image001RATP Page

 

Transit service in the city of Paris and the adminstrative region of Ile-de-France is provided by the Régie autonome des transports parisiens, which operates the Métro and bus systems on behalf of the Syndicat des transports d’Ile-de-France, or STIF.  The Métro began operating in 1900 and today had sixteen lines and 301 stations, the second most in the world after New York City, and is one of the densest and most heavily-used subway systems in the world, operating largely within Paris’ city limits with stations averaging about 500 metres (1600 feet) apart.  The Métro operates both rubber-tired and steel-wheeled rolling stock, influencing the design of subway systems in Lyons and Marseilles in France, and in cities around the world including Montreal and Mexico City.  Service is supplemented by the Réseau express regional, or RER, an electric commuter rail service which serves Paris’ suburbs and runs several lines under central Paris, using the same fare structure as the Métro.  The RER is operated partly by the RATP and partly by the SNCF, the French national railway, and contains 246 stations with 33 in the city of Paris, operating over 587 km (365 miles) of track, of which 76.5 km (47.5 miles) are underground.  Running alongside these systems is the Paris bus network, which operates throughout Paris and its suburbs with nearly 4600 buses, including standard, articulated, midibus and minibuses in service.  Bus models in service include Renault/Irisbus Agora, Irisbus Citelis, Mercedes-Benz Citaro, Heuliez Citybus, MAN Lion’s City and Scania Omnicity vehicles.

 

All photos are by the webmaster unless noted otherwise.

 

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5601 is an ex-RATP Renault R312, spotted on quai Saint-Michel on May 29, 2011.  Built between 1987 and 1996, the R312 was the first fully low-floor buses purchased by the RATP.  Now withdrawn from revenue service, these buses are used for the “Recueil Social” service to provide transportation for Paris’ most disadvantaged residents.

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5823 is another Renault R312, shown on Souterrain du Pont Neuf at Quai de la Mégisserie on March 20, 2008. (Photo by Oren Hirsch, featured on Oren’s Transit Page)

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9189 is an MAN NL223 Lion’s City, seen turning on to Quai de Louvre from Rue de l’Amiral de Coligny on March 20, 2008. (Photo by Oren Hirsch)

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9202 is another MAN NL 223 Lion’s City, seen on boul. de Palais near Sainte-Chapelle on May 29, 2011.  Built by the German company MAN Nutzfahrzeuge since 1996, this bus is available in various lengths from 8.6 m to 20.5 m (28’ to 67’) in midibus, standard, articulated and double-decker versions.  The RATP operates 12-metre standard and 18- and 18.8-metre articulated Lion’s City buses.

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7402 is a Renault Agora S seen on boul. de Palais on May 29, 2011.  These buses were built by Renault between 1995 and 2002, and by Irisbus between 2002 and 2005.

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7746 is another Renault Agora S, spotted at the Gare du Nord train station on May 17, 2004. (Photo by Occitandu34)

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1617 is a Renault Agora L, shown on Pont du Carrousel at Quai François Mitterrand on March 20, 2008. (Photo by Oren Hirsch)

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This Renault Agora L articulated bus was spotted turning from quai des Orfèvres onto pont Saint-Michel on May 29, 2011.  An articulated version of the Aroga S, these buses were first produced in 1997 and were available until Agora production ended in 2005.

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8466 is a Irisbus Agora Line, shown on quai de Montebello on May 29, 2011.  The Agora Line was first made available in 1999 and was often ordered as an economical alternative to the Agora S.

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8468 is another Agora Line, seen on rue de la Cité near Notre-Dame Cathedral on May 29, 2011.

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3091 is an Irisbus Citelis Line, show on Pont Neuf at Quai des Orfévres on March 20, 2008. (Photo by Oren Hirsch)

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3100 is another Irisbus Citelis Line, spotted on quai du Marché Neuf on May 29, 2011.  The Citelis is built in France, Italy and the Czech Republic, and is available in 10, 12 and 18 metre versions.  First offered for sale in 2005, the Citelis replaced the Agora as Irisbus’ public transit model.

 

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