Une douzaine chez un boulanger!

Tram Or Train Or Tram-Train, Again

 T ram

 T rain

 T 12

 T ram

 T rain

 T 13

In Order Of Opening - T13

Regular blog readers will know that fbb is an enthusiastic (but currently armchair-based) about Public Transport in and around Paris. 

As the above headline shows, new tram lines now reach a dizzy total of 13 with the two more recent openings best described using UK parlance at Tram-Train.

Back in July 2022, fbb reviewed Paris tram T13, then still under construction. He also wrote about its opening so this is by way of revision.

The line is now open ...

... and is shown on the latest (and rather cluttered!) RER map of Paris and surroundings. It runs from Saint Cyr in the south over a former freight line ...

... to a typically lengthy station name where connection is available with S N C F suburban line L. Originally these "proper" trains continued northbound but this section is now absorbed into T13.

At the northern terminus the tram stops short of the railway station which is all underground. BUT, as you would expect with Paris transport, there is a foot tunnel joining the two, seen below out of the window of the driver's cab (far right).

At Saint Cyr, the tram terminus is at the eastern end of the rail station but at a lower level as per the departing train for Paris below right.

All the route is on either former railway tracks ...

... or dedicated reserved sections; some of them almost beautiful!

Frequencies were due to increase from the end of September 2023 ...

... super impressive compared with the former big-train route!

And almost inevitably, there are plans for a north bound extension!

Just Opened - T12

So recent that it does not yet appear on the RER map.

Massy Palaiseau is upper left on the diagram connecting with RER B (BLUE); Epinay sur Orge is near the RER line C junction  (YELLOW) and Evry Courcouronnes is bottom tight on RER D (GREEN).

With the opening of T12, the RER line C link between Savigny Sur Orge and Massy Palaiseau has been withdrawn.

The opening of the line has been delayed several times but there has been plenty of testing!

The official inauguration was in September 2023!

But it didn't carry a single passenger until 8th December!

That's very much a testing time.

fbb hopes to take a closer look at the line soon - maybe when everyone agrees where it goes and puts it on the maps!

Suburban?

T13 is well to the WEST of Paris ...

... and is called TramExpress Ouest on the above old planning map.

T12 is even more well to the south.

Evry Courcouronnes is 30 miles south of central Paris. That is the distance of Guildford from Central London. T12 is the (very) rough equivalent of building a tram train line between Heathrow (connecting with the Elizabeth Line line) and Guilford (South Western Railway).

Wonder when that might happen?

Of the 13 Paris region tram lines, T10 is not yet complete.

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 T ravels and

 T roubles

It was probably 35 years after the death and resurrection of Jesus that the first of the four gospels was written. 

Mark was very much a man in a hurry. Conscious of the threat from a more aggressive Roman administration and growing dissent from Jews in in Jerusalem, Mark reckoned that the balloon would soon go up.

So he wrote his version of the Good News before it was too late.

Jerusalem was destroyed in 70AD

Matthew and Luke wrote a few years later and John's gospel was the last. These old men were recording all that they could remember themselves plus research from eye witnesses, before it was too late.

So helping converts come into this revolutionary new set of religious practices was up to the early leaders and their letter writing skills. The letters (Epistles in old money) were therefore the first books of the New Testament to be written. Of these, more will be explored later.

It was the second part of Luke's oeuvre that interests us now. He took the story forward on from the Receiving of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (as in yesterday's blog).

Rather than calling it Luke Part 2, the early church gave it the title of "Acts of the Apostles" but it is mostly about just two apostles; Peter and the arch persecutor turned missionary, Paul.

"Acts" records ...

Peter's arrest, trial, imprisonment

and subsequent miraculous escape

A full blown riot in Ephesus

Paul's shipwreck, self sacrifice

and miraculous recovery

Paul's beatings, imprisonments and

eventual house arrest in Rome

... and many more grim happenings. Violent persecution and death was a continuous threat and many thousands died for their faith - and many thousands are still paying the ultimate price today.

But Christianity, the Gospel of Jesus, the purpose of CHRISTmas grew and spread through the then-known world.

There must have been something in it, surely? 

Yes, there was!!

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 Next U ABC blog : Thursday 21st December