First tests for the future train of line 14
Tests began in January on the future MP14 train destined to circulate on line 14 of the Île-de-France metro. Currently undergoing tests on line 1, at night and out of passenger service, this new material consisting of eight cars (compared to six currently) will be placed into service between the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020. Financed by Île-de-France Mobilités and manufactured by Alstom, it will be more comfortable, with greater capacity, thus keeping pace with the developments of line 14 in the context of ongoing extensions.
Wednesday 13 February 2019 - After arriving at the RATP workshops in Fontenay-sous-Bois in December 2018, the first MP14 train is currently undergoing tests on line 1, a line with driverless trains, like line 14. Following static tests designed to validate the basic functions of the material, dynamic tests are being carried out until summer 2019 to check the train’s performance (braking, traction, electromagnetic compatibility, acoustic comfort, climate comfort, etc.) more precisely.
Finally, RATP will carry out tests on the trains’ automatic control system and on-board audio-visual equipment, this time on line 14. Only once these tests have been completed and the authorisation for entry into service has been obtained will the first fully-equipped, fitted train carry passengers. Depending on how the tests progress, this entry into service will take place between the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020.
A more comfortable train with greater capacity
The arrival of an eight-car train (compared to six currently on line 14) will make it possible to support developments on line 14 up until 2024, notably in terms of traffic, with extensions to the north towards Saint-Denis Pleyel and south towards Orly likely to increase the number of daily passengers from 500,000 to 1 million. The material will also reduce the trains’ energy consumption by 20% (compared to the previous-generation MP05 train) and provide greater comfort to passengers, notably with interior noise levels diminished by 40% and new, more ergonomic seating. The MP14 will also offer a number of seats reserved for people with reduced mobility, surpassing the regulations in force.
In total, 72 new trains will be delivered over the next five years, at a cost of €1,096.22 M in current euro terms, entirely financed by Île-de-France Mobilités. The MP14 material will also equip lines 4 (a six-car train) and 11 (a five-car train with a driver) of the Île-de-France metro from 2021 and 2022 respectively.
Why are the tests for the MP14 being conducted on line 1?
Tests on the MP14 are being conducted until summer 2019 on line 1. This is because it represents, in terms of its layout, a particularly demanding terrain for testing new material on rubber tyres. Line 1 thus allows for optimal analysis of the material’s performance before it joins line 14, then lines 4 and 11 of the Île-de-France network. The existence of the Fontenay-sous-Bois workshops, capable of accommodating an eight-car train as well as performing most of the maintenance work during the tests, also plays a role in this choice. From the end of 2019, the MP14 train will join line 14’s new maintenance and storage depot at Saint-Ouen, for which construction work is being completed. Aimed at replacing the existing site of Tolbiac, which will eventually be integrated into the line’s southern extension, this new depot will accommodate five trains in its workshop section, and nine in storage mode.