France's $40B SECRET to Revitalizing the City

[@bogdanrylski4330]

5:01 Metro Centrum Warszawa spotted

[@urbangiantsofficial]

💪🇵🇱

[@miloPRcohen]

I enjoyed that you tried your best to pronounce "banlieues"

[@urbangiantsofficial]

I tried! 😂

[@KyrilPG]

Line 16's tunnel digging was finished months ago. The only underground parts remaining to dig are M15 East and West (roughly 40km), the Northern most part of M17 between the Villepinte - Tremblay viaduct and the terminus at Mesnil-Amelot, and the Western end of M18 between Guyancourt and Versailles. The TBM's on these parts of M17 and M18 (one each) are the last ones for these lines and have already started digging. They'll each build a little over 6 kilometers of tunnels. M17's TBM will dig under CDG airport and take a little over a year to do so. While M15's Eastern and Western sections should start being dug soon with multiple TBM's. The cost of the project didn't slip much because the initial projections were unrealistic, and many thought that it would be between 35 and 45 billion euros. Midway into the project, that's the correct and expected bracket, so about 200 million per kilometer, which is quite reasonable given the complexity, the depth of some lines, the soil conditions (waterlogged in many locations), and the density of population and urban fabric above. Also, the project took some time to start and begun several years later than originally planned, but the construction part is pretty much on schedule with very little delay. Plus, some parts of the project were brought forward, like the extension of M14 to Orly airport, which was initially planned for 2027 but was opened last June. They've changed the priority of each section 4 years ago and regrouped into fewer but larger sections opening at different dates, some brought forward, some pushed back. The December 2025 opening of the South section of M15 has been pushed back a few months to mid-2026 and will be followed the same year by the opening of large sections of lines 16, 17, and 18.

[@urbangiantsofficial]

Thank you for such an insightful and detailed breakdown, Kyril! It’s great to have someone so knowledgeable contribute to the discussion. I really appreciate the clarification on the tunnel digging status and the cost projections. Your explanation of the €35-45 billion estimate being realistic given the complexity, urban density, and soil challenges adds valuable context-especially when compared to other major infrastructure projects globally. The updates on M14 and the prioritisation shifts are fascinating too. It’s impressive that parts of the project, like the M14 extension to Orly, were completed ahead of schedule despite the overall challenges. If you don’t mind, I’d love to know your thoughts on whether this project could set a new standard for urban metro developments worldwide, or if it’s unique to the conditions in Paris. Thanks again for sharing! Your input really adds depth to the conversation.

[@heipobloxburg]

I'm french and i live in the Paris suburban area and actually there is a system of trains for the suburban called RER (resau express régional) have 5 lines A,B,C,D and E that connect the suburban with the city. But while the city is expanding some part of the suburban are now so close to the city that they need the metro.

[@urbangiantsofficial]

Thank you for sharing your perspective! The RER system is indeed a crucial lifeline for Paris and its surrounding suburbs, but you make an excellent point about the evolving needs of suburban areas that are now practically extensions of the city. The Grand Paris Express seems to be addressing exactly this challenge by expanding metro access to better serve these growing urban zones. From your experience, do you think the new metro lines will integrate well with the RER, or are there specific areas where improvements are still needed?

[@heipobloxburg]

@@urbangiantsofficial yes the north of Paris is more populated and have a fast growing polulation so they have a really big amout of metro and services but the south of Paris especially in the suburban is not wery well deserved and some cities that have over 30000 residents only have bus lines. So it could make a big change by having less car on the roads and easier access to the center.

[@puccaland]

​​@@heipobloxburg That's the opposite. The most well connected area is the South, Val de Marne all the RER lines go there, 5 metro lines and soon more extensions and line 15, 18 and two or more tramway lines already exists. It also has the TVM which is the busiest bus line in Europe and is more efficient than a tramway. The Northern part was the least well connected after the Western suburbs, generally not well developed in terms of infrastructures perhaps because the Seine Saint Denis is the poorest area. They are changing that and already extended many metro lines there, many new lines will go there too.

[@puccaland]

There are also the Transiliens I think 8 lines and the TER lines.

[@puccaland]

Actually I was surprised that real estate didn't increase so much if at all in the towns where new lines were built. Especially the towns on the southern part of metro 14 they are building very nice apartment buildings at cheap prices.

