View source for RER C

{{Short description|Hybrid suburban commuter railway line in Paris, France}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox rail line
| box_width                       = 
| name                            = RER C
| color                           = {{rcr|Réseau Express Régional|C}}
| logo                            = {{rint|Paris|R|size=50}} {{rint|Paris|R|C|size=50}}
| logo_width                      = 
| logo_alt                        = 
| image                           = Paris RER C crosses the Seine on Pont Rouelle.jpg
| image_width                     = 
| image_alt                       = 
| caption                         = RER C train crossing the [[Pont Rouelle]], with the [[Eiffel Tower]] in the background, as seen from [[Île aux Cygnes]]
| type                            = [[Rapid transit]]/[[commuter rail]]
| system                          = [[Réseau Express Régional]]
| status                          = 
| stations                        = 75
| ridership2                      = 140 million journeys per year
| open                            = 26 September 1979<br/>(last extension in 2006)
| close                           = 
| operator                        = [[SNCF]]
| start                           = {{Unbulleted list
   | [[Pontoise station|Pontoise]] (C1)
   | [[Versailles-Château-Rive-Gauche station|Versailles-Château-Rive-Gauche]] (C5)
   | [[Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines–Montigny-le-Bretonneux station|Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines]] (C7)
   }}
| end                             =  {{Unbulleted list
   | [[Massy–Palaiseau (Paris RER)|Massy–Palaiseau]] (C2)
   | [[Dourdan-la-Forêt station|Dourdan-la-Forêt]] (C4)
   | [[Saint-Martin-d'Étampes (Paris RER)|Saint-Martin-d'Étampes]] (C6)
   }}
| stock                           = [[SNCF Class Z 5600|Z&nbsp;5600]], [[SNCF Class Z 8800|Z&nbsp;8800]], [[SNCF Class Z 20500|Z&nbsp;20500]], [[SNCF Class Z 20900|Z&nbsp;20900]]
| linelength_km                   = 185.6
| gauge                           = {{RailGauge|1435mm|allk=on}}
| electrification                 = {{Unbulleted list
   | [[Overhead line]]: 
   | {{in5|3}} {{25 kV 50 Hz}}
   | {{in5|3}} {{1,500 V DC}}
   }}
| speed_km/h                      = 
| elevation_m                     = 
| website                         = 
| connectinglines                 = {{Unbulleted list
   | {{rint|paris|m}} {{rint|paris|m|1}} {{rint|paris|m|2}} {{rint|paris|m|3}} {{rint|paris|m|4}} {{rint|paris|m|5}} {{rint|paris|m|6}} {{rint|paris|m|7}} {{rint|paris|m|8}} {{rint|paris|m|9}} {{rint|paris|m|10}} {{rint|paris|m|12}} {{rint|paris|m|13}} {{rint|paris|m|14}}
   | {{rint|paris|r}} {{rint|paris|r|B}} {{rint|paris|r|D}} {{rint|paris|r|E}}
   | {{rint|paris|i}} {{R-I|paris|i|H}} {{R-I|paris|i|J}} {{R-I|paris|i|N}} {{R-I|paris|i|U}} {{R-I|paris|i|V}}
   | {{rint|paris|t}} {{rint|paris|t|1}} {{rint|paris|t|2}} {{rint|paris|t|3a}} {{rint|paris|t|3b}}  {{rint|paris|t|6}} {{rint|paris|t|7}} {{rint|paris|t|8}} {{rint|paris|t|9}} {{rint|paris|t|11}} {{rint|paris|t|12}}
   }}
| map                             = {{switcher
  | [[File:Carte RER Île-de-France Ligne C (2023-12-10).svg|frameless|300px]]
  | Show geographically accurate map
  | {{RER C|inline=yes}}
  | Show diagram map
  }}
}}

'''RER C''' is one of the five lines in the [[Réseau Express Régional]] (English: Regional Express Network), a hybrid [[commuter rail]] and [[rapid transit]] system serving [[Paris]] and its suburbs. The {{convert|186|km|mi|abbr=out|adj=on}} line crosses the region from north to south. Briefly, between September 1979 and May 1980, the line was known as the ''Transversal Rive Gauche''. The line is operated by [[SNCF]].

The line runs from the northern termini [[Pontoise station|Pontoise]] (C1), [[Versailles-Château-Rive-Gauche station|Versailles-Château-Rive-Gauche]] (C5) and [[Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (Paris RER)|Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines]] (C7) to the southern termini [[Massy-Palaiseau (Paris RER)|Massy-Palaiseau]] (C2), [[Dourdan-la-Forêt (Paris RER)|Dourdan-la-Forêt]] (C4) and [[Saint-Martin d'Étampes (Paris RER)|Saint-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 unlike [[RER A]] and [[RER B|B]] which had newer sections owned and constructed by [[RATP Group|RATP]]. Each day, over 531 trains run on the RER C alone, and carries over 540,000 passengers daily,<ref>[https://malignec.transilien.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/C_JEUDI_n27_blog.pdf "JEUDI, le mag des jeudis de la ligne C Transilien"], 27, Novembre 2012, p. 2.</ref> 150,000 passengers more than the entirety of the [[TGV]] 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 the [[Palace 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 {{convert|30|km/h|abbr=on}} to safely pass sections with tight alignments.<ref>André Jacquot, ''La ligne C du RER'', p 108</ref> In contrast, RER A was constructed with 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 the [[Paris Métro|Métro]] 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.

