France's STIF to invest EUR680m for purchase of initial 53 train sets for Grand Paris Express

France's Île-de-France Mobilités (STIF) announced (11-Jul-2018) plans to invest EUR680 million for acquisition of the first 53 train sets to be installed on the Grand Paris Express by 2024. The Grand Paris Express rail project aims to quadruple Paris' metro system, covering the extension of line 14 towards Paris Orly Airport with construction spanning up to 2024, and introducing a connection between Saint-Denis Pleyel, Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport T2/T4 and Paris le Bourget Airport via new lines 16 and 17 from 2030, as previously reported by CAPA. The driverless trains will have a maximum speed of 110km per hour and offer services every three minutes in peak hours. STIF previously acquired 72 trains for EUR1.1 billion for installation on line 14, replacing existing trains and complementing future line 14 expansion to the north and south. The contract envisages the possibility for purchase of a further 133 trains for line 15 and 33 for lines 16 and 17, representing investment of EUR1.3 billion. [more - original PR - French]