Line 15
Construction at Les Ardoines
Overview
Termini	Noisy-Champs Champigny Centre
Connecting lines
Stations	20 (Line 15 South) 36 (entire line)
Service
System	Paris Métro
Operator(s)	ORA (Alstom, ComfortDelGro Transit, RATP Dev)
Rolling stock	Alstom Metropolis MR6V
History
Planned opening	End of 2025 (Line 15 South) 2030 (rest of the line)
Technical
Line length	75 km (47 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	1,500 V DC contact wire
Conduction system	Automated

Paris Métro Line 15 is one of four new lines of Grand Paris Express, a major expansion project of the Paris Métro. Currently under construction, the line will provide a new orbital route through the suburbs of Paris, servicing the departments of Hauts-de-Seine, Val-de-Marne and Seine-Saint-Denis.^[1] The southern section of the line is planned to open in 2025, with the completed line planned to open in the early 2030s.^[2] Line 15 will be fully automated, along with all other Grand Paris Express lines, and when completed, it will be the longest underground rapid tunnel for passenger traffic in the world.^[2]

The line is being built by Société du Grand Paris, a public agency set up by the French Government to deliver the Grand Paris Express project.^[3]

History

The route of line 15 is very similar to that of the Arc Express, initially proposed by the RATP in 2006. It was later included as the red line in the Grand Paris public transportation network project, introduced by French President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2009. It acquired its current line 15 naming in March 2013, when the "New Grand Paris" project was announced by Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault.^[4]

Construction

The project will be constructed in two phases, with the southern section (Pont de Sèvres to Noisy-Champs) opening first in 2025, and the east and west sections opening in 2030.^[8]

Line 15 South

Geographical map of Line 15 South

The southern section of the line, between Pont de Sèvres and Noisy–Champs is 33 km (21 mi) in length, with 16 stations and 2 maintenance depots.^[9] This section of the line is estimated to cost around €3.7bn.^[10]

The first public inquiry, focused on the southern section from Pont-de-Sèvres to Noisy-Champs, was held from October to mid-November 2013.^[11] Following declaration of public utility in December 2014, preparatory construction work began in March 2015.^[9] The first major construction contracts were awarded in March 2016,^[10] with major civil engineering beginning in June 2016.^[9][12] Tunnelling was completed on the south section of the line between Pont de Sèvres and Noisy–Champs in April 2021.^[13]

The planned opening date of the southern section several times. Initially, the opening of the southern section was planned for 2018, which was then delayed to 2022 and then to 2024. In September 2018, the opening of the southern section of the line was delayed to the first half of 2025, missing the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.^[7][14] As of August 2021, the southern section of Line 15 is planned to open at the end of 2025.^[8]

Saint-Denis Pleyel station under construction

Line 15 East and West

The northern section of the line, divided into east and west segments - will extend Line 15 from Pont de Sèvres to Champigny Centre, via La Défense and Saint-Denis Pleyel - completing the orbital route of the line.^[2] 16 stations will be built, as well as a maintenance depot.^[15][16] The eastern section was originally estimated to cost €3.77bn, however this was revised to €5.65bn in 2021.^[17]

The declaration of public utility was in November 2016 for the western section,^[15] and in February 2017 for the eastern section.^[16] Although major construction contracts for the line itself have not been awarded, the construction of the station Saint-Denis Pleyel is underway, which will provide interchanges with Line 16 and Line 17. The station will serve the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.^[18][14]

As of August 2021, the east and west sections of Line 15 are planned to open in 2030.^[15][16]

System map

Line 15
Noisy–Champs   Seine-et-Marne Val-de-Marne Bry–Villiers–Champigny     Champigny Centre   Nogent–Le Perreux Marne      Val de Fontenay Saint-Maur–Créteil   Tvm Val-de-Marne Seine-Saint-Denis   Rosny-Bois-Perrier Marne     Bondy Créteil–L'Échat   Pont de Bondy Le Vert de Maisons     Bobigny–Pablo Picasso Seine   Bobigny–Drancy Les Ardoines   Fort d'Aubervilliers Vitry Centre   Mairie d'Aubervilliers Villejuif–Louis Aragon     Stade de France Villejuif–Gustave Roussy      Saint-Denis Pleyel Arcueil–Cachan   Seine-Saint-Denis Hauts-de-Seine Val-de-Marne Hauts-de-Seine Seine Bagneux–Lucie Aubrac   Les Grésillons Châtillon–Montrouge   Les Agnettes Fort d'Issy–Vanves–Clamart     Bois-Colombes Issy     Bécon-les-Bruyères Seine          La Défense Pont de Sèvres     Nanterre–La Folie Seine   Nanterre–La Boule Saint-Cloud    Rueil–Suresnes–Mont Valérien

Rolling stock

In July 2018, Alstom was selected to supply the rolling stock for the Grand Paris Express project at a cost of €1.3bn for 183 trains.^[19] The initial tranche of 150 cars (25 trains of 6 car length) would be delivered to Line 15 from 2022.^[19]

The specifications of the trains travelling line 15 and their operation are as follows:^[20][21]

• Train width: 2.80 metres (9 ft 2 in) minimum
• Train length: 108 metres (354 ft), made up of 6 cars with full-open interior gangways
• Train capacity: 960 passengers (at 4 passengers per m²)
• Rails: iron
• Electric traction current: 1500 volt direct current via pantograph and contact wires^[22]
• Operation: Fully automated
• Operating speed: 120 kilometres per hour (75 mph)^[23]
• Average speed (including stops): 55 kilometres per hour (34 mph)^[23]
• Theoretical morning rush hour throughput: 34 560 passengers per hour^[24]
• Average interval: 3 to 4 minutes^[23]
• Minimum interval: 2 minutes^[23]

References