Siemens will design and implement the CBTC technology, and be responsible for system integration, while Thales will design and implement the operating control centres, which will control the centralised supervision of train movement, energy systems, auxiliary equipment and digital information systems, as well as installing the trackside equipment and a secure communication network.
Thales and two SMEs have also been awarded a contract to install onboard systems on 159 trains, including onboard CCTV cameras, passenger information systems, intercom systems, public address systems and automatic train counters.
Grand Paris Express will enable residents of the Greater Paris area to travel more swiftly between areas that have little current access to public mass transit as well as create new opportunities for economic growth in the Greater Paris area.
The project involves the construction of four driverless metro lines around Paris (lines 15, 16, 17 and 18) as well as an extension and upgrade of Line 14 to the north and south of Paris to Orly airport, connecting with the existing metro network.
The 76km Line 15 will have 36 new stations and will enable passengers to reach Saint-Denis to the north and Villejuif to the south by passing through Nanterre/La Défense to the west or Rosny-Bois-Perrier and Champigny to the east. The 50km lines 16 and 17 will have 14 new stations and will enable passengers from Saint-Denis/Pleyel to travel east to Noisy-Champs or and north to Roissy˗Charles de Gaulle airport.
Twelve construction and commissioning phases are planned throughout the contract, with the first due to be completed in 2024, and the others by 2030.