==History==
Line C was opened on 26 September 1979, following the construction of a new {{convert|1|km|mi|adj=on}} tunnel connecting the Gare d'Orsay railway terminus (now [[Musée d'Orsay (Paris RER)|Musée d'Orsay]]) with the ''[[Invalides (Paris RER)|Invalides]]'', terminus of the Rive Gauche line to [[Versailles (city)|Versailles]], along the banks of the [[Seine]]. Services operated between [[Versailles-Château-Rive-Gauche Station|Versailles-Château-Rive-Gauche]] – [[Invalides]] – [[Musée d'Orsay (Paris RER)|Quai-d'Orsay]], branching to [[Massy – Palaiseau (Paris RER)|Massy – Palaiseau]], and [[Juvisy (Paris RER)|Juvisy]] – [[Dourdan (Paris RER)|Dourdan]] / [[Saint-Martin d'Étampes (Paris RER)|Saint-Martin d'Étampes]]. At that point the line was named the ''Transversal Rive Gauche''.

In May 1980, service was extended to [[Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (Paris RER)|Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines]] – [[Versailles – Chantiers (Paris RER)|Versailles – Chantiers]] – [[Invalides (Paris RER)|Gare des Invalides]]. The RER C designation was then only introduced from this point onwards, replacing the ''Transversal Rive Gauche'' name.

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 "[[Chemin de fer de Petite Ceinture|ligne de petite ceinture]]" from 1867, closed to passengers from 22 July 1934), and a new {{convert|3|km|mi|adj=on}} tunnel connection between Batignolles and [[Saint-Ouen, Seine-Saint-Denis|Saint-Ouen]], connecting to the RER C's main trunk at [[Champ de Mars – Tour Eiffel (Paris RER)|Champ de Mars-Tour Eiffel]] via a curved bridge (the only one in Paris) over the Seine river. That extended services to [[Montigny – Beauchamp (SNCF)|Montigny – Beauchamp]] and [[Argenteuil]].

The station [[Porte de Clichy station|Porte de Clichy]], located between [[Pereire - Levallois (Paris RER)|Pereire – Levallois]] and [[Saint-Ouen station (Paris RER)|Saint-Ouen]], opened on 29 September 1991. In 1992, the line was extended from [[Juvisy-sur-Orge|Juvisy]] to [[Versailles (city)|Versailles]]. A further {{convert|9|km|mi}} extension from [[Montigny – Beauchamp (SNCF)|Montigny – Beauchamp]] to [[Pontoise]] was opened on 28 August 2000. On the same day a new station, Bibliothèque François Mitterrand, opened in order to create a new connexion with Métro [[Paris Métro Line 14|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 station|Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône-Liesse]], opened on 24 March 2002.

On 27 August 2006, the C3 branch (from [[Ermont – Eaubonne (SNCF)|Ermont–Eaubonne]] to [[Argenteuil (SNCF)|Argenteuil]]) was transferred to the [[Transilien Paris – Saint-Lazare]] suburban rail network (Transilien Line J).

On 16 December 2006, Boulevard Victor was renamed [[Pont du Garigliano – Hôpital européen Georges-Pompidou station|Boulevard Victor – Pont du Garigliano]] to highlight the new interchange with tramway line [[Paris Tramway Line 3|T3]].

In February 2012, the station Versailles – Rive Gauche was renamed Versailles-Château-Rive-Gauche, to highlight its proximity to the [[Palace of Versailles]] and to avoid confusion with other stations in Versailles served by RER C.

In December 2023, the line between Versailles-Chantiers and Massy-Palaiseau was transferred to the new [[Transilien Line V]] which operates a shuttle service between the two stations. The line between Savigny-sur-Orge and Massy-Palaiseau was also separated from RER C and is since served by the [[Île-de-France tramway Line 12 Express|tram-train line T12 Express]].

