Keolis, RAPT Dev consortium to operate new French rail line

The French government named the Hello Paris consortium, comprised of Keolis and RATP Dev, as the operator of CDG Express, a new rail service that will provide a direct link between Paris Gare de l’Est (Paris-East station) and Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport. This new line is expected to open on Jan. 1, 2024, ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The contract includes a five-year pre-operational period (2019 to 2023) and a 15 year operational period (2024 to 2038).

The CDG Express will run every 15 minutes from 5 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week, and will provide a nearly 20-mile link between Paris-East station and terminal 2 of Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport in just 20 minutes.

The nine million passengers expected annually will travel aboard Alstom trains, manufactured in France. The interior of the trains will be specifically designed for the airport clientele. Following the tender process, Hello Paris has chosen to use Alstom’s Coradia Liner, a train that has already been approved and tested for France’s rail network, to ensure that the line can be ready in time for the 2024 Paris Olympics, and that it provides a reliable service as soon as it is launched.

Further details about the service will be communicated once the contract has been signed, which is expected to occur before the end of January 2019.