Paris Metro Line 15

Line 15's route bears a strong resemblance to the Arc Express proposal initially presented by RATP in 2006. It was subsequently incorporated as the "Red Line" within the Grand Paris public transportation network project, introduced by then-President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2009. The line received its current designation in 2013 when Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault announced the "New Grand Paris" project.^[7]

The initial 2013 government plan announced groundbreaking for the southern section in early 2015, groundbreaking for the western and eastern segments in 2020, opening of the southern section in 2024 (later revised to 2025,^[8] then to summer 2026,^[9] then to late 2026,^[10] now to April 2027^[2]) and completion of the western and eastern sections in 2030^[11][12] (later revised to 2031^[3]). Delays to the opening of the southern section announced since 2024 have been attributed to problems during testing the line's day-to-day operation,^[9][2] with these delays also affecting the opening of lines 16 and 17 despite both being physically disconnected from the southern section of Line 15.^[10]

By early 2026, the SGP confirmed both Line 15 South's opening for an April 2027, and that it will be preceded by the first phase of Line 18 (connecting Massy–Palaiseau to CEA Saint-Aubin) on October 1, 2026. This sequencing establishes Line 18 as the first brand new line of the Grand Paris Express network to enter public service, despite having the highest number. ^[13]

Construction

Line 15 will be constructed in two phases :

1. The line's southern section, connecting Pont de Sèvres and Noisy–Champs, is scheduled to open in April 2027.
2. The complete line, encompassing western (Pont de Sèvres to Saint-Denis–Pleyel) and eastern sections (Saint-Denis–Pleyel to Champigny Centre), is projected for completion and inauguration in 2031.^[14]

Line 15 South

The southern section (Pont de Sèvres to Noisy–Champs) encompasses 16 stations, two maintenance depots and stretches 33 kilometres (21 mi).^[15] The construction of this section has encountered delays, missing the targeted opening before the 2024 Summer Olympics.^[8][16] This section of the line is estimated to have cost around €3.7 billion.^[17]

A significant engineering milestone was the completion of the Villejuif–Gustave Roussy station. While the station's upper levels began serving the Line 14 extension in 2024, its Line 15 platforms are located at a depth of -48.8 meters (level -9). It is the second-deepest station on the network, surpassed only by Saint-Maur–Créteil, and was designed as a vertical 'open cylinder' to allow natural light to reach the lower mezzanine levels. ^[18]

More information Station, Image ...

Station	Image	Commune	Opened	Interchanges	Distance (in km)
Noisy–Champs Champy–Nesles		Noisy-le-Grand, Champs-sur-Marne	April 2027		–	0.0
Villiers–Champigny–Bry		Villiers-sur-Marne, Champigny-sur-Marne	April 2027		5.4	5.4
Champigny Centre		Champigny-sur-Marne	April 2027		2.1	7.5
Saint-Maur–Créteil		Saint-Maur-des-Fossés	April 2027		3.2	10.7
Créteil–L'Échat Hôpital Henri Mondor		Créteil	April 2027		2.4	13.1
Le Vert de Maisons		Maisons-Alfort, Alfortville	April 2027		1.5	14.6
Les Ardoines		Vitry-sur-Seine	April 2027		1.9	16.5
Mairie de Vitry-sur-Seine		Vitry-sur-Seine	April 2027		2.0	18.5
Villejuif–Louis Aragon		Villejuif	April 2027		1.5	20.0
Villejuif–Gustave Roussy		Villejuif	April 2027		1.6	21.6
Arcueil–Cachan		Arcueil, Cachan	April 2027		1.7	23.3
Bagneux–Lucie Aubrac		Bagneux	April 2027		0.9	24.2
Châtillon–Montrouge		Châtillon, Montrouge	April 2027		1.6	25.8
Clamart		Clamart, Issy-les-Moulineaux, Vanves, Malakoff	April 2027		2.0	27.8
Issy		Issy-les-Moulineaux	April 2027		1.5	29.3
Pont de Sèvres		Boulogne-Billancourt	April 2027	(at Musée de Sèvres)	2.5	31.8

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Line 15 East and West

The northern section comprises two segments: west (Pont de Sèvres to Saint-Denis–Pleyel) and east (Saint-Denis–Pleyel to Champigny Centre). Upon completion, now scheduled for 2031, these sections will connect with the southern section to form the complete orbital route.^[4][19][20] This leg of the project will encompass 16 stations and a maintenance depot.^[19][20] The eastern section's initial cost estimate of €3.77 billion has been revised upwards to €5.65 billion (as of 2021^[update]).^[21]

While major construction contracts for the line itself haven't been awarded yet, preparatory work is underway at Saint-Denis–Pleyel and Champigny Centre stations, which are being built for other lines but will include platforms for Line 15.^[22][16]

In July 2018, Alstom secured a €1.3 billion contract to supply 183 Alstom Metropolis trains for the Grand Paris Express project,^[23] with the initial 162 cars (27 six-car Alstom Metropolis MR6V trains) designated for Line 15 to be delivered from 2022 onwards.^[23]

Train Specifications^[24][25]

• Width: Minimum of 2.8 m (9 ft 2 in)
• Length: 108 m (354 ft 4 in) — 6 cars with full-open interior gangways
• Capacity: 960 passengers (based on 4 passengers per square meter)
• Electrification: 1,500 V DC via pantograph and overhead line^[26]
• Operation: Fully automated
• Maximum operating speed: 120 km/h (75 mph)^[27]
• Frequency:
  • Theoretical maximum: 34,560 passengers per hour^[28]
  • Average headway: 3 to 4 minutes^[27]
  • Minimum headway: 2 minutes^[27]

In July 2023, the operation and maintenance contract for Line 15 South was awarded to the ORA Consortium, led by RATP Dev in partnership with Alstom and ComfortDelGro. As of April 2026, the consortium has entered the final dynamic testing phase for the automated Metropolis MR6V trains, focusing on system integration and station readiness along the 33-kilometer southern segment. ^[29]