==Services==
[[File:Plan Linéaire RER Île-de-France Ligne C - 2023-12-10.svg|center|thumb|823x823px|Schematic plan of the line as of 10 December 2023]]
Like all other RER lines in Paris, the ''mission code'', or the ''name of service'', consists of four letters. The names of services are displayed on trains and on [[passenger information display system]]s. The four-letter code begins with a letter that corresponds to the train's terminus.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Caron |first1=Jacques |title=Paris RER 4-letter codes |url=https://groups.google.com/g/fr.misc.transport.rail/c/NAarduNCyiI?pli=1 |website=groups.google.com |access-date=13 March 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Code Missions |url=http://michou94.free.fr/html/missiona.html |website=michou94.free.fr |access-date=13 March 2022 |language=fr}}</ref> 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 example ''KUMA'' to ''KYVI''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Le 13 décembre, vos RER C changent de nom! |url=https://malignec.transilien.com/2015/12/08/vos-rer-c-changent-de-nom/ |website=Ensemble sur le RER C |access-date=13 March 2022 |language=fr |date=8 December 2015}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
!Letter
!Destination
!Codes
|-
| align="center" | A
|[[Gare d'Austerlitz]]
|ANNE
|-
| align="center" | B
|[[Brétigny (Paris RER)|Bretigny]]
|BALI
|-
| align="center" | C
|[[Versailles-Chantiers station|Versailles-Chantiers]]
|CARO, CIME, CITY
|-
| align="center" | D
|[[Dourdan (Paris RER)|Dourdan]] or [[Dourdan-la-Forêt (Paris RER)|Dourdan-la-Forêt]]
|DEBA, DEBO, DYVI
|-
| align="center" | E
|[[Saint-Martin-d'Étampes (Paris RER)|Saint-Martin-d'Étampes]]
|ELAO, ELBA
|-
| align="center" | F
|[[Bibliothèque François Mitterrand (Paris Métro and RER)|Bibliothèque François Mitterrand]]
|FOOT
|-
| align="center" | G
|[[Montigny–Beauchamp station|Montigny–Beauchamp]]
|GATA, GOTA, GUTA
|-
| align="center" | J
|[[Juvisy station|Juvisy]]
|JILL, JOEL
|-
| align="center" | K
|[[Chaville-Vélizy (Paris RER)|Chaville-Vélizy]]
|KAMA, KUMA, KYVI
|-
| align="center" | L
|[[Invalides (Paris Métro and RER)|Invalides]]
|LARA, LOLA, LURA
|-
| align="center" | M
|[[Massy-Palaiseau station|Massy-Palaiseau]]
|MONA
|-
| align="center" | N
|[[Pontoise station|Pontoise]]
|NARA, NORA
|-
| align="center" | O
|[[Musée d'Orsay (Paris RER)|Musée d'Orsay]]
|ORDO, ORET, ORSE, ORSU
|-
| align="center" | P
|[[Pont du Garigliano (Paris RER)|Pont du Garigliano]]
|PAUL, PUMA
|-
| align="center" | R
|[[Pont de Rungis–Aéroport d'Orly (Paris RER)|Pont de Rungis–Aéroport d'Orly]]
|ROMI
|-
| align="center" | S
|[[Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines–Montigny-le-Bretonneux station|Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines–Montigny-le-Bretonneux]]
|SARA, SLIM, SLOM
|-
| align="center" | V
|[[Versailles-Château-Rive Gauche station|Versailles-Château-Rive Gauche]]
|VERO, VICK, VITY, VURT
|-
| align="center" | Y
|[[Dourdan (Paris RER)|Dourdan]] or [[Étampes station|Étampes]]
|YACK, YETI, YONA<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-04-30 |title=Les travaux d'été 2021 du RER C |url=https://malignec.transilien.com/2021/04/30/les-travaux-dete-2021-du-rer-c/ |access-date=2022-03-14 |website=Ensemble sur le RER C |language=fr}}</ref>
|}

==Future==
[[File:Gare de Coignières 02.jpg|thumb|250x250px|Coignières station in April 2010]]
The extension of the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines branch to [[Coignières station]], with intermediate stops at {{stn|Trappes}} and {{stn|La Verrière}}, was included in Phase 1 (2013-2020) of the Schéma directeur de la région Île-de-France (SDRIF) adopted by the [[Regional Council of Île-de-France]] on September 25, 2008.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sdrif.com/fileadmin/unloud_file/doc_accueil/SDRIF.PDF |title=SDRIF - Développer le réseau pour accompagner le projet urbain (page 81)}}</ref> 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<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stif.org/IMG/pdf/Presentation_du_STIF_au_comite_de_ligne_du_RER_C_du_16_decembre_2009_investissements.pdf |title=Comité de ligne du RER C, investissements « 2017 » |date=16 December 2009 |work=[[Île-de-France Mobilités|STIF]]}}</ref> due to the high infrastructure costs involved, estimated at over {{Euro|120&nbsp;million|link=yes}} at June 2008 economic conditions.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stif.org/IMG/pdf/Schema_directeur_du_RER_C_chapitres_6_a_9_et_annexe.pdf |title=STIF - Schéma directeur de la ligne C du RER chapitres 6 à 9 (pages 162-163) |work=[[Île-de-France Mobilités|STIF]]}}</ref> 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.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline|RER C}}
* [https://www.transilien.com/en/page-lignes/ligne-c Page about RER C] on the Transilien website
* [https://malignec.transilien.com/ Official blog] with service updates for RER C

{{Paris Transport Network}}{{Paris Rail Stations}}

[[Category:Réseau Express Régional|C0, RER C]]
[[Category:Railway lines opened in 1979]]