16.12.25
Automated platform doors on Line 18 platforms: first tests a success!
In a consortium with Portalp, Ineo UTS, a subsidiary of Equans France, is building 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 on the Aéroport d'Orly station. At the end of October 2025, the first functional tests of the automated platform doors were successfully carried out at Polytechnique station in the presence of the Société des grands projets, marking an important milestone in the project's progress.
A milestone reached: successful functional tests at Polytechnique
At the end of 2024, installation work was launched in the first station on line 18, section 1a, between the Polytechnique and Massy - Palaiseau stations. Since then, deployment has continued on section 1b of line 18, between Massy - Palaiseau and Aéroport d'Orly, line 18's strategic gateway.
At the end of October 2025, the Polytechnique station hosted the system's first functional tests. These validated the entire technical chain: design, production, installation, wiring, connections, power-up and control from the control cabinets.
These tests also marked the culmination of the work carried out by Ineo UTS and Portalp in the factory on the prototype, then on the integration platform, before the final validation on site with the other project batches, notably the automated driving systems and passenger information.
Credit: Laurent Grandguillot / Atelier Novembre + Benthem Crouwel Architects + Société des grands projets
Platform facades essential to safety and performance on line 18
With its 35 km of track, including 14 km overhead, line 18 will welcome 110,000 passengers every day. The deployment of 1.21 km of platform doors, including 840 meters for the seven stations in the firm tranche, meets a major challenge: to guarantee optimum safety for passengers and optimize the operation of the automatic metro.
Ultimately, 240 platform doors will be installed, i.e. 12 per platform, with 9 in service by 2026 and 3 more planned for each station to accommodate future train extensions. Developed to measure by Ineo UTS and Portalp, the platform façade system for the Grand Paris Express is controlled by a local command and control system, as well as a supervisory system for feedback to the line's operations center in Palaiseau.
In addition to their safety role, full-height façades are a decisive factor in preventing falls onto the tracks, smoothing traffic flow, protecting against brake dust and guaranteeing a level of safety appropriate to the latest-generation automatic metro. In stations, Portalp teams install the mechanical platform fronts and track access doors, in close coordination with Ineo UTS teams, who provide wiring, control, supervision and system integration.
"We're delighted to be working with Société des grands projets, building on our experience with line 14. These initial tests are a decisive step: they confirm not only the seamless integration of our systems, but also their ability to communicate tomorrow with the entire technical ecosystem of line 18. This validates the robustness, safety and performance of our solution, designed to support the long-term operation of the automatic metro," concludes Aghiles Mohammedi, head of testing at Ineo UTS, part of Equans France.
