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Paris Metro crowding
I first visited Paris in 1964 and have gone back over 40 times since then. On my last visit (weekend of 10/11) the Metro cannot (properly) handle the crowds. Most of the lines were running trains with 4 minute spacing (some even 2 minutes)--had the trains with capacity volume...is there a solution?
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Well, there's a few things you can do:
1) Lengthen the trains. Mostly not feasible as they run the full platform length in Paris anyway, and the stations are already very close together. 2) Improve the signalling to decrease the headway where possible. Having said that, 30tph is already close to current safety/technology limits. IIRC, the newest London lines manage 33tph. 3) Increase the number of walkthrough trains (like on lines 4 and 14), which increases the amount of space inside. Taking London as an example again, this has been revolutionary for the sub-surface (Met, H&C, Circle) lines. 4) Provide reasonable alternatives above ground, be it new lines, RER lines, Vélib, trams, improved buses, or ways to bypass the busy central area. 5) Provide variable pricing throughout the day to discourage non-essential journeys at peak time. 6) Provide information to the general public as to which are the busier and which are the quieter sections, and when. Sounds like RATP have been looking at some of these, particularly 3 and 4. But I guess there's only so much you can do with the funding you have. I don't know what level of crowding you're talking about, but when I used to commute from Clapham Common in London, you would regularly have to wait for 5 or 6 trains to pass before you could physically fit inside - now that's overcrowding... |
Part of the solution:
http://www.societedugrandparis.fr/la-carte-du-projet with traffic between suburbs being moved to new lines around central Paris, therefore relieving existing Metro lines (some of which are upgraded and automated) of the burden of this traffic. Timeframe: from 2020 to 2030 |
Originally Posted by stut
(Post 21604545)
Well, there's a few things you can do:
1) Lengthen the trains. Mostly not feasible as they run the full platform length in Paris anyway, and the stations are already very close together. 2) Improve the signalling to decrease the headway where possible. Having said that, 30tph is already close to current safety/technology limits. IIRC, the newest London lines manage 33tph. 3) Increase the number of walkthrough trains (like on lines 4 and 14), which increases the amount of space inside. Taking London as an example again, this has been revolutionary for the sub-surface (Met, H&C, Circle) lines. 4) Provide reasonable alternatives above ground, be it new lines, RER lines, Vélib, trams, improved buses, or ways to bypass the busy central area. 5) Provide variable pricing throughout the day to discourage non-essential journeys at peak time. 6) Provide information to the general public as to which are the busier and which are the quieter sections, and when. Sounds like RATP have been looking at some of these, particularly 3 and 4. But I guess there's only so much you can do with the funding you have. I don't know what level of crowding you're talking about, but when I used to commute from Clapham Common in London, you would regularly have to wait for 5 or 6 trains to pass before you could physically fit inside - now that's overcrowding... Perhaps changing the seating arrangement--one row of seats on each side, facing the center of the car, would allow more standees. The current arrangement only allows "comfortable":p standing near the doors. |
Originally Posted by nrr
(Post 21604639)
Line 1 also has "walkthrough" = articulated trains.
Perhaps changing the seating arrangement--one row of seats on each side, facing the center of the car, would allow more standees. The current arrangement only allows "comfortable":p standing near the doors. |
Originally Posted by stut
(Post 21604545)
Well, there's a few things you can do:
1) Lengthen the trains. Mostly not feasible as they run the full platform length in Paris anyway, and the stations are already very close together. 2) Improve the signalling to decrease the headway where possible. Having said that, 30tph is already close to current safety/technology limits. IIRC, the newest London lines manage 33tph. 3) Increase the number of walkthrough trains (like on lines 4 and 14), which increases the amount of space inside. Taking London as an example again, this has been revolutionary for the sub-surface (Met, H&C, Circle) lines. 4) Provide reasonable alternatives above ground, be it new lines, RER lines, Vélib, trams, improved buses, or ways to bypass the busy central area. 5) Provide variable pricing throughout the day to discourage non-essential journeys at peak time. 6) Provide information to the general public as to which are the busier and which are the quieter sections, and when. Sounds like RATP have been looking at some of these, particularly 3 and 4. But I guess there's only so much you can do with the funding you have. I don't know what level of crowding you're talking about, but when I used to commute from Clapham Common in London, you would regularly have to wait for 5 or 6 trains to pass before you could physically fit inside - now that's overcrowding... |
Theoretical capacity of any metro is 40-44 tph (reliably it's 40), which means 90-second headways. You need signalling and automation or driver training for that to happen.
Car layouts inside some trains in Paris could be improved, however the loading gauge is small on a large number of lines, so that doesn't really help things. |
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