Interior Design For The Future Line 18 Metro Trains Of The Île-De-France

On 15 February 2023 Île-de-France Mobilités, Société du Grand Paris (SGP) and Alstom have unveiled the final design of the rolling stock for the future Line 18 of the Île-de-France metro network. Designed and manufactured by Alstom, this latest generation automatic metro combines capacity, comfort, speed and reliability. The first trains will be put into service on Line 18 from 2026.

Fully funded by Île-de-France Mobilités, the future trains for Line 18 were designed by Alstom's Advanced & Creative Design office, in collaboration with Île-de-France Mobilités, SGP and Egis Rail, in order to meet the specific needs of Line 18 and the expectations of passengers.

The future three-car 47 m long trains can carry up to 350 passengers, will be 100 % accessible to all, and offer a smooth and comfortable ride. To facilitate passenger flow, access to the train is on the floor level through three wide doors featured on each car. The wide corridors, wide inter-aisles and large panoramic openings at each end give a spacious feeling and allow a greater flow of traffic.

The interior  offers passengers a variety of handrails, spaces and seating options. To create a new travel space, the interconnecting bellows offer a rigid lining that replaces the traditional bellow design. Along with the fixed seats are complementing flip-up seats to provide more seating at off-peak times.

Passengers with limited mobility, who have been involved in the design process, have dedicated seats and wheelchair spaces. The priority seats are numerous and easily identifiable by their specific red colour, which is now recognisable on all new equipment. In anticipation of the service to Paris Orly airport, mixed spaces for passengers with pushchairs and luggage have been specifically created in the central car.

Designed For An Optimised Passenger Experience

Equipped with Internet connection, USB sockets and dynamic information display screens, these new trains are definitely connected. Each car is fitted with efficient ventilation, air conditioning and heating systems to ensure thermal comfort in all seasons. The feeling of space and luminosity is reinforced by the streamlined shapes associated with a play of bright colours and (this is new) with lighting that follows the circadian rhythm: it is similar to natural light that varies according to the time of day and adapts to the biological rhythm of travellers to improve their well-being. For enhanced safety, each access has special lighting and is equipped with video surveillance.

An Exterior Design

Wishing to involve the people of Île-de-France in the choice of the exterior design of this new generation metro, Île-de-France Mobilités launched an online consultation with the population at the end of 2021. Among three proposals designed by Alstom, voters chose the current design, with its distinctive luminous signature around a large windshield. Much appreciated by passengers, especially children, this new wider windshield  offers a panoramic view of the front of the train and optimises the available surface area to create additional  space for passengers in the metro.

About Line 18

Line 18 is almost 35 km long, with 10 stations and an operations centre that includes the train maintenance, storage, and infrastructure maintenance sites. Line 18 has a mixed above-ground and underground route, with an above-ground section of approximately 13 km. It will will be commissioned in three phases:
2026: Massy-Palaiseau to CEA Saint-Aubin,
2027: Massy-Palaiseau to Orly Airport,
2030: CEA Saint-Aubin to Versailles Chantiers

Line 18 will offer high performance and reliability thanks to an automatic control system that will reduce the interval between trains to 85 seconds during rush hour by running at an average speed of 65 km/h and at up to 100 km/h during rush hour. Environmental efficiency will also be ensured by optimising energy consumption. The 100 % automatic control of these electric trains guarantees optimal driving and therefore less energy consumption. The metro on Line 18 will be supplied with electricity by a third rail with reverse capture.