Voiture de banlieue à 2 niveaux
VB 2N | |
---|---|
standard gauge |
The Voiture de banlieue à 2 niveaux (VB 2N, English: two-deck commuter car) is a type of
The coaches, built from 1974, are the successors of the
.Since 2012, the VB 2N trains have been shifted from busier RER and Transilien lines to less busy routes on Transilien network as new equipment comes online, most notably the single-level Z 50000 and double-deck Regio 2N (Z 57000) trainsets. The VB 2N trains are scheduled to be retired.
Description
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/db/Zurich%2C_Soci%C3%A9t%C3%A9_Nationale_des_Chemins_de_fer_Fran%C3%A7ais_%28SNCF%29%2C_double-decker_train_VB2N_1980_%28Com_LC1771-004%29.jpg/220px-Zurich%2C_Soci%C3%A9t%C3%A9_Nationale_des_Chemins_de_fer_Fran%C3%A7ais_%28SNCF%29%2C_double-decker_train_VB2N_1980_%28Com_LC1771-004%29.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/63/SNCF_VB2N_107_interior_Paris_St_Lazare_24-07-04.jpg/220px-SNCF_VB2N_107_interior_Paris_St_Lazare_24-07-04.jpg)
The VB 2Ns are designed to be used in push-pull mode, although the cars are not powered, there is a control car at one end of the train so that the locomotive does not have to run around its train at the terminus.
Passenger space is divided in two levels. Each end of coach is a vestibule from which two separate sets of stairs lead to the upper and lower-decks. The walkway and seating on the lower deck is situated below platform level to gain space and avoid unnecessary height. The upper-deck is relatively spacious as height is restricted although adults may walk standing up.
All coaches have toilets apart from both end carriages.
Next stop is announced vocally and visually.
Speed is limited to 140 km/h (87 mph).
Retirement
The VB 2N equipment was retired starting in 2019, as
Derivatives
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/26/BB_16513_with_VR2N.jpg/220px-BB_16513_with_VR2N.jpg)
Two other series of French trainsets were derived from the VB 2N:
- Voiture Omnibus à 2 Niveaux (VO 2N): used on TER (regional express train) routes in the Centre-Val de Loire, Hauts-de-France and Normandie regions.
- Voiture Régionale à 2 Niveaux (VR 2N): used on TER routes in the Nord-Pas-De-Calais region.
References
- ^ a b c "Suburban 2-level cars (VB2N) by Vitrains". gibitrains. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
- ^ European Railways. Vol. 28–31. R.Spark. 1977. p. 146.
- ^ "Des trains neufs pour les voyageurs des lignes N et D d'ici 2021". Île-de-France Mobilités (in French). May 24, 2017. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
- ^ "Le futur RER d'Île-de-France se dévoile". Île-de-France Mobilités (in French). September 18, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
External links
Media related to SNCF VB 2N coaches at Wikimedia Commons