If you're a regular user of the RER E, chances are you've traveled on the MI2N. Iconic to the E line, the MI2N (short for "Matériel d'Interconnexion à 2 Niveaux") are double-decker train sets, developed collaboratively by the RATP and SNCF. Since their debut in 1996, these trains have carried countless passengers, but they're becoming increasingly rare on the RER E. And commuters are welcoming the change, as these aging trains lack air conditioning, making journeys especially tough during heatwaves and hot summer days.
Since November 13, 2023, the RER NG (short for "New Generation") has been gradually introduced on the RER E line. Designed to be more spacious, modern, comfortable, and efficient, the RER NG was developed "to meet the needs of lines serving dense urban areas and to sustainably improve travel conditions for the hundreds of thousands of Île-de-France residents who commute daily on lines RER D and RER E," explains Alstom on its website.
Ultimately, the MI2N trains are set to disappear entirely, replaced by the new RER NG. But when will these MI2N trains stop operating in Île-de-France? In a statement issued on December 29, Île-de-France Mobilités (IDFM) announced that the MI2N will cease carrying passengers by the end of 2026. A total of 60 RER NG trains are expected to run on line E, "which will definitively bring an end to the MI2N trains on this line in the last quarter of 2026," IDFM clarified.
It’s worth noting that more updates are on the horizon for RER E, including the highly anticipated extension of the line to Mantes-la-Jolie in the Yvelines department. However, travelers will have to wait a bit longer for this new service, as the extension is not expected to open until 2027.
Official website
www.iledefrance-mobilites.fr
