Why Paris is Doubling the Size of its Metro

The Grand Paris Express is a once-in-a-century megaproject.

Research sources -

Additional footage and images courtesy of Société des grands projets, PCA Stream and Trimble.

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#construction #engineering #infrastructure

0:00 Intro
1:05 Connecting Paris
3:01 Building Under a City
5:45 Trimble
7:30 Green Paris
8:57 Outro

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At 01:40, you forgot to talk about the RER system. The actual problem of Paris is not that the metro system does not go beyond the 20 arrondissements, since we have the RER for that, the problem is that the RER were built in a star-shape, connecting suburbs to city center in a real efficient way but missing suburb to suburb connections

[joaquimbarbosa]

I've said this multiple times, but France is nailing it with megaprojects. From multiple EPR constructions, cleaning the Seine, the projects involved in the olympic games and the grand Paris express and also ITER. France is really becoming a hub for whatever this is, in Europe

[zukacs]

bro half of the projects you cover are once in a century 😂

[darkejon]

Gotta love the French for making big moves and taking big bets. So few places really commit to such long term thinking that is necessary to improve our world for the future

[ce]

More impressive than the project itself is the cost control and time scale of this vs Anglophone countries 👏 👏

[KyrilPG]

Now we need Fred on location, visiting building sites and new stations like he did on the Elizabeth line. He can't miss that!
The former Société du Grand Paris, now Société des Grands Projets, is very welcoming to YouTubers (as we've seen with RMTransit).
So I hope that Fred will be visiting the building sites very soon to bring us many details.

A few corrections, though :
What's 7.2 million is the new Grand Paris administrative division, which only covers the inner ring.
The agglomeration is around 12 and urban area around 15.
The whole Grand Paris Express project never was expected before the Olympics, only some sections of it. Especially since the project isn't even fully designed yet, there are more things to come.
Following 2020's pandemonium, they decided against rushing these sections and restructured the schedule.
So now some sections are pushed back and others brought forward, which means less small bits opening successively and larger chunks opening simultaneously.
There will be something new pretty much every year till 2030-2032.

As for the project itself and as I said, it is not fully designed yet, there are more developments to come, like the dashed line between Versailles and La Défense that should be defined in the near future. There's also a 19th metro line that was recently proposed by the region and transit agency. This one would form an arch in the Northwest quarter of the city, from Gonnesse to La Défense via Argenteuil.

Also, the GPE project is only a part of the overall transportation expansion currently underway in Paris.
In the last decade and a half alone, a dozen new tram lines were built, and there are many extensions planned.
This spring will open about 34 kilometers of new line extensions, about 30km of it underground.
They'll expand 2 metro lines (part of the GPE) but also the T3b orbital tram and RER E, which are not part of the GPE.

That's a minimum of 360 kilometers of new lines and extensions that will open between today and 2030-2032, the current state of the GPE representing roughly 200km of the total.
These new lines and extensions will be mostly metro, tram and RER, but also urban multi-station gondola lines and proper busway-trambus BRT lines.

The 3 million daily ridership mentioned is the increase expected for the GPE only.

The current GPE project is comprised of roughly 200km of new lines and extensions, 90% or 180km deep underground, the rest is mostly elevated and a few bits at grade.

Right now, more than 100 kilometers of new tunnels have already been built, out of a total of 180km.
As mentioned, the extension from Versailles to La Défense (in dashed line on the map) is not yet defined and not counted in the total.

So there should be a GPE 1.5 soon, an extension to the extension. 😂

Fred presenting the giant cylinder of Villejuif IGR interchange station, the "trench" of Saint-Denis Pleyel station, the super deep column of Saint-Maur Créteil station and other impressive stations would really be fantastic...
There are architectural wonders by the dozens!
So... maybe? Pretty please! 🙏🏼

[deogratiassaidi]

I don't fully grasp architecture and construction, but I always watch whatever you post.

[Desi]

7.2 million inhabitants is the population in the 3 central départements + ville de Paris. the metro area is more probably 9.5 millions. 10.6 million if you extend to the "villes nouvelles". the administrative structure is still completely inadequate.

[cyrilio]

Thanks for not subbuing or forcing interviewees to speak English. Being able to speak multiple languages is treasure. It widens your horizons and expands your minds.

[kimberlyperrotis]

Now, that’s what I call A Project! The US could learn a lot from this, public transport here is crummy.

[georgeti]

This is what every country that is really serious about improving environmental issues should be doing. Good train and underground transportation infrastructure is the solution, not restrictions without viable alternatives and increased taxes. Kudos to France for actually addressing the issue and undertaking such a massive project.

[stanyamish]

Weird to see my home in your channel.
What's funny is that while it will change Paris, most of the work isn't in downtown Paris. Whenever I need to go from suburbs to suburbs, unless I use a bike or a car, I will always have to go through Paris. Once it's opened, Chatelet, which is one of the most important train/subway stations of the network, won't be as crowded as it is today thanks to the Grand Paris Express. Around the stations, real estate project are made in order for cities to attract more inhabitants and offices.

[mr.niyaoukitchen]

Parisian born, I live in Choisy le Roi (southeast Paris's suburb) near Thiais/Les Ardoines and since few years now, this whole part of the 94 is booming in a good way, creating many new vibrant districts with new activities and hopes for the youth. Connecting Orly Airport; the market of Rungis, La Defense, the Innovation and the Health poles, will certainly thrive in a new generation of talents, prosperity and influence.

It's exciting to see a project of that magnitude to be built in your lifetime.

[sonnie]

Thank you. You give facts, speak in a normal voice, not all hysterically hyped and actually deliver. There's so many click bait sites that lie and never give anything.

[eriklakeland]

New York City badly needs to emulate Line 15 of Paris. Imagine direct connections between JFK County NJ-Hudson County NJ-Staten Island-South Brooklyn

[ep]

I will never tire of 3D animations of TBMs doing their thing.

[kimberlyperrotis]

Those modern TBMs are amazing, they’ve advanced so much in my lifetime, born 1960.

[GeekyMedia]

Seems like there's a lot going on in Paris lately! Another great video B1M team.

[literaturewithjayneel]

Los Angeles needs this infrastructure project

[Me-uizy]

Paris is having such a glow-up. Its crazy how much its changed in the past decade