The Grand Paris Express line 15 South moves for the first time

The countdown is drawing to a close: after the first manual run in November 2023 at the Champigny maintenance centre, preparations for the entry into service of line 15 South have reached a new phase with the start of dynamic tests in automatic mode. This covers the entire transport system, from the MR6V trains to the station equipment.

The first runs took place in the same geographical area as at the end of 2023, i.e. part of the track connecting to line 15 South, but with a major change: this time, no one is physically at the controls in the train. The commands are sent from the Operation Control Centre (OCC). Staff remain on board the train to ensure that the automatic train control system is operating correctly, and that safety is being maintained.

This is the culmination of 10 months’ work by the Rolling Stock and Automatic Control System project management teams (MOE MR-AC), which began in early 2024. Day after day, we are working with them to set up these test runs, and we are preparing and monitoring the first dynamic tests, after carrying out all the upstream checks. The start of these driverless tests rewards the work of around thirty employees. Now, more than ever, we’re on target!

Caroline Parfait, Head of project management for Global System Integration (ISG) Tests and MOE MR-AC, SYSTRA France

SYSTRA France mobilised for a crucial new phase

A wide range of systems expertise was mobilised to carry out our assignment. SYSTRA was involved as project manager in the preparation and monitoring of the tests: in this capacity, we covered all the static tests on the rolling stock, where the correct operation of all the on-board and on-track systems was checked, as well as the interface between the train and the automatic driving systems, the detection of beacons and all the safety equipment in the tunnel.

The campaign of dynamic tests in automatic mode, for the trains and station equipment, will last until commissioning, under the supervision of Siemens. As far as SYSTRA is concerned, no personnel are on board, but we are making sure that the tests are carried out correctly, by setting up a watertight red zone around the test perimeter. No access to personnel is possible when the tests are taking place, and total detection of the entry of any person into the electrified track area is installed.

The start of the dynamic tests marks a new decisive stage in the overall progress of line 15 South. The efforts of all the project management and Global System Integration (ISG) teams who have supported Alstom, Siemens/Hitachi and Société des Grands Projets in preparing for these tests are to be commended. Everything about this project is new, from the rolling stock to the operating system, from the infrastructure to the objectives assigned to the project, and everyone was right on target: congratulations!

Jérémie Wajs, Head of ISG, SYSTRA France

The next stage will be the first crossing of a Grand Paris Express station, scheduled for the autumn, before tests are extended in 2025 to the entire line and station equipment, which will also be tested and integrated into the overall system being checked by our teams.

With fifteen months to go before it enters service, line 15 South is becoming more and more of a reality. In April 2024, the last rail on the line was welded, and the 37km of tunnel are now equipped with track. The final civil engineering operations were completed this summer at Saint-Maur-Créteil station, and all the passenger buildings for the 16 stations are now emerging in the area. Meanwhile, Villejuif – Gustave Roussy station, equipped with a dedicated local OCC, is preparing to open to line 14 users in December 2024, ahead of schedule.

The equipment currently being installed, under the supervision of the project management teams, includes air conditioning and ventilation systems, electrical networks, the installation of lifts, escalators and platform façades, and the laying of the final coverings. At the same time, the equipment needed to control the metro is being installed: the technical premises are gradually being fitted with the servers and other transformers that will power the stations and tunnel and automate the line.

SYSTRA France’s teams are also working on other sections of the Grand Paris Express, such as lines 16 and 17, where the first trainset was delivered on 3 October 2024 at the Aulnay-sous-Bois maintenance centre. SYSTRA is responsible for project management assistance for the operation and maintenance of all the lines of the Grand Paris Express, and in particular for the preparation of maintenance infrastructures for the super metro in the greater Paris region.