Following the inauguration of the extension of line 14 to the north and south, we're now looking ahead to the opening of four new metro lines! Over the next few years, the people of Ile-de-France will experience a veritable revolution in public transport, thanks to the Grand Paris Express and the Société des grands projets, which is in charge of its construction.
This new public transport network should make it easier and quicker for users to travel from suburb to suburb without having to go through Paris.
While lines 15 and 16 are already the talk of the town, with the opening of eagerly-awaited stations such as Saint-Maur - Créteil, Noisy - Champs and La Courneuve - Six Routes, line 17 is not to be outdone. With a length of 26.5 km, line 17 will cross 13 communes in three different departments of Ile-de-France: Seine-Saint-Denis, Val-d'Oise and Seine-et-Marne.
In concrete terms, Line 17 will be divided into two sections: Line 17 South, 6 km long between Saint-Denis - Pleyel and Le Bourget, and Line 17 North, which will extend the route to Le Mesnil-Amelot over 20.5 km.
What about new and future stations? Their number is not yet definitive, but at least 8 stations have been announced. There is still some doubt about the second station, Aéroport Charles de Gaulle. As part of the Grand Paris Express project, a second station is to be created on the Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport platform, within the future Terminal 4. " To date, as the French government has asked the ADP group to abandon its Terminal 4 project and present a new one, more consistent with its objectives of combating climate change and protecting the environment, the financing of this second station is not assured ", reads the Grand Paris Express website. " The Aéroport Charles de Gaulle station (2nd station) has therefore been retained as a precautionary measure. No study of this station has yet been carried out ", it adds.
However, line 17 of the Grand Paris Express will connect 8 other stations, including Le Mesnil-Amelot, the terminus of this line. The line is designed to " support the development of the Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport hub, and is closely linked to the Greater Roissy projects ", explains the Grand Paris Express network on its website.
The Le Bourget - Aéroport station is located between the Paris - Le Bourget aeronautical hub, the Air and Space Museum, the Le Bourget exhibition center and the residential districts of Le Blanc-Mesnil. What makes it special? Its cubic shape, which should be visible by 2026.
Line 17 will also see the opening of the Parc des Expositions station. Located in the communes of Villepinte and Tremblay-en-France, it will be the only overhead station on line 17, with platforms 14 m high. The overhead section will be 5.5 km long.
Last but not least, line 17 will also link up with the Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2 TGV station, providing passengers with a new route to the famous Paris airport.
As proof of its speed, line 17 will enable users to travel between La Courneuve and the Paris-Charles de Gaule airport hub in less than 20 minutes, compared with 40 minutes today. Another highlight? The number of connections announced, with connections planned with metro lines 14, 15 and 16, as well as RER B and D, T1 and T11 Express streetcars and the TGV.
At the time of writing, work continues underground. By September 2023, more than half the route of line 17 will have been built! Since 2020, 4 tunnel boring machines (TBMs) have been digging the various tunnel sections of this future line 17, some of which will be shared with line 16.
So, when can commuters expect to see this future line 17? If all goes according to plan, line 17 of the Grand Paris Express will open between Saint-Denis - Pleyel and Le Bourget - Aéroport in 2026. Then, in 2028, the section between Le Bourget - Aéroport and Parc des Expositions should enter service. The section between Parc des Expositions station and the Le Mesnil-Amelot terminus will not open until 2030.
Visit the Société du Grand Paris website and the Société des grands projets website to find out more!
Official website
www.grandparisexpress.fr
