A major project of public interest
The result of a public debate involving 22,000 people, the Grand Paris Express is the new metro linking the main residential and business districts of the suburbs without passing through Paris. It is set to make travel easier, serve areas that are not easily accessible by public transport, reduce social inequalities, reorganise mobility and develop station areas, thereby contributing to the transformation of the Paris region.
The Grand Paris Express project involves extending an existing metro line (metro 14) and building 4 new metro lines in the inner and outer suburbs (metros 15, 16, 17 and 18). The Grand Paris Express will enter service in stages between 2024 and 2030.
Société des grands projets is the programme manager. Since work began in 2016, it has been working with all the public stakeholders, from the local authorities to the transport operators, as well as conducting this highly complex project in constant dialogue with local residents. It is ensuring that this project is a springboard for local employment and a driving force for economic activity in France, particularly for SMEs.
Extension of line 18
Currently under construction as part of the Grand Paris Express project, line 18 is set to link Paris-Orly airport to Versailles. It will serve the Plateau de Saclay science and technology park, as well as the key business districts of Orly, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines and Versailles, which are currently poorly served by public transport. This new metro line in the outer Paris suburbs will meet the travel needs of thousands of students, researchers and employees.
Studies are underway to extend line 18 to the north, between Versailles and Nanterre. Its construction has been postponed until after 2030 following the public debate that preceded the Grand Paris Express. Completion of this line will hugely benefit the Paris region and double the number of daily passengers on line 18 to over 200,000.