Paris Celebrates Delivery of €3.5 Billion Grand Paris Express Line 14 Extension Linking Saint-Denis Pleyel to Orly Airport

The North-South Backbone of the Grand Paris Express Rapid Transit Network

PARIS, Île-de-France — In the most transformative expansion of the Paris Métro network in more than half a century, the Société des Grands Projets (SGP) and transport authority Île-de-France Mobilités (IDFM) have celebrated the full commercial commissioning of the landmark €3.5 billion Grand Paris Express Line 14 Extension. Extending the fully automated driverless line simultaneously to the north and south, the 14-kilometre expansion connects the immense regional multimodal transport hub of Saint-Denis Pleyel directly to Paris-Orly Airport in just 25 minutes.

The project represents the operational cornerstone of the 200-kilometre Grand Paris Express automated transit network. Traversing the heart of the capital through Châtelet-Les Halles, Gare de Lyon, and Olympiades, the expanded Line 14 now serves as a high-capacity north-south transit spine, linking critical industrial, business, and residential hubs across Seine-Saint-Denis, Paris, and Val-de-Marne.

Cutting Travel Times: Seamless High-Speed Connectivity Between Orly and Central Paris

Prior to the line's completion, travelers commuting between Paris-Orly Airport and central Paris were dependent on highway shuttles or complex multi-transfer journeys via the RER B and Orlyval. With Line 14 now extending 14 kilometres south through Chevilly-Larue, L'Haÿ-les-Roses, and Thiais-Orly, arriving air passengers step directly from airport terminals onto high-frequency driverless metro trains, reaching Châtelet-Les Halles in 25 minutes and Saint-Denis Pleyel in under 40 minutes.

Operating with peak intervals of just 85 seconds, Line 14 accommodates over one million passengers daily, establishing it as the busiest, highest-capacity rapid transit line on the entire Parisian metro network.

Architectural Masterpiece: Saint-Denis Pleyel Mega-Station by Kengo Kuma

At the northern terminus, the newly inaugurated Saint-Denis Pleyel station stands as the monumental flagship of the Grand Paris Express. Designed by world-renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, the 35,000-square-metre subterranean station features spiraling timber-clad facades, expansive open mezzanines, and glass skylights that illuminate platforms situated 28 metres below ground.

Pleyel serves as the central circulatory nexus of Greater Paris, providing seamless step-free interchanges with RER D, Métro Line 13, and upcoming Grand Paris Express lines (Lines 15, 16, and 17), uniting the business, cultural, and sports epicenters of the Seine-Saint-Denis department with the Parisian capital.

Next-Generation Alstom MP14 8-Car Driverless Trains and Decarbonization

Operated by RATP, the extended Line 14 runs exclusively with state-of-the-art Alstom MP14 eight-car rubber-tired automated trains—the longest metro trains in France. Measuring 120 metres in length, the trains feature regenerative braking systems that reduce traction energy consumption by 20 percent, continuous walk-through gangways, real-time dynamic journey mapping screens, and comprehensive climate control.

Regional leaders emphasized that Line 14 removes tens of thousands of vehicle trips from the heavily congested A6 and A86 motorways every day, drastically cutting carbon emissions and air pollution while cementing Paris's reputation as a world capital of sustainable urban mobility.