Alstom delivered the first trains to Paris Transport Authority’s (RATP) Fontenay-sous-Bois depot in December 2018 and has begun testing on Line 1, which is equipped for driverless operation.

Following static tests, dynamic tests are being carried out until summer 2019 to check the train’s performance and functions such as braking, traction, electromagnetic compatibility, acoustic comfort, and climate comfort more precisely.

Once completed, RATP will carry out tests on the trains’ automatic control system and on board audio-visual equipment on Line 14.

The train will then enter passenger service on Line 14 once these tests have been completed and the authorisation for entry into service has been obtained, which is expected between the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020 depending on the progress of the tests.

RATP, Ile-de-France Transport Authority (Stif) and Societe du Grand Paris (SGP) signed a framework contract with Alstom in January 2015 worth in excess of €2bn for a fleet of 217 MP 14 rubber-tyred metro trains. The deal included an initial order for 35 trains for Line 14.

Under options already exercised, 72 trains will be delivered over the next five years, at a cost of €1bn, entirely financed by Île-de-France Mobility. This includes 20 six-car trains for Line 4 and 20 five-car trains for Line 11 to be introduced from 2021 and 2022 respectively.

The launch of the eight-car trains on Line 14 will support extension north to Saint-Denis Pleyel and south to Orly, which are expected to double the number of daily passengers to one million.

The trains will also reduce energy consumption by 20% compared with the previous-generation MP 05 trains, and will improve passenger comfort, with interior noise levels reduced by 40% and new ergonomic seating. The MP 14 will also offer a number of seats reserved for people with reduced mobility.

 MP 14 undergoes Line 1 tests

Alstom says it is testing the MP 14 trains on Line 1 as it provides particularly demanding gradients for testing new trains on rubber tyres, allowing for optimal analysis of the material’s performance before it operates on Line 14.

The position of the Fontenay-sous-Bois workshops, which are capable of accommodating an eight-car train as well as performing most of the maintenance work during the tests, also played a role in this choice.

From the end of 2019, the MP 14 will be based at Line 14’s new maintenance and stabling depot at Saint-Ouen, which is nearing completion. Aimed at replacing the existing site of Tolbiac, which will eventually be integrated into the line’s southern extension, this new depot will accommodate five trains in the workshop area, and nine in the stabling sidings.

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