The residents of Ile-de-France have decided, and have chosen what the future trains of line 18 will look like, as part of an online public consultation launched by Ile-de-France Mobiliés (IDFM).
On a dedicated and already open website, Ile-de-France residents had the choice between 3 “different designs”: “smiling design”, “mobile architectural gesture” or “refined fluidity”.
It is ultimately the third model – described as being “a metro open to the outside” with “simple and strong identity” – which was chosen. With a large bay window, this model will offer a real panoramic view to users.
In total, each train will be made up of 3 trainsets open to each other and 47 meters long, capable of carrying up to 350 passengers each.
According to IDFM, “these new generation automatic metros will benefit from the latest technologies and offer high performance”, being able to travel up to 100 km / h “in automatic driverless mode”, “open over the entire length of the trains, which offer travelers a feeling of conviviality, space and comfort ”. The very first trains of metro line 18 will leave the factory in 2024.
Carried out as part of the ambitious Ile-de-France Grand Paris Express project, line 18 will link – eventually in 2030 – Orly airport (94) to the city of Versailles (78), passing in particular through the municipalities of Massy (91), Palaiseau (91), Orsay (91) or even Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (78).
According to the Société du Grand Paris, this line will serve 10 new stations, 3 of which will be connected to the Ile-de-France transport network. That is 13 municipalities served, in 3 different departments. On a daily basis, there are therefore 110,000 trips planned over 35 km of automatic metro, including 14 km by aerial.