The interior train design of the future Line 18 of the Ile-de-France metro is revealed by Île-de-France Mobilités, the Société du Grand Paris and Alstom
The interior train design of the future Line 18 of the Ile-de-France metro is revealed by Île-de-France Mobilités, the Société du Grand Paris and Alstom
Press contact - Philippe Molitor
Philippe Molitor
Send an emailPress contact - France and Île-de-France
Pauline Le Caro
Send an emailÎle-de-France Mobilités, Société du Grand Paris (SGP) and Alstom have unveiled the final design of the rolling stock for the future Line 18 of the Île-de-France metro network. Designed and manufactured by Alstom, this latest generation automatic metro combines capacity, comfort, speed and reliability. The first trains will be put into service on Line 18 from 2026.
Fully funded by Île-de-France Mobilités, the future trains for Line 18 were designed by Alstom's Advanced & Creative Design office, in collaboration with Île-de-France Mobilités, SGP and Egis Rail, in order to meet the specific needs of Line 18 and the expectations of passengers.
The new interior design of the Line 18 trains combines capacity, fluidity and comfort for passengers.
The future three-car 47-meter-long trains can carry up to 350 passengers, are 100% accessible to all, and offer a smooth and comfortable ride.
To facilitate passenger flow, access to the train is on the floor level through three wide doors featured on each car. The wide corridors, wide inter-aisles and large panoramic openings at each end give a spacious feeling and allow a greater flow of traffic.
The interior offers passengers a variety of handrails, spaces and seating options. To create a new travel space, the interconnecting bellows offer a rigid lining that replaces the traditional bellow design. Along with the fixed seats are complementing flip-up seats to provide more seating at off-peak times.
Passengers with limited mobility, who have been involved in the design process, have dedicated seats and wheelchair spaces. The priority seats are numerous and easily identifiable by their specific red colour, which is now recognisable on all new equipment. In anticipation of the service to Paris Orly airport, mixed spaces for passengers with pushchairs and luggage have been specifically created in the central car.
Interior design for an optimised passenger experience
Equipped with Internet connection, USB sockets and dynamic information display screens, these new trains are definitely connected.
Each car is equipped with efficient ventilation, air conditioning and heating systems to ensure thermal comfort in all seasons.
The feeling of space and luminosity is reinforced by the streamlined shapes associated with a play of bright colours and (this is new) with lighting that follows the circadian rhythm: it is similar to natural light that varies according to the time of day and adapts to the biological rhythm of travellers to improve their well-being.
For enhanced safety, each access has special lighting and is equipped with video surveillance.
An exterior design supported by the people of Île-de-France
Wishing to involve the people of Île-de-France in the choice of the exterior design of this new generation metro, Île-de-France Mobilités launched an online consultation with the population at the end of 2021. Among three proposals designed by Alstom, voters chose the current design, with its distinctive luminous signature around a large windshield. Much appreciated by passengers, especially children, this new wider windshield offers a panoramic view of the front of the train and optimises the available surface area to create additional space for passengers in the metro.
About Line 18
Line 18 is almost 35km long, with 10 stations and an operations centre that includes the train maintenance, storage, and infrastructure maintenance sites. Line 18 has a mixed above-ground and underground route, with an above-ground section of approximately 13km.
Line 18 will be commissioned in 3 phases:
2026: Massy-Palaiseau > CEA Saint-Aubin
2027: Massy-Palaiseau > Orly Airport
2030: CEA Saint-Aubin > Versailles Chantiers
Line 18 will offer high performance and reliability thanks to an automatic control system that will reduce the interval between trains to 85 seconds during rush hour by running at an average speed of 65km/h and at up to 100km/h during rush hour.
Environmental efficiency will also be ensured by optimising energy consumption. The 100% automatic control of these electric trains guarantees optimal driving and therefore less energy consumption. The metro on Line 18 will be supplied with electricity by a 3rd rail with reverse capture. During the braking phase, the metro generates energy which is recovered via the 3rd rail to be then redistributed on the line, thus allowing for the ongoing recycling of the trains' traction energy. This technology also avoids the use of a catenary, allowing a more harmonious integration into the landscape on this new line that has 13 km of overhead sections.
