Why do we say it's a metro?
It will travel 200 kilometers through 68 stations located in Île-de-France.
Well beyond the current limits of the Paris metro and rather like the trains and RER Ile-de-France.
However, the designers preferred to call it "metro".
First, because it is an underground city train.
And also because it will have a frequency similar to that of the metro, from two to three minutes depending on the line during rush hour.
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Do we know the pricing?
No, nothing has been decided at this stage, but the subject promises to be a real puzzle. Should we follow what is done on the RER and Transilien, with ticket prices depending on the areas crossed? Or rather apply a single rate to the entire Grand Paris Express network as for the metro? Technicians have started to work on the issue. It will be up to the elected officials of the Île-de-France Mobilités board of directors, which is responsible for ticketing for the Paris region public transport network, to decide.
Who will run the trains?
For the moment, we only know that the RATP will be in charge of infrastructure management, that is to say the maintenance of the rails, overhead lines or switches. Tenders are underway to determine who will run the trains. The names of the winners must be known at least two years before the opening of the line they will operate.
What design will they have?
Alstom won all the contracts and is responsible for designing and building the trains for the Grand Paris Express. We already know the main lines and general design. For the exterior, no surprise, they will be blue and white, in IDFM colors, as is now the rule for new trains. The interior layout has been designed for optimal comfort with comfortable seats, USB sockets, high backrests, and legroom. The lighting should be as close as possible to natural light and may vary depending on the day. And of course, the trains will have heating and air conditioning.
How are we going to finance its operation?
At a time of the particularly tight budgets of Île-de-France Mobilités, the question is more topical than ever ... But no one has yet found an answer.
In January 2020, a letter from the Prime Minister reassured the transport organizing authority, confirming that the State will help IDFM.
Without saying more.
At this stage, the operation of the Grand Paris Express will cost IDFM around one billion per year.
By way of comparison, it is 4.5 billion per year for the RATP.
The Court of Auditors has already alerted in June 2020 to the difficulties that IDFM will have in finding this additional sum.
At least, the delays taken by the sites will make it possible to compensate a little for the effects of the crisis.