How Tokyo's Subways Inspired the Paris
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Feature Evolution of Urban Railways How Tokyo’s Subways Inspired the Paris RER (Interconnection with SNCF Suburban Lines) Louis Sato and Philippe Essig Introduction Original Master Plan in 1965 for RER A and Sceaux Line Extended to Châtelet (Les Halles) Station Each time a new idea prevails, the initial Cergy Pontoise Valmondois difficulties are forgotten fairly quickly. In (Second north–south axis) le Bourget Montesson (First north–south axis) town planning and transportation, it is always difficult to design and execute a Saint-Germain RER A project that alters long-established la Defense practices. However, during the last 30 Etoile Auber Châtelet Fontenay years, many metropolises worldwide Bry-sur-Marne Nation RER A Luxembourg Noisy-le-Grand have seen revolutions in the fields of Gare de Lagny Meaux transportation and urban traffic. Lyon This article recalls the situation 30 years Trappes (Second north–south axis) ago when a study of the Tokyo subway guided the design of the central station of Robinson Evry the Paris RER. (First north–south axis) Boissy St-Leger Paris Urban Network (Sceaux Line) in Early 70s In 1970, the Paris urban railway network was based on principles dating back to the 1972 New RER Concept turn of the century when the Paris metro was built. Commuter trains of French Ville Nouvelle National Railways (SNCF) terminated de Cergy Pontoise at the Paris stations of Saint-Lazare, Orry-la-Ville Aeroport Montparnasse, Austerlitz, Lyon, Est and Roissy CDG Nord and there was no line crossing Paris. The same situation applied to the Régie RER D Mitry-Claye Autonome des Transports Parisiens (RATP) Sceaux commuter line serving the southern suburbs, which stopped at Luxembourg RER B Poissy RER A Station. The RATP Paris metro was mainly serving Paris and its suburban extensions Saint-Germain were limited. la Defense Gare Etoile du Nord Auber Gare Fontenay Moreover, SNCF and RATP were two Châtelet de Lyon RER A Bry-sur-Marne Lagny distinctive public operators, running Luxembourg Noisy-le-Grand Meaux Nation incompatible rolling stock on different Ville Nouvelle gauges and standards; in practice, they de Marne la Vallee RER B were divided according to territory. (former Sceaux Line) Despite this state of affairs, a major new Robinson project called RER (Réseau Express RER D Régional) had been launched some years Boissy St-Leger before with the aim of building commuter St-Remy-les Chevreuses lines crossing the centre of Paris. The Master Plan approved in 1965 also Ville Nouvelle Ville Nouvelle included a northbound extension of the de Evry de Melun Ferral Sceaux Line to a new terminal with a transfer to Châtelet (Les Halles) new RER 36 Japan Railway & Transport Review 23 • March 2000 Copyright © 2000 EJRCF. All rights reserved. Central Station. The projects included in Tobu ended at the Yamanote Line. this scheme were granted major funding RATP–SNCF Interconnection But the Tokyo subways saw an interesting with the setting up of the new Ile-de-France revolution during the 1960s. Just like Paris, regional authority. Construction of the east– There was no precedent in Europe for a the early Tokyo subways had been built west line through the centre of Paris (RER subway interconnection between different inside the administrative boundaries of A) was proceeding quickly and there was companies. Problems arising from rolling Tokyo, and with a few exceptions, the lines an urgent need to decide the concept of stock interoperability, safety, operating terminated on the Yamanote Line. the Châtelet (Les Halles) Central Station standards, rules, revenue and cost However, the difficulties of making transfer between RER A and the extended sharing, etc., were issues that no-one in connections on the Yamanote Line coupled Sceaux Line. However, two questions were Paris had experienced. with the huge tidal surges of commuters, delaying the project: lead the Japanese Ministry of Transport to • Was it possible to conceive of cross- Steering Committee and Tokyo ensure that each new subway built in the platform transfers between the RER A as Reference City centre of Tokyo had good interconnections and RER B (extended Sceaux) lines? with other railway lines serving the suburbs. • Might trains of RATP and SNCF one day Today, the answer to these questions seems As a result, the Tokyo Metropolitan use the same tunnel and would it be obvious and cross-platform transfers with Government’s (TMG) Asakusa subway line feasible to interconnect their networks? 