On paper, the project satisfies a real need, to better connect the Parisian airport of Roissy-Charles de Gaulle in the center of Paris. Because today, to get to the capital by public transport, you must use the busy rer B that suffers from dysfunctions or take a bus with a fairly long travel time. It is not ideal for tourists …
Therefore, the state and the île-de-France region have decided to build a direct rail link from Eastern Station. The CDG Express was one of the new promised transport infrastructures for the Summer Olympic Games in Paris in 2024. But among the legal appeals, the Covid crisis, the work delays and numerous political procrastination, the site has taken a large amount of delay and the launch will only take place at the 2027 airport.
Specifically, the 32 -kilometer link will connect Paris to Terminal 2 of the airport in 20 minutes with one frequency every 15 minutes, every day of 5 am at midnight. But if more than 80% of the work is completed, the project continues to awaken distrust and controversy.
Unplanned noise pollution
The last one refers to the noise contamination caused by the passages of the trains that will lead to 140 km/h. Last April, the mayor of PCF of the Couneuve denounced before the press the “sound block” through an audio simulation. “Everyone will suffer from these trains every seven minutes. And as you can see, a train at 140 km/h, that makes noise. A lot of noise!”, He denounced, evoking the consequences of these “150 trains per day.”
With other mayors of the communes crossed by CDG Express, Gilles Poux challenged the State that, according to Le Parisien, will launch new impact studies. “The new studies will consist of integrating the latest urban developments and taking into account the best modeling techniques currently available,” confirms the preferences of the region with our colleagues. The conclusions were expected in 2026.
However, the prefecture is reassuring, ensuring that the State has been very involved with its partners to finance protections (such as antiburial walls) beyond what the regulations impose (73 decibels during the day and 68 decibels at night) and promises that additional protections for accommodation near the tracks will be installed. Insufficient for the mayor of the Couneuve that requires an antibonal wall more than 700 meters in length to protect the local residents of their city.
Rer B Users worried
If the Express CDG is aimed at “relieving” the rer b that is saturated, it also takes some of its forms. For user associations, the risk is to see that their traffic conditions still deteriorate, enough to degrade a daily life already difficult. Users who have already been scalded by the interruptions of the RER service … to carry out the work of the CDG Express.
The region and stakeholders dispute this fear and ensure that it improves the quality of the service of RER B.
“The CDG Express is also 537 million euros dedicated to the modernization of daily transport (RER B, Transilien, TER)”, can be read on the Facebook page of the CDG Express. And to cite the “replacement and modernization of bridges, renewal of tracks, catenaries and signaling, optimization of the network. So many elements that will allow rail infrastructure to gain fluidity and reliability.”
Especially because the number of trains will represent a drop of water in the very important flow of rer b and that tourists and their luggage that will choose the CDG Express will allow users to have more space.
An overwhelmed “rich train” technologically?
The price of CDG Express, 24 euros per trip (not included in the Navigo pass), has also aroused controversy (against 13 euros today in RER), especially knowing that a taxi for the airport costs between 56 and 65 euros (fixed price) and that can be taken to several.
For David Belliard, Ecology Verts of Europe Assistant at the Paris City Council in charge of mobility, this CDG Express “is the train of the rich against poor workers.”
However, the economic equation is delicate given the cost of the project and the assistance objectives: 25,000 travelers per day, or 9 million per year. Therefore, profitability is not for tomorrow, even if ADP ensures that the sale of tickets is not the only source of financing.
Finally, the detractors of the CD Express identify a exceeded technological choice since, unlike the new lines of the Grand Paris Express, which will be automated, the trains will be classic, piloted by agents. However, automation has been demonstrated in terms of fluidity and frequency and, by the way, protects users from strike movements.
Especially since, and it is the icing on the cake for its opponents, the future automated line 17 of the Grand Paris Express will also link Paris (Saint-Ddenis Pleyel) with Roissy in 2030. and will be better connected to the Parisian metropolitan network. What they invalidate the legitimacy of the CD Express.
In France 3, Justine Coutard, general director of ADP Barre this criticism: “The two lines have radically different vocations. One, 17, is in a logic of the local service, the second is mainly destined for our air passengers as we have done today in European capitals.”
Source: BFM TV
