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Alstom Delivers First Grand Paris Express Line 18 Train
Each line 18 train consists of 3 carriages, with a total length of 47 m and width of 2.5 m, and a total capacity of 350 passengers.
www.alstom.com
The delivery of this first trainset in May, in line with the agreed timetable, marks the entry of line 18 into its test phase, the last stage of the works before the first section of the line between Massy - Palaiseau and Christ de Saclay stations is brought into service, scheduled for the last quarter of 2026.
By the end of 2026, the 15 trainsets for line 18, ordered and financed by Île-de-France Mobilités to the tune of €199m, will have been delivered to the Palaiseau operations centre. 10 trainsets will be needed to operate the first section of the line, and 5 additional trainsets to operate the second section to Orly airport, scheduled to enter service at the end of 2027.
Start of tests on line 18
The arrival of the first trains on line 18 marks the start of the testing phase, following several months of static and dynamic tests carried out at the Alstom site and at the Valenciennes rail testing centre (Centre d’Essais Ferroviaires). All the tests on line 18 will be controlled from the centralised command post at the Palaiseau operating centre, completed in spring 2025, and in which Alstom installs the supervision systems for the line's equipment. Alstom will coordinate these tests, a key stage in validating the transport system before it is taken over by Keolis, operator delegated by Île-de-France Mobilités.
In June, the so-called "static" rolling stock tests got under way: the red zone (the perimeter of tracks on which the metro will run and test for the first time) was marked out and supplied with electricity at the Palaiseau operations centre.
By the end of the year, 10 trainsets will be delivered to Palaiseau to enable dynamic tests (the running of the train) to be gradually extended to the entire 8.5km section between Massy-Palaiseau and Christ de Saclay stations. The aim is to ensure that the rolling stock is compatible with all the equipment installed in the tunnels and stations: the platform facades, the passenger information system, and the on-board/ground radio needed to ensure communication between the trains and the technical installations on the ground.
The unique characteristics of the rolling stock on line 18
In September 2021, the Société des grands projets and Île-de-France Mobilités awarded Alstom a contract for the production and delivery of the rolling stock for line 18, as well as the supply of the automatic train control systems and the centralised control system. The trainsets are designed and assembled at Alstom's Valenciennes site, with assistance from 5 other Alstom sites in France.
Its unique and innovative design was developed by Alstom's design office, in collaboration with Île-de-France Mobilités, Société des grands projets and Egis Rail. The interior design has been thought out to ensure maximum safety and comfort for users:
- A maximum amount of light, both natural, thanks to large windows, and artificial, with under-seat and in-cab lighting for harmonised lighting throughout the train;
- Comfortable seats, thanks to the collaboration of an ergonomist;
- Greater inclusiveness, with wider doors, a low floor and spaces for people with reduced mobility/wheelchair users.
- A modern, comfortable travel environment thanks to intelligent air conditioning and LED lighting, USB sockets and real-time passenger information screens.
This unique design has also won a GOOD DESIGN© Award, an international label recognising the most innovative industrial and graphic designs.
An exterior design voted for by the people of Ile-de-France
The people of Ile-de-France have been involved in choosing the exterior design of this new-generation metro. At the end of 2021, Île-de-France Mobilités launched an online consultation with the public. Among three proposals devised by Alstom, voters chose the current design, which is distinguished by its luminous signature around a large "diamond" windscreen.
This new, wider type of windscreen offers a panoramic view of the front of the train and optimises the available surface area to create additional living space for passengers in the metro.
A high-performance line
This new fully automatic line, some 33 km long, will eventually include 10 new stations, including 3 stations on an overhead section, and will be interconnected with the existing network by means of several connections along its route (metro line 14 at Aéroport d'Orly, RER lines B and C, tramway line T7, tram-train line T12, train lines N and U). It meets the travel needs of residents, students, researchers and employees who live, study or work nearby, particularly in Antony, Massy, the Saclay plateau, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines and Versailles.
100% automatic and 100% electric, line 18 will offer a high quality of service thanks to an automatic control system that will reduce the interval between each metro train to 90 seconds during rush hour. It will run at an average operating speed of 65 km/h, with a maximum speed of 100 km/h.
Line 18's environmental performance will also be ensured by optimising electricity consumption through the recovery of energy generated by train braking. The metro will be supplied with 1,500 V by a 3rd rail with reverse collection, located on the ground. This technology, the only one of its kind on the entire Paris region transport network, will eliminate the need for a catenary and ensure that the overhead section of line 18 blends in perfectly with the landscape.
www.alstom.com
An exterior design voted for by the people of Ile-de-France
The people of Ile-de-France have been involved in choosing the exterior design of this new-generation metro. At the end of 2021, Île-de-France Mobilités launched an online consultation with the public. Among three proposals devised by Alstom, voters chose the current design, which is distinguished by its luminous signature around a large "diamond" windscreen.
This new, wider type of windscreen offers a panoramic view of the front of the train and optimises the available surface area to create additional living space for passengers in the metro.
A high-performance line
This new fully automatic line, some 33 km long, will eventually include 10 new stations, including 3 stations on an overhead section, and will be interconnected with the existing network by means of several connections along its route (metro line 14 at Aéroport d'Orly, RER lines B and C, tramway line T7, tram-train line T12, train lines N and U). It meets the travel needs of residents, students, researchers and employees who live, study or work nearby, particularly in Antony, Massy, the Saclay plateau, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines and Versailles.
100% automatic and 100% electric, line 18 will offer a high quality of service thanks to an automatic control system that will reduce the interval between each metro train to 90 seconds during rush hour. It will run at an average operating speed of 65 km/h, with a maximum speed of 100 km/h.
Line 18's environmental performance will also be ensured by optimising electricity consumption through the recovery of energy generated by train braking. The metro will be supplied with 1,500 V by a 3rd rail with reverse collection, located on the ground. This technology, the only one of its kind on the entire Paris region transport network, will eliminate the need for a catenary and ensure that the overhead section of line 18 blends in perfectly with the landscape.
www.alstom.com
