Long the envy of other cities, Paris' creaky subway system has become a daily source of frustration for users as the French capital prepares to host this year's Olympics.
“It's really tough. The Olympics, where millions of people will gather, haven't happened yet,” restaurant worker Juliette Fayou, 26, told AFP from the Route 8 platform.
“We don't have enough trains. During rush hour, we sometimes get a train every five minutes when we need a train every two or three,” she said.
User satisfaction has plummeted since the outbreak of the new coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic in 2020, and RATP, which operates the capital's transportation system, cut back on services as employees were sent home en masse. There is.
Many Metro employees were furloughed and never returned to work, and training for new employees to replace them was significantly delayed.
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“I think it's going to be terrible during the Olympics,” Gabriel Camus, a 22-year-old salesman who also uses the train every day, told AFP as he waited for his train. I will try to avoid the subway and use my bicycle as much as possible.
About one in five trains on some Paris metro lines were delayed last year, according to public data, and on the worst-performing lines, passengers could wait up to 10 to 15 minutes during the day.
Commuters on the large overground trains that run on the so-called RER line were given refunds for the third consecutive year in 2023, citing punctuality issues. Service has not yet returned to pre-corona levels.
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With around 7 million tourists expected in Paris during the Olympic Games from July 26 to August 11, the commuter rail system will be under intense scrutiny as one of the main means of transportation for tourists and locals alike. will be exposed to.
A study by the capital's transport authority says the situation has gradually improved in recent months due to heavy political pressure ahead of the Olympics and the appointment of former Prime Minister Jean Castex as RATP chief in 2022. .
Castex warned in December that eight out of 10 lines were “no longer in a condition to provide quality public services”, blaming “40 years of underinvestment” for this.
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However, thanks in part to a major recruitment drive, the latest data shows that all lines except lines 3, 8 and RER C reached the minimum punctuality standard of 90% in March. Reached.
Workers are also racing to complete major line extensions ahead of the Olympics. In particular, the project will connect Orly Airport and Route 14 in the south, and a new transport hub in the north near the Stade de France, where the athletics competition will be held.
“This is a challenge we can achieve,” Valérie Pécresse, head of the greater Paris region, told reporters in late March while announcing Olympic transport plans.
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Some subway and RER lines, especially those serving football, tennis and track and field stadiums, will have up to 71 percent more trains than on a typical summer day.
The challenge is not so much the amount of travel, but that overall traffic is expected to be similar to a normal business day, with peak demand as fans enter and exit the stadium.
“There's no need to be afraid to walk a little,” Pécresse told Parisians. “It's good for your health.”
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In a city that is gradually shutting out cars, Paris is also hoping to highlight its recent bicycle revolution.
All Olympic sports venues will be accessible by bicycle, with around 415 kilometers (258 miles) of new cycle lanes and 20,000 bicycle parking spaces being built ahead of the Games.
However, there are no parking lots for cars at the sports venue, and traffic congestion in the metropolitan area is expected to be worse than usual due to the road closures.
Chief organizer Tony Estinguett said last week he was confident the city's trains, buses, trams and bike lanes could withstand the strain.
“This is an important issue for the smooth organization and success of the event, and we are very aware of that,” he told reporters.
Paris's two main airports, Charles de Gaulle and Orly, are also preparing to play a key role, with 15 new baggage screening lines installed between them.
“The infrastructure is ready,” the director of the operating company said recently.
Traffic is expected to be similar to the summer average of 300,000 people per day, but demand will spike significantly in the days following the closing ceremony on August 11.
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