CDG Express

Background Charles de Gaulle Airport is one of few major international airports without an express link to the city centre. The airport is served by RER B, however this line is also heavily used by commuters. 30% of passengers travelling to the airport use RER B. The airport is also served by high-speed rail, however the TGV station is designed to connect other regions of France to the airport, rather than central Paris. In 2011, the government abandoned the plan to have a consortium complete and operate the project. Subsequently an updated DUP (Declaration of Public Utility) was granted and an government loan of € 1.7 billion was approved in 2018. In November 2018, the company Hello Paris, a Keolis and RATP Group joint venture, was selected to operate the line for 15 years from January 2024 with a fleet of Alstom Coradia Liners. €537 million would be spent to upgrade and improve RER B, improving reliability for Franciliens. Construction .|leftConstruction of the line began in 2018, with an initial completion date of 2023 for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. On 29 May 2019, transport minister Élisabeth Borne announced the CDG Express would be delayed to late 2025, after the 2024 Summer Olympics, in order to focus on other infrastructure works in the northern suburbs of Paris. Legal challenges further delayed construction, with work suspended by a court in Montreuil in 2020. In 2022, the Administrative Court of Appeal of Paris permitted work to continue. Commissioning with opening to the public is currently scheduled for 28 March 2027. == Description ==

Service CDG Express is expected to offer a 20-minute non-stop ride every 15 minutes from 5am to midnight. CDG Express will use dedicated platforms at both Charles de Gaulle Airport and Gare de l'Est. Ticket prices are expected to be around €24. Route CDG Express will connect Charles de Gaulle Airport to Gare de l'Est in the 10th arrondissement of Paris. Leaving Gare de l'Est, the CDG Express will use of new tracks linking it to the RER B tracks exiting Gare du Nord, before following RER B eastwards for on tracks upgraded for . After Villeparisis, the CDG Express will turn north on of new tracks to follow the LGV Interconnexion Est high-speed line to the airport itself, with a tunnel taking it to the existing Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2 TGV station. Rolling stock trains being stored in Strasbourg CDG Express will use Coradia Liner trains. Hello Paris ordered 6 four-car and 7 six-car trains from Alstom in 2018 at a cost of €160 million. This order was transferred to Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) after Alstom purchased Bombardier Transportation. Trains will feature real-time flight information and luggage space. The first trains were completed in 2022, and some are being stored in Strasbourg pending the opening of the line. == References ==