Famous Parisian hub Gare du Nord will temporarily close in May
SNCF Réseau is taking advantage of the drop in public transport traffic during the holiday weekends in May to carry out operations that will require traffic to be interrupted. This will take place throughout France, and some of the work in the Ile-de-France region will have an impact on northbound traffic.
Between January and May 2023, work will take place on the RER B to maintain and modernise the line. The replacement of the catenary between Aulnay-sous-Bois and Mitry-Claye stations will continue over the weekends of 1 and 8 May. This operation will make it possible to reduce catenary incidents and keep a maximum number of trains running in the event of an electrical incident.
This closure between Gare du Nord and Aulnay-sous-Bois will have some impact on the RER B and K lines and TER Hauts-de-France. RER B traffic will be interrupted from 18 to 21 May between Gare du Nord and Aulnay-sous-Bois (except on 19 May). From 27 to 29 May, the interconnection will be suspended at Gare du Nord. In addition, line K will be completely closed from 6 to 8 May. It will also be closed between Gare du Nord and Mitry from 18 to 21 May and from 27 to 29 May.
Other work is planned on the northern axis of the IDF network. Preparatory work for the future CDG Express airport shuttle will begin on the weekend of 29 May. It will involve replacing a century-old railway bridge on rue du Bailly, just before the Plaine Stade-de-France station.
Work in the IDF region
This month will be marked by several works on the network, including regeneration operations on the tracks, catenary and engineering structures, as well as modernisation work in preparation for the installation of a railway bridge and preparatory work for the arrival of new rolling stock on the RER D line. In addition, there will be major progress on the Eole project and on connections with the future Grand Paris Express lines, which will contribute to the development of the network.
The rail network in the IDF represents 10 per cent of the SNCF network but absorbs 45 per cent of national investment. It carries 70 per cent of SNCF passengers, which amounts to. 3.5 million euro per day, and concentrates 40 per cent of trains, which amounts to 6,500 trains per day. In 2023, around 2 billion worth of work will be carried out on the Ile-de-France network, including 800 million euro dedicated to regeneration operations. In total, 101 switches and 163 kilometres of track will be renewed throughout the year.
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