiple units were built by Alstom between 1997 and 2002. They operate longer distance TER services, particularly in the areas south and west of Paris, the Paris to Laon line, around Tours, Nantes, Toulouse, Lyon, Dijon, Nevers, Grenoble, Bordeaux and the South Coast...

  • SNCF Class X 73500
    SNCF Class X 73500
    The X73500 is a Diesel Multiple Unit train type operated by the SNCF in France. They were built from 1999 to 2004 by Alsthom DDF.-General Information:...


Hauled stock

  • Bidel passenger cars
  • Voiture État à 2 étages
    Voiture État à 2 étages
    The Voiture État à deux étages, or approximately translated État double-deck passenger car, were a class of double-deck carriages built for the Chemin de Fer de l'État of France.-Origin:...

     1933-1984
  • Rame inox de banlieue 1970–present
  • Voiture de banlieue à 2 niveaux
    Voiture de banlieue à 2 niveaux
    Voiture de Banlieue à 2 Niveaux, VB2N is a type of double-deck passenger car used on French railways on suburban rail in Île-de-France.The coaches, built from 1974, are the successors of the Chemin de Fer de l'État's 1933 built Voiture État à 2 étages. They are used on suburban lines from Gare...

    1975–present

Depots

Trains operating in the Réseau Saint Lazare are maintained in several engine sheds or EMT:
  • Bâtignoles (Grandes-Lignes)
  • Clichy-Levallois (Transilien)
    • Asnières-sur-Seine (Transilien)
  • Achères
    • Mantes-la-Jolie (Freight & Transilien)
  • Sotteville
  • Caen
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