12/16/25
Automated platform doors on Line 18: Successful initial tests!
In a joint venture with Portalp, Ineo UTS, a subsidiary of Equans France, is constructing the platform facades for Line 18 of the Grand Paris Express. Deployment is progressing: the Massy–Palaiseau, Polytechnique, Christ de Saclay, and Massy Opéra stations are now equipped, while work continues at the Aéroport d’Orly station. In late October 2025, the first functional tests of the automated platform doors were successfully conducted at the Polytechnique station in the presence of the Société des grands projets, marking a significant milestone in the project’s progress.
A Milestone Reached: Successful Functional Tests at Polytechnique
In late 2024, installation work began at the first station on Section 1a of Line 18, between the Polytechnique and Massy–Palaiseau stations. Since then, deployment has continued on Section 1b of Line 18, between Massy–Palaiseau and Orly Airport, a strategic gateway to Line 18.
In late October 2025, the Polytechnique station hosted the first functional tests of the system. These tests validated the entire technical chain: specifically, the design, production, installation, cabling, connections, power-up, and control from the technical cabinets.
These tests also mark the culmination of the work carried out by Ineo UTS and Portalp—first on a prototype in the factory, then on an integration platform—prior to final on-site validation alongside the project’s other components, notably the automated driving systems and passenger information systems.
Credit: Laurent Grandguillot / Atelier Novembre + Benthem Crouwel Architects + Société des grands projets
Platform edges are essential to the safety and performance of Line 18
With a total length of 35 km, including 14 km of elevated track, Line 18 will carry 110,000 passengers daily. The installation of 1.21 km of platform screens, including 840 meters for the seven stations in the confirmed phase, addresses a major challenge: ensuring optimal safety for passengers and optimizing the operation of the automated metro system.
Ultimately, 240 platform doors will be installed—12 per platform—with 9 set to be operational as early as 2026 and 3 additional doors planned at each station to accommodate future train length extensions. Custom-developed by Ineo UTS and Portalp, the Grand Paris Express platform screen door system is controlled by a local control system as well as a supervision system that transmits data to the line’s operations center in Palaiseau.
In addition to their safety role, the full-height platform screens are a key element in preventing falls onto the tracks, improving traffic flow, protecting passengers from brake dust, and ensuring a level of safety appropriate for a state-of-the-art automated metro system. At the stations, Portalp teams are responsible for the mechanical installation of the platform screens and track access doors, working in close coordination with Ineo UTS teams, who handle the cabling, control and command systems, supervision, and system integration.
“We are delighted to partner with the Société des grands projets, drawing on the experience we gained on Line 14. These initial tests are a decisive step: they confirm not only the successful integration of our systems, but also their ability to communicate in the future with the entire technical ecosystem of Line 18. This validates the robustness, safety, and performance of our solution, designed to provide long-term support for the operation of the automated metro system,” concludes Aghiles Mohammedi, testing manager at Ineo UTS, a division of Equans France.
