Réseau Nord

SNCF
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Réseau Nord is the set of railway lines originating from Gare du Nord in central Paris. Gare du Nord is well served by both regional and long distance trains. As well as Corail intercity trains, Gare du Nord has a large network of suburban lines operated under the brand name Transilien and high speed rail services (TGV) to the UK, Belgium, Netherlands and Germany.

History

The "Réseau Nord" authority was created in 1938 at the birth of the SNCF forming Région Nord of SNCF's french network. Its history began when the first line north out of Paris was built in 1846.

Paris - Creil

The idea of linking France to Belgium and England appeared as early as the 1830s. It was only in 1838 that George Stephenson drew up plans for a line acceptable by the government. The act of parliament of 26 July 1844 authorised a line from Paris to Creil. Construction began in 1843 under Onfroy de Breville and Butsche. A royal ordnance on 10 September 1845 authorised the creation of the Chemin de Fer du Nord with Baron de Rothschild as president. The railway line as well as the Parisian station was inaugurated on June 1846, the station was designed by Léonce Reynaud and was modest with two platforms.

The line passed via Persan-Beaumont with a 5mm/m incline at Survilliers made the company to open a new itinary on 1 June 1859, via Pierrefitte and Stains and Chantilly. Built with double tracks the line showed signs of saturation as early as the beginning of the RomanCentury|20 with the cohabitation of express, slow and goods trains and incurred late runnings of the express trains. The CF du Nord built an extra two track to the side of the line between Saint-Denis and Survilliers, this meant that no platforms were built as express trains using them did not stop. The extension of the quadrupled section occurred only after the electrification in 1958, in 1962.

Paris - Soissons

The CF du Nord who, as so many railway companies in the RomanCentury|19, was fighting to survive and to create a "territory". It decided to beat the CF de l'Est and open a line to Soissons which was authorised in June 1857. The line up to Sevran was opened in June 1860 and to Villers-Coterêts in August 1861. Its straight course ran through Aulnay-sous-Bois, Mitry-Claye and Dammartin-en-Goële.

With a patronage of approximately 230 trains per day, the company decided to double the line's capacity by quadrupling the number of tracks. Electrification occurred in 1963 with an extension of the four track section from Aulnay-sous-Bois to Villeparisis followed in 1988 by a further extension of the quadrupling to Mitry-Claye.

Aulnay-sous-Bois - Roissy

The project surrounding the Charles de Gaulle International Airport included the construction of a new line from Aulnay-sous-Bois to the airport, linking it with Paris. The course of the line was approved in October 1973 and opened in 1976. Its purpose was to serve directly the new airport but also the Northeastern suburbs; Sevran and Villepinte. The line, 13.5 km long, was built with two tracks and electrified in 25 kV and served the then only terminal 1. The terminus was built away from the lonely terminal. When terminal 2 was built along with the opening of LGV Interconnexion Est in 1994.

Destinations

The following SNCF "Transilien" suburban and "Grandes Lignes" intercity train services operate out of Gare du Nord:
* Gare du Nord - Crepy-en-Valois
* Gare du Nord - Luzarches
* Gare du Nord - Mitry - Claye
* Gare du Nord - Montsoult Maffliers
* Gare du Nord - Persan Beaumont
* Gare du Nord - Pontoise
* Gare du Nord - Sarcelles St Brice
* Gare du Nord - St Leu la Foret
* Gare du Nord - Valmondois