ÎLE-de-France Mobility (IdFM), Paris transport operator RATP, and Alstom have unveiled the first new steel-wheeled MF19 train for the Paris metro network. The new trains, 147 of which are currently on order, will eventually replace the MF67, MF77 and MF88 trains operating on eight of the French capital’s 16 metro lines.
IdFM has so far placed two separate orders under a framework contract worth €2.9bn agreed in 2019 for the new trains, which Alstom is manufacturing in France. The initial €530m order for 44 trains consists of 30 five-car, 76m-long trains for Line 10, and 14 four-car, 61m-long trains for lines 3b and 7b. A second order worth €1.1bn for 103 trains to replace the entire Line 13 fleet and some trains used on lines 8 and 12 was placed in February 2024.
Delivery of the trains is expected to conclude in 2027. The framework includes options for the supply of up to 410 trains. Orders to replace the remaining trains on lines 8 and 12 and lines 3 and 7 are expected shortly with IdFM aiming to complete the fleet replacement programme by 2033.
The first train
Testing of the first train, which will be deployed on Line 10, is underway, and it is scheduled to enter service this autumn. A presentation of the train was held at RATP’s Bobigny workshops on February 14. Key features of the new train are:
- air-conditioning
- LED lighting
- full-width gangways
- onboard CCTV
- dedicated areas for passengers with reduced mobility
- audio and visual passenger information systems, and
- widened doors.
In addition, the MF19 has been designed to be more sustainable. The trains are made of 20% recycled materials and are 98% recyclable at the end of their life. They will consume nearly 25% less energy compared with the MF77 trains currently in service due to the use of 100% dynamic and regenerative braking and the LED lighting system. Dynamic braking will also reduce fine particle emissions at stations.
Of the five-car variants, two lengths will be supplied: 76.1m and 77.5m. The trains will also be suitable for automatic train operation (ATO) or manual driving. The cab is removable in the event of future line upgrades to driverless operation at Grade of Automation 4 (GoA4).
Five maintenance workshops will either be constructed or modified to accommodate the new MF19 fleet. This includes a new depot for Line 8 at Créteil Valenton, which will have capacity for 22 trains. The existing site at Saint-Fargeau will be modernised to support the maintenance of the 62 MF19 trains that will be deployed on lines 3, 3b and 7b.
