Source: fr.wikipedia.org
BB 9700
Vehicle type:
Registration country:
Railway companies:
In service:
1960 - 2007
Era:
V
Built by:
Gauge:
Standard gauge (1'435 mm)
Wheel arrangement:
Bo'Bo'
Electric systems:
1,5 kV DC
Current collectors:
Pantograph - Asymmetrical
Pantograph - Symmetrical
Pantograph - Symmetrical
Length over buffers (mm):
16'200 mm
Width (mm):
2'980 mm
Height (mm | over lowered pantograph):
4'191 mm
Service weight (t):
86 t
Power output (x'xxx kW / x'xxx hp):
3'850 kW
Wheel diameter (x'xxx,xx | mm | new / worn):
1'250 mm
Maximum speed (km/h):
160 km/h
1992
The BB 9700 is a small class of French electric locomotives rebuilt
from older BB 9200 units for SNCF service under 1'500 V DC
electrification. These locomotives operated primarily on heavy
reversible commuter trains in the greater Paris area and regional
services from the early 1990s until the mid-2000s. 
In the early 1990s, to meet growing commuter demand and avoid buying new traction, the SNCF transformed four BB 9200 locomotives into BB 9700 units (numbers BB-9701 - BB-9704). These conversions - completed between 1992 and 1993 - equipped the machines with reversibility systems so they could push and pull ten-car V2N double-deck trainsets, ideal for dense suburban services southeast of Paris. 
While their core mechanics and Bo’Bo’ electric layout remained similar to their BB 9200 ancestors, the BB 9700s received:
• Multiplex command and control systems for bidirectional operation
• Upgraded driver desks and insulated cabs
• Modifications to suspension and equipment to better handle the demands of frequent starts and stops with heavy commuter trains
• A distinctive Corail-style gray and orange livery matching the coaches they hauled, plus front-mounted data cable connections for communication with driving cars at the other end of the train. 
Assigned initially to Paris-South-East commuter services, the BB 9700 handled routes such as Paris - Montereau - Sens - Laroche-Migennes and weekend extensions to Dijon. Heavy usage and demanding stop-start work stressed their electrical systems, leading to frequent breakdowns later in their careers. After about fifteen years of service, the class was gradually retired as newer reversible locomotives (like specially equipped BB 7200s) replaced them, with the last BB 9700 withdrawn between 2006 and 2007. 
In the early 1990s, to meet growing commuter demand and avoid buying new traction, the SNCF transformed four BB 9200 locomotives into BB 9700 units (numbers BB-9701 - BB-9704). These conversions - completed between 1992 and 1993 - equipped the machines with reversibility systems so they could push and pull ten-car V2N double-deck trainsets, ideal for dense suburban services southeast of Paris. 
While their core mechanics and Bo’Bo’ electric layout remained similar to their BB 9200 ancestors, the BB 9700s received:
• Multiplex command and control systems for bidirectional operation
• Upgraded driver desks and insulated cabs
• Modifications to suspension and equipment to better handle the demands of frequent starts and stops with heavy commuter trains
• A distinctive Corail-style gray and orange livery matching the coaches they hauled, plus front-mounted data cable connections for communication with driving cars at the other end of the train. 
Assigned initially to Paris-South-East commuter services, the BB 9700 handled routes such as Paris - Montereau - Sens - Laroche-Migennes and weekend extensions to Dijon. Heavy usage and demanding stop-start work stressed their electrical systems, leading to frequent breakdowns later in their careers. After about fifteen years of service, the class was gradually retired as newer reversible locomotives (like specially equipped BB 7200s) replaced them, with the last BB 9700 withdrawn between 2006 and 2007. 
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Latest update on the 6th of January 2026 at 12:22
Contributor(s): Tudor C.
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