Used by many Parisians, line 14 is about to unveil a new face. In June 2024, just a few weeks before the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, the famous purple metro line will be extended north to Saint-Denis Pleyel, and south to Aéroport d'Orly, the new terminus of line 14.
This additional 15-kilometre extension marks the official launch of the Grand Paris Express. This new public transport network will see the introduction of four new automatic metro lines around Paris (lines 15, 16, 17 and 18), as well as the extension of an existing line, line 14. As proof of its importance, line 14 is considered the " backbone of the Grand Paris Express ", according to the Société des Grands Projets, in charge of designing and building the new transport network.
Thanks to this eagerly-awaited extension, passengers will be able to discover 8 new stations, including Saint-Denis Pleyel station, a true crossroads of the network with planned connections to lines 14, 15, 16 and 17.
The extension of line 14 will also simplify the journey of many tourists and French people wishing to reach Orly airport. Today, public transport users have no choice but to take the RER B and then theOrlyval to get to Orly airport. By June 2024, it will be possible to reach the airport from Paris and vice versa via line 14 in just 40 minutes!
In anticipation of the opening of the future Aéroport d'Orly station, scheduled for June 2024, we had the opportunity to discover the progress of the work during a site visit organized on Tuesday March 5, 2024, in the presence of Pierre-Emmanuel Bécherand, head of architecture and culture at Société des grands projets, Patrick Jouin, designer at Patrick Jouin ID and Ruedi Baur, graphic designer at integral designers. Note that this is the most advanced Grand Paris Express station in terms of equipment to date.
The visit was also an opportunity to discover the famous passenger route. Created in collaboration by designer Patrick Jouin(Studio Patrick Jouin iD) and Franco-Swiss graphic designer Ruedi Baur(agence integral designers), this travel itinerary is intended to be identical in all future stations of the Grand Paris Express. Together, the two designers have set themselves the task of creating an experience that is " more welcoming, comfortable, legible and aesthetically pleasing ", with a focus on streamlined, modular furniture design, materials that will be easy to find in the future (steel, aluminum, concrete, stainless steel, etc.) and large-format, multilingual signage.
While Ruedi Baur and his team designed the passenger information system, as well as the " standard " graphic components to be used on the network (pictograms, typography, colors, formats, rules for the composition of signage), Patrick Jouin was responsible for designing the furniture for passenger areas (reception points, rest areas, elevators, control lines, ticket vending machines, platform facades, illuminated panels). In all, 30,000 items of equipment will be installed in the future stations of the Grand Paris Express (call points, seats, waste garbage cans, fire extinguishers, etc.).
But let's get back to the tour. Located in the extension to the P0 parking lot, the Aéroport d'Orly station - designed by architect François Tamisier - has two exits: one close to terminal 4 and the other closer to the airport's busier terminals 1, 2 and 3.
With a depth of around 20 meters, the future Orly Airport station is impressive in its size and spaciousness. It has to be said that the station will soon be welcoming a great many tourists. Once down the first escalators, we discover the famous ticket vending and recharging machines. Note that the number of vending machines is calibrated according to the morning rush-hour flow for each station. At Aéroport d'Orly station, there are 20 machines available.
" These machines will be 100% accessible, in particular for wheelchair users, with front access to the controls," says a press release published on March 5.
Last but not least, integral designers have chosen to provide multilingual information, with priority given to French. English and Spanish are the other two languages visible on all signage. The typography was specially designed by Peter Bilak and integral designers. More contemporary, " it will be the new typography for the Ile-de-France transport network ", as Ruedi Baur explained during the press visit.
Opposite these vending machines are reception points and modular sales areas. " Every station on the Grand Paris Express will have at least one reception point, designed as a point of contact between users and operating staff ", it says. Not far away, we see the famous gantries or control lines. For the Orly airport station, we count a total of 10.
After passing through these gates, we take new escalators or staircases, as you wish. Note that all Grand Paris Express stations will be equipped with elevators. On our way down, we discover the incredible, sublime fresco by Vhils. As with all Grand Paris Express stations, the one at Aéroport d'Orly features a special work of art. For this one, Portuguese artist Vhils was commissioned to create a monumental work in azulejos, the famous traditional Portuguese ceramic tiles.
It took Vhils two months to create this figurative work in relief. Faces are mixed with symbols of the capital, such as the Eiffel Tower. The 37-metre-long fresco will only be partially unveiled when the Aéroport d'Orly station opens. The second half will be visible at the inauguration of line 18, scheduled for 2027.
Once we've reached this new level of the Aéroport d'Orly station, we continue our visit by taking the new escalators to the platforms. These are equipped with a full-height façade separating the platforms from the tracks. This imposing glazed line features automated landing doors, as well as emergency doors.
A few finishing touches are still in store. But in June 2024, a technical banner will display a continuous stream of " static and dynamic " information, updated in real time. Passengers will be able to find out how long they'll have to wait for their train, what time it is, and any disruptions. This technical banner will itself be topped by an illuminated banner running from one end of the platforms to the other. In addition to its aesthetic appeal, this illuminated strip will also provide "the majority of platform lighting ".
On this platform at Aéroport d'Orly station, we can also see the rest furniture, combining seats and stand-up seats. For the whole of the Grand Paris Express, this furniture will be available in a variety of compositions, adaptable to different needs and architectures. Fire extinguisher equipment has also been installed, with the idea ofa "trickling river" in design.
On the platforms of this Aéroport d'Orly station, we finally catch a glimpse of the beautiful illustrations by Edmond Baudoin, affixed just below the station name. We remind you that each station platform of the Grand Paris Express will unveil different perennial illustrations by a multitude of artists.
In short, here's a travel route and a future station of the Grand Paris Express that users will have the pleasure of discovering when the extension of line 14 goes into service, announced for June 2024.
Line 14 extension: entry into service in June 2024
Considered the backbone of the Grand Paris Express, line 14 will soon be extended to the north and south. In June 2024, the extension of line 14 will link Orly airport to Saint-Denis Pleyel in 40 minutes. Here's everything you need to know about the extension of line 14 in Paris and the Île-de-France region: opening date, communes served, new stations and stations, and future connections. [Read more]
At this inauguration, all stations will open, with the exception of the Villejuif - Gustave Roussy station. Villejuif-Gustave Roussy station is scheduled to welcome its first passengers in December 2024, due to its interconnection with the future line 15.
Official website
www.societedesgrandsprojets.fr
Line 14 extension: entry into service in June 2024
