What is this crane for in the station area?
Why is this street blocked to traffic?
And how long will this noisy construction site last in my neighborhood?
These are the kinds of questions that residents of the many projects carried out by SNCF Réseau in Île-de-France are asking themselves.
To respond to this, SNCF is launching for the first time a smartphone application centralizing information on all current and future operations.
The app called “Info Travaux IDF”, already available on Apple or Android devices, presents a map where the main construction sites are located.
By clicking on each of them, a detailed file appears.
The schedule of the different phases, photos showing their progress, videos and links can be consulted.
It is possible to follow one or more construction sites, depending on your line, station or municipality.
At a glance, all the sites corresponding to the search are gathered in the same thread.
Finally, it is also possible to receive alerts to be kept informed of the latest news.
As for the impact of construction sites on train traffic and services, the app refers to existing passenger information sites, such as IDF Mobilités, SNCF Connect or RATP.
A “digital construction site fence”
“The idea is to offer a sort of
digital construction site fence
,” illustrates Séverine Lepère, director of SNCF Réseau in Île-de-France.
It seemed to us that there was a strong need for information, due to the strong growth in railway construction sites.
Some take place at night, on weekends, in stations or on the tracks, and are not always visible to the public.
We wanted to provide transparency, by giving local residents, elected officials and travelers an understanding of the projects taking place near their homes.
»
Changing catenaries (power cables), track devices, sometimes century-old bridges... The Ile-de-France rail network is currently undergoing significant regeneration.
“It is at the heart of the largest railway transformation project in Europe.
To achieve this, nearly 1,000 projects are carried out each year by SNCF Réseau in Île-de-France.
Ile-de-France residents need to know their nature and their objectives,” explains the infrastructure manager.
Many operations are also combined with others, and move in time and space.
“Info Travaux IDF, regularly updated, provides access to all current operations in a single location and thus monitors their progress,” underlines SNCF Réseau.
Respond to public curiosity
With this information tool, the SNCF therefore wishes to reach the general public and contribute to making certain temporary nuisances, such as noise or traffic diversions, more acceptable.
“This tool can also answer the many questions we receive from the public,” notes Séverine Lepère.
Last summer, the spectacular Chagall operation, aimed at replacing the two Charenton (RER B) and Gallardon (RER C) bridges, in Massy in Essonne, aroused a lot of curiosity.
This reassured us in the idea that an app on the works was a good idea,” adds Séverine Lepère.
For the occasion, one of the largest cranes in the world was deployed, to achieve the feat of moving 1,000-ton steel monsters in just a few hours.
Let it be said, railway construction sites are also fascinating technical feats.
With, one day, beyond the nuisances generated temporarily, more reliable transport for the millions of daily travelers.