Régiolis
| Industry | Rail transport manufacturing |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1928 |
| Headquarters | Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine , France |
| Products | Trains, including Régiolis multiple-unit train |
| Website | www |
The Régiolis is a multiple-unit train manufactured by Alstom as part of the Coradia series. The inaugural unit was presented in July 2013 in the Aquitaine region and commenced operations on April 22, 2014, within the TER Aquitaine network, arriving more than a year later than initially planned.
History
In the early 2010s, although previous upgrades had introduced models such as the X TER and AGC, many TER regional lines still operated with rolling stock dating back to the 1970s and 1980s. To address increasing passenger volumes and environmental objectives outlined by the Grenelle Environnement initiative, SNCF launched a tender for a "multi-purpose carrier" train available in electric, diesel, and dual-mode variants to reduce diesel consumption on electrified routes.
Following Bombardier's earlier success with its AGC trains, Alstom won the contract to deliver new regional trains. The Régiolis series includes electric and dual-mode bicurrent versions compatible with France’s standard-gauge railways, comparable to Bombardier’s B 82500. Additionally, a tri-current model is designed for international services extending to Germany and Switzerland. Promoted as "a modular train capable of everything," it comes in three lengths—three, four, or six cars—and is customized for suburban, regional, or intercity travel. Its articulated construction utilizes shared bogies between cars, reflecting contemporary design trends in regional rail vehicles.
| Region | Cars | Series | Type | Service | Quantity Ordered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | 4 | B 84500 | Dual-mode, dual-voltage | Regional | 12 |
| 4 | Z 31500 | Electric, tri-voltage | Regional | 27 | |
| Bourgogne-Franche-Comté | 4 | Z 51500 | Electric | Regional | 24 |
| 6 | Z 5xxxx | Electric | Intercity | 16 | |
| Centre-Loire Valley | 4 | B 84500 | Dual-mode, dual-voltage | Regional | 3 |
| Grand Est | 4 | B 83500 | Dual-mode, dual-voltage | Suburban | 6 |
| 6 | Dual-mode, dual-voltage | Suburban | 19 | ||
| 4 | B 84500 | Dual-mode, dual-voltage | Regional | 10 | |
| 6 | B 85000 | Dual-mode, dual-voltage | Intercity | 24 | |
| Hauts-de-France | 6 | B 84500 | Dual-mode, dual-voltage | Regional | 17 |
| 6 | Dual-mode, dual-voltage | Intercity | 10 | ||
| Hello Paris | - |- |- |13 |- | ||||
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Intercités
- Nantes to Bordeaux
- Nantes to Lyon
- Paris to Granville
- Paris to Boulogne-sur-Mer
- Clermont-Ferrand to Nîmes via Le Cévenol
- Bourges to Montluçon
- Toulouse to Hendaye
- Bordeaux to Ussel
- Bordeaux to Limoges
TER Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
- Clermont-Ferrand to Lyon
- Clermont-Ferrand to Moulins and Nevers
- Clermont-Ferrand to Vic-le-Comte
- Clermont-Ferrand to Thiers
- Clermont-Ferrand to Gannat
- Clermont-Ferrand to Brioude
Léman Express
- L1: Coppet – Genève – Annemasse – Thonon – Évian
- L2: Coppet – Genève – Annemasse – La Roche-sur-Foron – Annecy
- L3: Coppet – Genève – Annemasse – La Roche-sur-Foron – Saint-Gervais-Le Fayet
- L4: Coppet – Genève – Annemasse
- L5: Genève – La Plaine
- L6: Genève – Bellegarde
TER Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
- Dijon-Ville to Dole and Besançon-Viotte
- Besançon-Viotte to Belfort
- Belfort through Besançon-Viotte, Lons-le-Saunier, Bourg-en-Bresse, ending at Lyon-Part-Dieu
TER Centre-Val de Loire
- Bourges to Montluçon
TER Alsace
- Strasbourg – Molsheim – Barr – Saint-Dié-des-Vosges
- Strasbourg – Bischwiller – Haguenau (with extensions to Soultz-sous-Forêts and Wissembourg)
- Mulhouse to Bâle (Basel)
- Colmar to Metzeral
- Strasbourg to Mulhouse
- Strasbourg to Sarreguemines
- Strasbourg connecting Nancy and Metz
