The French government has selected the Hello Paris consortium, comprised of Keolis and RATP Dev to operate the CDG Express, a new rail service which 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 1 January 2024 ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The contract includes a five-year pre-operational period (2019-2023) and a fifteen-year operational period (2024-2038).
The CDG Express will run every 15 minutes from 5am to midnight, 7 days a week, and will provide a 32km 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 which 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.
Hello Paris expects to sign the contract for the project before the end of January 2019.
