Characteristics
The RER contains 246 stations, 33 of which are within the city of Paris and runs over 587 km (365 mi) of track, including 76.5 km (47.5 mi) underground. Each line passes through the city almost exclusively underground and on dedicated tracks. The RER is operated partly by RATP, the transport authority that operates Paris Métro, and partly by SNCF, the national rail operator. In spite of this, the system uses a single fare structure and no transfer is needed between parts run by the two operators. Total traffic on the central sections of lines A and B, operated by RATP, was 452 million in 2006; in the same year, total traffic on all lines operated by SNCF (both RER and Transilien trains) was 657 million.
RATP manages 65 RER stations, including all stations on Line A east of Nanterre-Préfecture and those on the branch terminating at Saint-Germain-en-Laye. It also operates stations on Line B South of Gare du Nord. Other stations on the two lines and those on lines C, D and E are operated by SNCF. Of the RER stations operated by RATP, 9 have interchanges with Métro lines, and 9 allow transfer to SNCF's Transilien service.
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