Bad point for Transilien at the start of the year.
The months of January and February were not good in terms of meeting schedules.
Not even at all.
And this despite a significant drop in the number of travelers, and fewer trains due to the Covid-19 crisis.
In detail, by listing the February data published on Transilien's my punctuality site, we see that of the thirteen lines that the SNCF operator in Ile-de-France has, six are below the lower punctuality threshold set by the new contract between IDFM and SNCF: the western branch of the RER A with 80% instead of 90%, the RER B north with 83.1% instead of 87%, the RER C with 86.4% instead by 87%, the RER D with 85.7% instead of 87%, line L with 89.4% instead of 90% and line R with 85.2% instead of 87%.
"These figures are the result of the new calculation method included in the contract signed last December," explains Laurent Probst, Managing Director of IDFM, the regulatory authority for transport in Île-de-France.
Before, punctuality was calculated across the board and per month.
This sometimes allowed the bad numbers to be smoothed out.
From now on, we calculate by branch and by week ”.
West of the RER A, if March follows the trend, travelers could even be eligible for a partial refund.
Indeed, the new SNCF / IDFM contract provides that at the end of a punctuality of less than 80% for three months (not consecutive), travelers can claim a half-month free subscription on their annual Navigo pass.
Repeated incidents
But these bad figures at the start of the year cannot be explained only by the recalculation.
The various incidents that affected certain lines are largely responsible.
Thus, the west of the RER A suffered a power failure at the Asnières substation (Hauts-de-Seine) to which was added a right of withdrawal for drivers.
“Except that on this line, the SNCF has no excuse, considers Laurent Probst.
We have invested a lot and done everything to make it work ”.
On the RER B in February, it was a signaling failure lasting several days and late returns of night sites that followed one another.
There, the general manager of IDFM recognizes a difficult line, impacted by numerous works: “a new timetable will come into force in September.
It should improve punctuality a bit ”.
"We are willing to pay, but the service must be up to par"
But more broadly, “the objectives were set within the framework of a contract signed last December.
The SNCF therefore felt that it could achieve them, continues Laurent Probst.
At IDFM, we have put in the resources and doubled the investments, increasing them from 4 to 8 billion euros.
We are willing to pay, but the service must be up to par ”.
Questioned, the management of Transilien also justifies its bad figures by the new contract with Île-de-France Mobilités: "The new method of calculating punctuality is finer, branch by branch, on the real scale of the passenger journey. ".
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The operator also details the factors which impacted the lines, in particular "the snowy episode and the cold wave in the areas of Paris-Austerlitz, Paris-Lyon, Paris-Montparnasse and Paris-Saint-Lazare", but also " an exponential increase in the phenomenon of forgotten objects, in particular on lines L, A and J ”, or even“ several ruptures or collapses of catenaries in the Paris-Nord region impacting lines B, D, H and K ”.
“The assault on a driver at Cergy-Le-Haut station which triggered a social movement on lines A, J and L” also had consequences for the regularity of trains.
But she assures us that the results for March, not yet detailed, will be better ”.
Figures closer to how travelers feel
User associations, for their part, are pleased to now have figures that are closer to their feelings.
Arnaud Bertrand, of the Plus de Trains association, even admits to being surprised at the sight of these new figures: “They are really very bad.
And this clearly shows that commuters on the branches enjoy a much poorer punctuality than Parisians in the central sections, ”he analyzes.
He recalls, “80% punctuality means that out of 10 trips, there were at least two complicated ones.
Over a week, that's a lot ... People who take transport today are those who have no choice.
Daily life is already complicated enough.
Transport should not add to this difficulty ”.