The SNCF Class BB 27300 are a series of 67 electric locomotive

Electric locomotive

An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board energy storage device...

s, built as part of the "Prima"

Prima (locomotive)

Prima is a family of railway diesel and electric locomotives built by Alstom. Manufacturing began in the late 1990s, and by 2008 Alstom had sold 1750 Prima locomotives...

 range by Alstom

Alstom

Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...

. Painted in the blue and white livery of 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...

, the brand name for the SNCF network around Paris, these locomotives are the passenger equivalent of the freight-only Class BB 27000

SNCF Class BB 27000

The SNCF Class BB 27000 "Prima" electric locomotives were built by Alstom between 2001–2005. These are dual-voltage freight-only locomotives; they are not fitted with a 1500 V DC electrical line for train heating and accessories. One hundred and eighty of the locomotives, numbered 27001–27180,...

 and are equipped for push-pull

Push-pull train

Push–pull is a mode of operation for locomotive-hauled trains allowing them to be driven from either end.A push–pull train has a locomotive at one end of the train, connected via some form of remote control, such as multiple-unit train control, to a vehicle equipped with a control cab at the other...

 operation on suburban passenger services in the Île-de-France region

Île-de-France (région)

Île-de-France is the wealthiest and most populated of the twenty-two administrative regions of France, composed mostly of the Paris metropolitan area....

 around 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...

, working with refurbished VB2N

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...

 double-deck carriages.

Orders

The first batch of 60 locomotives was ordered in 2004, and following testing of the first two units in 2005, delivered progressively into 2008. Follow-up orders for five and two locomotives respectively were placed. The locomotives are numbered in series from 27301-27367, although the number carried on the locomotive is prefixed with the number 8, to denote the unit as belonging to the Île-de-France division of SNCF.

Usage

The first locomotives entered service in 2006 on suburban trains from Paris-Montparnasse. Current deployment sees a total of 23 locomotives operating services from Paris-Montparnasse on trains to Dreux

Dreux

Dreux is a commune in the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France.-History:Dreux was known in ancient times as Durocassium, the capital of the Durocasses Celtic tribe. Despite the legend, its name was not related with Druids. The Romans established here a fortified camp known as Castrum...

, Mantes-la-Jolie

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:...

 and Rambouillet

Rambouillet

Rambouillet is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France.It is located in the suburbs of Paris southwest from the center...

. At Montparnasse they have displaced older BB 8500

SNCF Class BB 8500

The SNCF Class BB 8500 class are part of a series of electric locomotives built by Alsthom for SNCF. They are the direct current version of the 25kV alternating current SNCF BB 17000 and dual system SNCF BB 25500....

 and BB 25500

SNCF Class BB 25500

SNCF's BB 25500 class are part of a series of electric locomotives built by Alstom. They are the dual system version of the BB 17000 and BB 8500 locomotives . They are fitted with monomotor bogies with two different gear ratios. This allows them to have increased tractive effort in exchange for a...

 locomotives. A further 42 locomotives operate from Paris 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:...

 on trains to 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...

, Mantes-la-Jolie, Pontoise

Pontoise

Pontoise is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris, in the "new town" of Cergy-Pontoise.-Administration:...

, Gisors

Gisors

Gisors is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located northwest from the center of Paris.Gisors, together with the neighbouring communes of Trie-Château and Trie-la-Ville, form an urban area of 12,669 inhabitants...

, and Ermont Eaubonne. At Saint-Lazare BB 8500 and 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"...

 locomotives have been displaced.

Future

The usage of BB 27300 locomotives on suburban passenger services is a temporary measure. It is expected that sometime after 2015 they will begin to be replaced by new Electric Multiple Units. When this happens, the locomotives are likely to find further use with SNCF's freight subsidiary, SNCF Fret, where they will join the technically similar BB 27000

SNCF Class BB 27000

The SNCF Class BB 27000 "Prima" electric locomotives were built by Alstom between 2001–2005. These are dual-voltage freight-only locomotives; they are not fitted with a 1500 V DC electrical line for train heating and accessories. One hundred and eighty of the locomotives, numbered 27001–27180,...

locomotives.