[@urbangiantsofficial]

I think it will be a slow increase as the benefits are seen overtime!

[@puccaland]

@urbangiantsofficial I don't think it's the case. For the housing developments on line 14 the benefit is right now. That's why new development projects are popping up everywhere. Because the real estate price is cheap, it's near Orly airport so perfect to rent to tourists who even before when there was nothing and transportation was not convenient in the area, they stayed there, probably because of cheap accommodation, there is also Rungis international market which attracts a lot of foreign visitors. Now with line 14 it's also convenient for regular people because again cheap real estate, there is everything around for the daily life and the connexions with the other lines makes it super convenient. For instance soon line 15 will be in the area making La Defense and the Western Suburbs like Val de Fontenay which is also a business town, accessible way faster, and the center of Paris with many connexions is accessible fast too. From L'Haÿ-les-Roses station it's 10 min to Bibliothèque and 16 min to Gare de Lyon, plus there is also line 7 and the TVM nearby.

[@puccaland]

@urbangiantsofficial However when they opened the new lines and extended the metro in Seine Saint Denis and other parts, prices skyrocketed. From cheap real estate it became very quick expensive real estate for same quality housing built everywhere. Saint Ouen, Montreuil, Auberviliers, Pantin, Bagnolet etc you can even find apartments as expensive as in Paris proper and it happened really fast. It was the same back in the days in other areas like Issy les Moulineaux West or Vincennes East. And there is not even much benefit in some of those Northern towns, it takes longer to reach the center of Paris for some, on lines which aren't very convenient. My take is that the people who move to those places are mostly Parisians but most Parisians aren't real Parisians. They don't know much if at all the suburbs, and the towns South aren't very well known because until now they didn't have a railway line.

[@puccaland]

@urbangiantsofficial I can understand why it would take more time for Chevilly Larue for someone who doesn't know the area, because the station is located in the industrial area there is nothing around, yet. Only the tramway 7 and a big mall and Rungis. But for those who know the area know that it's one of the best investment to make right now. Because although there is nothing, it's perfect for young workers, students, tourists. Meaning it's perfect for rental investment. Those people don't need to be in a normal residential area, they still have everything needed for their lifestyle and the metro or even tramway 7 take them back really quick to more lively neighbourhoods.

[@urbangiantsofficial]

Thanks for the detailed breakdown, @puccaland. You’ve highlighted some interesting dynamics in the suburbs. The South definitely seems to have a lot of potential, especially with developments near Metro 14 and the connections it offers. Proximity to Orly Airport and Rungis Market does give it an edge for rental investments and attracting tourists or younger residents. That said, it’s surprising that real estate prices haven’t surged there yet, especially given the accessibility improvements. Perhaps the industrial feel of areas like Chevilly Larue and a lack of residential familiarity, as you mentioned, play a role in slowing demand. But long-term, we could see changes once more developments start filling in those gaps. Your point about the Northern suburbs like Saint Ouen and Montreuil is compelling, but it feels like the rapid price increases there were partly driven by their pre-existing reputation and relative proximity to central Paris. Some of those areas were already known for their potential, even if they weren’t convenient before. The South, on the other hand, still has to overcome a perception issue-it’s less familiar to Parisians and less central, which might make its growth more gradual. Do you think the Southern suburbs, with Metro 15 and other expansions, will eventually see a similarly fast-paced transformation like in the North? Or will they remain more affordable for longer because of their different starting points? Curious to hear your thoughts!

[@nielspemberton59]

A project for the AGES ! WHEW !!!

[@urbangiantsofficial]

🇫🇷🥖

[@joaquindiaz7818]

The video needs more maps

[@lws7394]

Vwry much ..

[@urbangiantsofficial]

Understood, thanks for feedback 🙏

[@LasseGreiner]

Picked an interesting topic and delivered the general idea. Failed its promise on delivery of substantial information. Also, more structure would have been good,, as it is meandering between topics. Eg good to know the project has sustainable goals but what are they? What are the specific challenges in Paris? Visuals and narration do not match well.

[@marcnawo3533]

incredibly banal writing

[@urbangiantsofficial]

I appreciate the criticism, we’re a new channel consistently trying to improve so forgive the teething issues!

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