The second busiest metro line in the Parisian network entered a new era. Line 4, which is over a hundred years old, is the second Paris metro line to be automated without any major interruption to traffic. The completion of this major modernisation project, the only one of its kind in the world, comes six months before Paris will host the Olympic and Paralympic Games. This will enable all visitors to the city to benefit from its advantages.
Line 4 is a north south axis of the Parisian network, carrying 700 000 commuters every day to some of the cities important and busiest precincts as well as tourist destinations, which were the key reasons for its automatisation. This major technical feat which provides the city and users a host of advantages has been met thanks to the expertise of RATP Group:
- Increased passenger capacity;
- Real-time service adaptability;
- Reduced intervals between trains;
- Improved safety and regularity;
- Greater availability of staff on the ground to assist the passengers;
- Increased capacity for a rapid response if the need arises.
Along with Line 1, Line 4 is the second line in the metro network to be automated, while the line remained fully operational. The cost of automating Line 4 came to approximately €480 million totally financed by Ile-de-France Mobilités, the public transit authority in the Greater Paris region.
Automation: an area of expertise for RATP Group, world leader in the automation of existing lines
From 2016, the extensive works required for the automation of metro line 4 have been carried out with service continuity guaranteed and without major interruption to traffic, which was the case in the automation of Line 1. This expertise is unique in the world, making the RATP Group a leader in automated metro systems.
The second busiest line in the network is changing scale to enable the introduction of a progressively renewed service and optimise the public transit offer in the run-up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games!
The modernization of metro line 4: a technical feat
Extended with the opening of two new stations in January 2022, Line 4 has undergone an unprecedented modernisation program over the past six years. In an impressive technical feat, passenger safety and train traffic were maintained, while platforms were raised and reinforced to accommodate the automated rolling stock.
This then paved the way for the installation of more than five kilometers of automatic platform screen doors (safety doors) across 29 stations ensuring optimised passenger safety and service, as well as contributing to the excellent performance levels of our automated metro lines. The platform screen door facades also provide passengers clear and precise information with built-in screens displaying waiting times for the next two trains as well as traffic-related messages in real-time.
A truly company-wide undertaking, this modernisation project involved all RATP's engineering, operations, and maintenance departments. What's more, companies chosen to carry out works provided thousands of local jobs as well as further honing the expertise of some of France's leading companies in this field.