Paris’ transport authority Île-de-France Mobilités and SNCF Voyageurs have launched a tender for up to 300 new double-deck commuter trains for one of the capital’s main RER lines, under a framework worth up to a massive €8 billion, starting with a firm 52-train order capped at €1.5 billion.
Île-de-France Mobilités (IDFM) and SNCF Voyageurs have launched a joint tender for a new generation of Z2N NG double-deck EMUs for the Paris RER C network, with a firm order for 52 trains worth up to €1.5 billion. That sits within a much larger single-supplier framework agreement for up to 300 trains in total that could ultimately run to €8 billion.
The initial 52 EMUs are intended for a new service branded Line Y, scheduled to enter operation in 2032. Line Y will run on the RER C axis between Paris Austerlitz and the southern branches to Dourdan and Saint-Martin d’Étampes. Over time, the wider programme is set to replace the ageing Z2N fleet currently deployed on Line C, built between the early 1980s and early 2000s.
The firm tranche covers the full delivery chain: design and engineering, manufacturing, testing, delivery, commissioning and entry into service. It also bundles the operational backbone required to run the fleet, including maintenance tooling, technical documentation, staff training, spare parts, and after-sales support across IDFM/SNCF maintenance sites.
Technical baseline
The new trains must not exceed 105 metres in length to fit the RER C platform constraints. Each unit is expected to accommodate at least 455 passengers, with around 500 passengers set out as the target “optimal” capacity.
Boarding height is specified at 550 mm to match platform standards and support accessibility and faster passenger exchange. The EMUs will have to be dual-voltage, operating under both 1.5 kV DC and 25 kV 50 Hz AC systems, and are expected to include onboard energy storage enabling at least 5 km of operation without overhead supply.
Options lift ceiling to 300 trains
Beyond the 52 confirmed units, the framework includes optional tranches for up to 248 additional trains. IDFM can call off up to 198 more EMUs under an option capped at €4.094 billion, alongside a separate tranche for additional maintenance and integrated logistics support services capped at €1.226 billion.
SNCF Voyageurs, meanwhile, holds an option for up to 50 additional trains capped at €986 million, plus a further €245 million option for maintenance and logistics services. Taken together, the €8.012 billion ceiling for 300 trains implies an average value of roughly €26.7 million per unit.
The procurement, published in the EU’s Official Journal earlier this month, states that expressions of interest are due by 31 March, with the tender structured as a single-supplier framework agreement with an estimated duration of 23 years.
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