Paris transport authority Ile-de-France-Mobilités has awarded Keolis and RATP Cap Ile-de-France contracts to operate the future Grand Paris Express metro Line 18 and existing tram-train services T12 and T13 in Paris, France.

Keolis' mobilization period will start in October 2024 with a two-year pre-operational phase. The initial segment, from Massy-Palaiseau to Saclay, will begin service in October 2026, featuring four stations. In 2027, three additional stations will open on the segment between Massy-Palaiseau and Orly Airport. The final segment will open in 2030, adding three new stations and extending line 18 to Versailles-Chantiers. By 2030, the line is expected to facilitate 100,000 journeys per day, easing travel for residents of the Essonne, Yvelines, and Hauts-de-Seine departments through various connections, including Transilien lines N and U, RER lines B and C, tram line T7, tram-train line T12, and multiple bus routes. Additionally, it will offer a quick route into Paris via line 14 from Paris-Orly airport and improve both domestic and international travel with connections to the Massy TGV station and Paris-Orly airport.

The line will cater to the mobility needs of inhabitants, students, researchers and workers who live, study, or work nearby. It will connect the large economic hubs of Orly, Antony, Massy, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines and Versailles, along with one of the world’s leading research and development centers, the Saclay Plateau.