200-m long platforms and full-capacity was connected with Keisei Electric Railway These issues raised questions about well- trains have been in place for more than 20 at Oshiage Station in 1960, and with Keihin established management practices and years ever since the first SNCF–RATP Electric Express Railway at Sengakuji safety dating from the building of the first interconnection with the opening of the Station in 1968. The Teito Rapid Transit subway. However, solving these issues RER D line in 1995. However, at that time, Authority’s (TRTA) Hibiya subway line was offered the potential of more economic the solution did not seem obvious to also connected with Tobu Railway at design and more efficient services for users. anybody. Kita Senju in 1962, and with Tokyu The second half of this article on the RER Mr Gerondeau, Adviser to the Prime Corporation’s Toyoko Line at Naka Meguro project (p. 38) by Mr Philippe Essig, who Minister, established a steering committee in 1964. In each case, the central (mostly was in charge of these works at RATP, bringing together the directors of the underground) section between the two explains the importance of the issues and relevant public services, especially, Mr connections is served alternately by trains how they were resolved. Laure, Prefect (governor) and Director of of the subway operator (TMG or TRTA) and This first half explains the principles facing Equipment for the Ile-de-France Region, Mr each of the two connected private officials in charge of transport policies and Giraudet, the new Chairman of RATP, and operators. Similarly, the suburban sections urban planning. Mr Stern, Vice-Chairman of SNCF. on the outer sides are served alternately by Among the various studies launched by the trains of the subway and the private committee, the search for a reference city operators. The train crews usually change Cross-Platform Transfer was entrusted to a consulting firm where I at the connecting stations. Sometimes, was in charge of the town planning and trains are terminated at the connection In 1970, access to the Paris metro platforms transport department. We soon realized stations, but in such a case, cross-platform was controlled by automatic gates that that the Tokyo subways represented the transfer is used to facilitate a quick change. closed when a subway train entered the most relevant reference for Paris. Similarly, Akasaka Mitsuke Station in station. The gates could also be controlled Of course, Tokyo is very different from Paris, the centre of Tokyo has cross-platform in the case of unexpected events to prevent not least because its population is markedly connections to the TRTA Ginza and large crowds building up on platforms. In larger. Moreover, the behaviour of Marunouchi subway lines, both of which this case, passengers were held back in the Tokyoites on public transport is different have frequencies and traffic comparable to subway approach corridors. from that of Parisians. Finally, the structure the busiest subway lines in Paris. Despite the huge size of the RER project at and organization of the railway network in In view of this information, Messrs Châtelet (Les Halles) Station (where a Tokyo is very unlike that in Paris. Giraudet, Laure, Gerondeau, and Stern of 17-m wide platform was planned), there The circular Yamanote Line running around the steering committee decided to visit were fears that a sudden surge of passengers the heart of Tokyo has no parallel in Paris. Tokyo to observe these operations and onto the platform could not be managed In the late 1950s, all the radiating private meet the people running these lines. and that safety would be a problem. commuter lines like the Odakyu, Keio and Copyright © 2000 EJRCF. All rights reserved. Japan Railway & Transport Review 23 • March 2000 37 Evolution of Urban Railways rules. TRTA kept the operation concession Design of Paris RER Central The Tokyo Visit for the tunnel in the central section, while Project the railway operators kept their domain in The steering committee visited the Tokyo the suburbs. Although all trains ran through Tokyo proved that cross-platform inter- subway in 1971 and saw the morning rush the central subway tunnel, the drivers connection was feasible and swept away hour, the connection stations on the Hibiya changed at the connection stations and all objections to its use in Paris. Line and the cross-platform change at only TRTA drivers were authorized to drive Moreover, it stimulated our imaginations Akasaka Mitsuke Station. The committee trains through the central tunnel. Revenue and allowed us to suddenly see the was also fascinated by the operation of the and cost sharing were also agreed in a possibility of the RER central project in Paris JNR Chuo Line terminal at Tokyo Station. similarly simple manner. and its interconnection. At that time, the Chuo Line was carrying At last, the reference frame for The RER station at Châtelet (Les Halles) and more than 100,000 passengers per hour at interconnections in Paris was set. the interconnection with the RER D line an extraordinary load factor. The Tokyo finally became realities. Station terminus consisted of a single 10-m Cross-Platform Connections at wide platform where 200-m trains Akasaka Mitsuke Station controlled by entry switching arrived and The RER Project left alternately.