A world first for the Essonniens. On Friday October 6, a delegation from Île-de-France Mobilités (IDFM), the transport authority in the region, went to the Busworld exhibition in Brussels for the presentation of the bus which will operate on the future Tzen 4 line .
An event that is anything but trivial since this new vehicle, designed by the Belgian manufacturer Van Hool, in collaboration with Alstom and Kiepe Electric, was developed in partnership with IDFM and could represent a mini-revolution in the world of public transport on the Island. de-France (but also elsewhere). In fact, this new equipment is the first 100% electric bus in the world, recharged from the ground and doubly articulated.
This is not a tram
Tapered and uniform fairing which covers the wheels, front and rear similar, presence of two bellows… the Exquicity (from its nickname) has more than the false air of a tram. And if it is indeed a bus, free to move, the vehicle nevertheless boasts points in common with its railed cousin.
Performance first. “This is the first 24-meter bus in circulation,” explains Stéphane Beaudet, vice-president of the Île-de-France region in charge of transport, “this represents twice the length of a normal bus (12 meters) and a third more than an articulated bus (18 meters). »
A gain in space which allows the passenger capacity to be increased to 140 places. Not a straw for the Tzen 4 which must replace, by summer 2024, line 402 with 40,000 passengers per day. “We estimate the influx at 47,000 travelers within a few months. And we will very very quickly be at 50,000 or even 55,000 daily passengers with the upcoming connections and the attractiveness of these new lines,” adds Stéphane Beaudet, referring to the interconnectivity with the new RER D, and the inauguration in December of the new T12 tram line (see map below).
A reserved lane for greater speed and punctuality
Better still, the Exquicity will also be closer to the tram in terms of frequency and speed. With the thirty units ordered by IDFM, the line will ensure a passage every five minutes at the station during rush hour according to Stéphane Beaudet. A regularity greatly aided by circulation on a “full own site”: “With the exception of a few hundred meters in Ris-Orangis, the Tzen 4 line will operate on a full own site. That is to say that, as with a tram, the bus will have a reserved lane which will benefit from priority at intersections and traffic lights. »
This reserved lane will allow the Tzen 4 to travel on average at 26 km/h, compared to 15 km/h for the other lines in Île-de-France (7 km/h in Paris). These facilities must also allow the line to adapt if necessary, by adding, for example, vehicles to the line if ridership were to increase substantially. A significant gain for a line which will serve ten political districts of Corbeil-Essonnes, Evry-Courcouronnes, Ris-Orangis and Grigny (les Tarterêts, les Pyramides, les Epinettes, les Aunettes, le Plateau, la Grande Borne, Grigny center) .
Space saving, USB sockets, screens, cameras…
For de la Treille in Viry-Châtillon and the Corbeil-Essonnes RER station, passengers will also benefit from greater comfort. Revised according to the standards imposed by IDFM, the interior will have 40% more space than in previous generations of buses. “We also installed 150 lux lights which will allow good visibility inside, without being aggressive either,” explains Arnaud Crolais, infrastructure director at IDFM.
Security will be ensured by 12 video surveillance cameras, which the driver can activate at will from his cabin, now completely closed. A security issue, unfortunately topical. It will therefore no longer be possible to buy tickets inside the bus, but users can rest assured: all stations will be equipped with ticket machines.
Full recharge in five minutes
The air conditioning and heating will work thanks to a heat pump system will reduce “energy consumption by half, reduce the weight of the vehicle and not add an additional cooling system for the batteries” according to IDFM.
It is precisely in this electrical system that the most important innovation is found. In fact, Alstom has developed a system of ground terminals, available at each terminus, intended to recharge the batteries, via three dedicated pads installed under the bus, in just five minutes. A world first which will then be deployed on the future Tzen 5 line which should connect the 13th arrondissement of Paris to Choisy-le-Roi (94) in 2025.
If the investment of 140 million euros for Tzen 4 is important, Stéphane Beaudet defends the project and recalls that installing a tramway would have cost between 200 and 400 million euros.