NExTEO, a new tool to improve the punctuality of the RER B and D
What is NExTEO?
The financing of the NExTEO tool on the RER B and D lines has just been voted. But what is NExTEO?
NExTEO is a signalling and traffic control tool that automates part of the train control process by assisting the driver in braking and accelerating.
Its process improves the performance of infrastructure and trains while making it possible to gain 3 to 4 points in punctuality on equipped lines.
Why deploy NExTEO on RER B and D lines?
After an initial phase of tests on the extension of the RER E, NExTEO is preparing its arrival on two new lines.
Ideal candidates, the RER B and D are among the busiest lines in the Île-de-France Mobilités network with more than 1 million daily passengers on the B and 650,000 passengers on the D. This is already a significant number of visitors, which has been steadily increasing for the past 10 years with +3% more visitors each year.
The tunnel between Châtelet and Gare du Nord, a tense point for the RER B and D
In the tunnel between Châtelet and Gare du Nord, the two lines intersect, forcing them to observe a safety area that has a strong impact on punctuality.
The automation of traffic in the tunnel thanks to NExTEO will make it possible to improve traffic flow, increase the number of trains per hour and thus improve service to the north of the Ile-de-France region.
NExTEO, an initiative that is part of the policy to improve the RER B and D
The financing of NExTEO is part of a global and massive investment plan launched by Valérie Pécresse, President of Île-de-France Mobilités and the Île-de-France Region with the support of the State, to improve the quality of service on the two lines:
- New, comfortable and more efficient trains (RER NG and MI 20),
- New single command center to improve the management of the two lines
- Or adaptations of existing infrastructures...
The goal? To improve the quality of service and travel conditions for Ile-de-France residents, quickly and concretely, on these two lines of the future.
When will NExTEO be deployed on lines B and D?
The deployment of NExTEO requires a significant period of testing and implementation, both on infrastructure and on trains.
The process is scheduled to be commissioned in 2031 at the latest in the Châtelet - Gare du Nord tunnel, and in 2033, for the entire perimeter.
A €967 million operation for the equipment of the network's existing infrastructure, financed 70% by the Île-de-France Region and 30% by the State, with a participation of €35 million from the operators (SNCF Réseau, SNCF Voyageurs and RATP), supplemented by €239 million, necessary for the equipment of the trains, financed by Île-de-France Mobilités.