Paris Metro sets the pace

Official inauguration of the automated conversion of Line 1 in Paris puts operator RATP in the driving seat for a new era of urban rail technology

The new Meteor Line 14 was commissioned in 1998 with fully automated operation.

The new Meteor Line 14 was commissioned in 1998 with fully automated operation.

Pierre Mongin (centre) Chairman and CEO of RATP with Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, Minister for Ecology, Sustainable Development, Transportation and Housing and Jean-Paul Huchon, President of the Regional Council of Île-de-France.

Pierre Mongin (centre) Chairman and CEO of RATP with Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, Minister for Ecology, Sustainable Development, Transportation and Housing and Jean-Paul Huchon, President of the Regional Council of Île-de-France.

Two trains pass near the Arc de Triumph. The one on the left is automatic. Line 1 platforms have now all been equipped with screens and access doors.

Two trains pass near the Arc de Triumph. The one on the left is automatic. Line 1 platforms have now all been equipped with screens and access doors.

With 14 lines, 300 stations, 213 kilometres of tracks and about 1.4 billion passengers per year, the Métro de Paris ranks among the densest and busiest in the world. It is also one of the most innovative, with a unique focus on technological innovations in train control which has just reached a new milestone.

The network is run by the regional government-owned Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens (RATP) Group, which also manages an extensive suburban regional express network...