- Strasbourg to Roeschwoog and Lauterbourg
TER Lorraine
- Épinal to Saint-Dié
- Nancy through Pont-St-Vincent, Contrexéville, Culmont-Chalindrey
- Nancy connecting Épinal and Belfort
- Nancy through Épinal to Remiremont
- Nancy via Lunéville to Saint-Dié
TER Hauts-de-France
- Amiens to Laon
- Paris-Nord through Amiens to Boulogne
- Paris-Nord to Laon
- Amiens returning to Paris-Nord
- Amiens connecting Lille-Flandres
- Amiens linking Calais-Ville
TER Normandie
- Rouen-Rive-Droite to Dieppe
TER Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Bordeaux-Saint-Jean to Agen
- Bordeaux-Saint-Jean to Langon
- Bordeaux-Saint-Jean reaching Hendaye
- Bordeaux-Saint-Jean extending to Pointe de Grave
- Bordeaux-Saint-Jean connecting Pau
- Bordeaux-Saint-Jean reaching Coutras
- Bordeaux-Saint-Jean passing through Libourne, Coutras, Angoulême
- Tarbes heading towards Hendaye
- La Rochelle linking Poitiers
- La Rochelle returning towards Bordeaux-Saint-Jean
- Bordeaux-Saint-Jean connecting Limoges-Bénédictins
- Bordeaux-Saint-Jean extending towards Ussel
TER Occitanie
- Toulouse-Matabiau connecting Agen
- Toulouse reaching Carmaux
- Toulouse heading towards Rodez
- Toulouse extending to Mazamet
- Toulouse through Latour-de-Carol-Enveitg station area
- Toulouse connecting Pau
- Toulouse reaching Auch
- Toulouse linking Avignon-Centre
- Toulouse extending towards Brive-la-Gaillarde
TER Pays de la Loire
- Nantes – Angers
- Nantes – Cholet
- Cholet – Angers
- Nantes – La Rochelle
TER Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
- Avignon-TGV – Avignon-Centre
- Marseille – Arles – Avignon-Centre
- Toulon – Marseille
- Marseille-Saint-Charles – Miramas via Port-de-Bouc
Senegal
15 Trains Dakar–Airport
CDG Express
Although the Île-de-France region has not procured Regiolis units, it plans to operate approximately twelve custom-built trains by 2024 dedicated to airport transit on the new CDG Express line. This service will connect Gare de Paris-Est directly with terminal 2 of Paris Charles de Gaulle. Operations will be conducted by a joint venture formed between Keolis, an SNCF subsidiary, and the RATP.
Manufacturing and testing
Alstom utilizes its private testing facility located in Tronville-en-Barrois (Meuse) for all trials involving Régiolis trains. Production of the train is distributed among several Alstom plants:
- Concept and design: Saint-Ouen
- Design and assembly: Reichshoffen
- Engine manufacturing: Ornans
- Bogie production: Le Creusot
- Traction system assembly: Tarbes
- Embedded computing systems: Villeurbanne
The Régiolis fleet gained commercial certification from EPSF in March 2014, with operations commencing in April 2014 across regions such as Aquitaine, Picardy, Lorraine, and Alsace.
Given the broader profile of Regiolis and Regio 2N trains, nearly 1,300 platform edges underwent modifications to ensure compatibility, incurring costs estimated at €50 million. This infrastructure upgrade prompted debate concerning planning and budgetary implications in May 2014.
The inaugural Régiolis Z 51500 four-car set was introduced on April 22, 2014, within Aquitaine on the Bordeaux–Agen line. Simultaneously, Lorraine deployed its first bi-mode regional train B 84500 on the Nancy to Saint-Dié-des-Vosges route. Alsace began operating a bi-mode B 83500 peri-urban service between Strasbourg and Sarreguemines on April 28. Picardy entered service with its initial B 84500 unit on the Paris-Nord to Laon corridor on May 26.
Incident
As of May 7, 2018, all Regiolis and Coradia Liner trainsets are subject to a speed limit of 140 km/h, conforming to the "V140" classification. Testing conducted in April revealed that emergency braking distances at speeds of 160 km/h surpassed approved safety margins due to accelerated brake lining wear. This imposed restriction affected operational performance but was anticipated to be removed by October 2018 following adjustments to the braking system.
See also
References