RER C is one of the five lines in theRéseau Express Régional (Regional Express Network), a hybridcommuter rail andrapid transit system serving Paris and its suburbs. The 186-kilometre (116 mi) line crosses the region from north to south. Briefly, between September 1979 and May 1980, the line was known as theTransversal Rive Gauche. The line is operated bySNCF.
The line runs from the northern terminiPontoise (C1),Versailles Château Rive Gauche (C5) andSaint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (C7) to the southern terminiMassy–Palaiseau (C2),Dourdan-la-Forêt (C4) andSaint-Martin-d'Étampes (C6).
The RER C line is the second-longest in the network, created from an amalgamation and renovation of several old SNCF commuter lines, unlikeRER A andB which had newer sections owned and constructed byRATP. Each day, over 531 trains run on the RER C alone, and carries over 540,000 passengers daily,[2] 150,000 passengers more than the entirety of theTGV network.
It is the most popular RER line for tourists, who represent 15% of its passengers, as the line serves many monuments and museums, including thePalace of Versailles. However, the numerous stops, combined with the old and fragile infrastructure the line inherited, makes the Parisian section of the RER C slow and inefficient. The numerous old curves and steep grades on RER C mean trains sometimes need to slow down to 30 km/h (20 mph) to safely pass sections with tight alignments.[3] In contrast, RER A was constructed to more modern standards enabling much higher average operating speeds. These problems are particularly evident on trips to and from the northern suburbs to the city center as taking Transilien lines and transferring to theMétro can be faster than taking the RER C with its closely spaced stops. In addition, the RER C's complicated operating schedule created by its complex network of numerous branches means the entire line is vulnerable to delays from even small incidents.
Line C was opened on 26 September 1979, following the construction of a new1-kilometre (5⁄8 mi) tunnel connecting the Gare d'Orsay railway terminus (nowMusée d'Orsay) with theInvalides, terminus of the Rive Gauche line toVersailles, along the banks of theSeine. Services operated betweenVersailles Château Rive Gauche –Invalides –Quai-d'Orsay, branching toMassy–Palaiseau, andJuvisy –Dourdan /Saint-Martin-d'Étampes. At that point the line was named theTransversal Rive Gauche.
In May 1980, service was extended toSaint-Quentin-en-Yvelines –Versailles Chantiers –Gare des Invalides. The RER C designation was then introduced, replacing theTransversal Rive Gauche name from this point onwards.
On 25 September 1988, the VMI ("Vallée de Montmorency – Invalides") branch to the north-west opened. This branch mostly used the infrastructure of the "ligne d'Auteuil" (incorporated into the "ligne de petite ceinture" from 1867, closed to passengers from 22 July 1934), and a new 3-kilometre (2 mi) tunnel connection between Batignolles andSaint-Ouen, connecting to the RER C's main trunk atChamp de Mars–Tour Eiffel via a curved bridge (the only one in Paris) over the Seine river. That extended services toMontigny–Beauchamp andArgenteuil.
The stationPorte de Clichy, located betweenPereire–Levallois andSaint-Ouen, opened on 29 September 1991. In 1992, the line was extended fromJuvisy toVersailles. A further9 kilometres (5+5⁄8 mi) extension fromMontigny–Beauchamp toPontoise was opened on 28 August 2000. On the same day a new station, Bibliothèque François Mitterrand, opened in order to create a new connexion withMétro Line 14, located between Paris-Austerlitz and Boulevard Masséna, which was closed and replaced by the new station. Another new station,Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône-Liesse, opened on 24 March 2002.
On 27 August 2006, the C3 service (betweenErmont–Eaubonne andArgenteuil) was transferred to theTransilien Paris-Saint-Lazare suburban rail network asLine J.
On 16 December 2006, Boulevard Victor was renamedBoulevard Victor–Pont du Garigliano to highlight the new interchange with tramway lineT3.
In February 2012, the Versailles Rive Gauche station was renamed Versailles Château Rive Gauche, to highlight its proximity to thePalace of Versailles, and to avoid confusion with other stations in Versailles served by RER C.
In December 2023, the C8 branch was withdrawn. The newTransilien Line V began a shuttle service between Versailles-Chantiers and Massy-Palaiseau. The line between Savigny-sur-Orge and Massy-Palaiseau becametram-train line T12 Express.
Like all other RER lines in Paris, themission code, or thename of service, consists of four letters. The names of services are displayed on trains and onpassenger information display systems. The four-letter code begins with a letter that corresponds to the train's terminus.[4][5] For example, trains displaying NORA terminate at Pontoise because NORA starts with the letter 'N' (and codes that start with the letter 'N' indicate the destination of Pontoise).
Several services had the code name changed in 2015, for exampleKUMA toKYVI.[6]
| Letter | Destination | Codes |
|---|---|---|
| A | Austerlitz | ANNE |
| B | Bretigny | BALI |
| C | Versailles Chantiers | CARO, CIME, CITY |
| D | Dourdan orDourdan-la-Forêt | DEBA, DEBO, DYVI |
| E | Saint-Martin-d'Étampes | ELAO, ELBA |
| F | Bibliothèque François Mitterrand | FOOT |
| G | Montigny–Beauchamp | GATA, GOTA, GUTA |
| J | Juvisy | JILL, JOEL |
| K | Chaville–Vélizy | KAMA, KUMA, KYVI |
| L | Invalides | LARA, LOLA, LURA |
| M | Massy–Palaiseau | MONA |
| N | Pontoise | NARA, NORA |
| O | Musée d'Orsay | ORDO, ORET, ORSE, ORSU |
| P | Pont du Garigliano | PAUL, PUMA |
| R | Pont de Rungis–Aéroport d'Orly | ROMI |
| S | Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines–Montigny-le-Bretonneux | SARA, SLIM, SLOM |
| V | Versailles Château Rive Gauche | VERO, VICK, VITY, VURT |
| Y | Dourdan orÉtampes | YACK, YETI, YONA[7] |
The extension of the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines branch toCoignières station, with intermediate stops atTrappes andLa Verrière, was included in Phase 1 (2013–2020) of the Schéma directeur de la région Île-de-France (SDRIF) adopted by theRegional Council of Île-de-France on September 25, 2008.[8] However, this vital project to serve the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines conurbation (improved service to La Verrière and Trappes stations, and control of (high) ridership at Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines – Montigny-le-Bretonneux station) has been delayed[9] due to the high infrastructure costs involved, estimated at over€120 million at June 2008 economic conditions.[10] The project requires work to be carried out on the line to make the Trappes crossing safer. The project is now expected to be completed around 2030.
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