The relationship between RATP and punctuality has been in “It’s complicated” status for some time. According to monthly punctuality bulletin of the Transilien, RER and metro lines established by Île-de-France Mobilités (IDFM), “several lines did not reach the supply ordered in September” by the organizing authority for Ile-de-France transport.
“Performance during rush hours has deteriorated on certain Paris metro lines. » If the numerous works and incidents are in question, the RATP also highlighted the “resurgence of abandoned packages” this Wednesday to justify these difficulties.
An increase of 70% compared to 2022
“Recrudescence” is even a euphemism. Indeed, according to Agnès Ogier, head of rail networks at RATP, and right-hand man of Jean Castex, the number of packages abandoned in October 2023 is 70% higher than that observed in October 2022. “The authority has identified 325 reports and interventions linked to this phenomenon, compared to 190 a year ago,” she specifies. Reports which caused the cancellation of hundreds of trains.
Last week alone, 54 reports of abandoned luggage were made to the authority. “It’s colossal,” comments Agnès Ogier, who recalls that for each “abandonment”, an RATP agent must contact the police, who themselves deploy and call on the demining services, for interruptions or disruptions of traffic of one hour on average. “Last week, we even had a complete interruption for almost two hours,” adds the manager.
Procedures complicated by the Vigipirate plan
In October, the lines most disrupted by abandoned packages were: line 3, with 17 hours of interruption, and lines 8, 9, 12 and 13, with more than 6 hours of interruption. The RER is also affected with, for example, 11 hours of interruption on line A during the month.
Difficulties reinforced by the Vigipirate plan raised to the “Emergency attack” level: “Since we have been on red alert, the call to the deminers has been much more systematic. »
RATP also emphasizes that these abandoned packages have repercussions on all traffic. Through a domino effect, on a disrupted or interrupted line, users will transfer to other lines, and “possibly export the problems” to other lines.
The RATP didn’t need that
A situation that Ile-de-France transport did not need. “Obviously we have other difficulties”, recognizes Agnès Ogier, the deterioration of the punctuality rate also being the consequence of the age of the network infrastructures, she cites as an example line 8 equipped with equipment “which is 25 years old , 30 years “.
On this line, the organizing authority observed in September a punctuality rate of 84.85%, or 11.65 points less than the ordered offer.
The much criticized line 13 is also among the poor performers with a punctuality rate of 87.06% in September, i.e. a delay of more than 9 points on its objective defined in the contract signed by RATP and IDFM.
A communication campaign to remind users to take their luggage
Even if since the start of the year, assures Agnès Ogier, head of the rail network at RATP, the regularity of the metros “is in a positive dynamic”, this improvement is “absorbed by abandoned packages”, she justifies. .
To try to curb this epidemic, the management is organizing a communication campaign through announcements in stations and on trains, encouraging people to check that nothing is forgotten at the “breaking points” (getting on and off the train) and will distribute nearly 54,000 labels to its users to enable them to identify their luggage. “When the identity of the owner is known, we go from an abandoned package to a forgotten package, it’s totally different,” concludes the manager who calls for everyone’s vigilance and responsibility.