The Train of the Future is Already Here

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Paris Line 14 received two massive extensions earlier this year, making the already-impressive metro line even more connected & important to the Ile-de-France region. But what made this line so revolutionary, how did it change the world, and what can we learn from it?
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[@etbadaboum]

This video should be shown to Musk who in his last show pictured a crowded old London Underground metro line to illustrate that robotaxis are needed! Line 14 is what a modern, high capacity metro line looks like!

[@lazrseagull54]

That guy hates public transport.

[@leonpaelinck]

Don't bother. All that guy wants is to have as much as car dependebcy as possible. All he wants is to sell as much teslas as possible.

[@mdhazeldine]

crowded means it's popular. lol

[@szurketaltos2693]

Elon hates mingling with the poors (and almost everyone is poor to him)

[@etbadaboum]

@@szurketaltos2693 You might notice he also presented a 'Robovan'... basically a bus! Oh the horror, public transport!

[@AdamBDillon]

I rode the Paris 14 to Orly Airport days after the extension opened. Absolutely fabulous to stand at the front of the train and look out the window!

[@RMTransit]

I'm jealous - exciting times in Paris!

[@etbadaboum]

The line's extension is already a massive success, the ridership at Orly airport in the south to go right in Paris center is 50% more than expected! And the extension has been launched just two months ago!

[@Sacto1654]

Not surprised. Orly Airport is still heavily used for inter-European flights and some long-distance international flights.

[@St0rrrm]

Can't wait for CDG express and M17 !

[@etbadaboum]

@@St0rrrm 2027 and late 2026 respectively!

[@dasy2k1]

Certainly looks like it would be easier to get to my uncle via it.... Eurostar to Paris, walk from GdN to Châtlet and then M14 to Orly rather than having to go via the Orlyval and RER As the flight to Réunion is normally from Orly

[@RMTransit]

Wow that is amazing, but I guess it just shows the value of direct airport services as opposed to those connected with "airtrains"

[@eriqmav]

line 14 is the reason why I'm into transit now, the arches in the stations and the original mp89 trains are too iconic

[@RMTransit]

They are beautiful, really an amazing vision of the future!

[@saiyyy]

I take this line everyday and it’s still SO impressive to see one train leaving and the next one immediately entering the station at peak hours 🤩

[@RMTransit]

Its one of the most frequent rail lines in the world, so so impressive, and the rubber tires help!

[@neddymcneddy1738]

I’m from Australia who was on holidays in Paris a bit less than a month ago, my hotel that I stayed was closest to the Porte de clichy train station, and I must say that the line 14 really has no downsides to it even though being there for a good 11 days, the frequency can be as good as 1-2 mins, also was a very good substitute for line 13 that take more stopes to saint lazare while the line 14 zips to saint lazare in around 2 stops. Being from Australia this is the first time I have seen adequate mass metro transit and was very fun to get around. I would love to one day get good metro in all main Australian cities in the next 10-15 years but unfortunately takes way too much effort to get the cogs working, hopes are up 😂

[@quoniam426]

That Northern extension of Line 14 was designed to be both a link with Grand Paris Express network and a relief of Line 13.

[@lazrseagull54]

@@neddymcneddy1738 it's a shame that it seems to take so much longer these days. Paris opened its first metro line in 1900 and by 1920, it already had about 10 lines.

[@michaelcobbin]

I would say Sydney Metro and Paris M-14 are very similar. I would say that the NSW Government and Transport for NSW borrowed a lot ideas from Paris public transport network.

[@neddymcneddy1738]

@@michaelcobbin I think that the Sydney metro is awesome, but the connectivity and reliability of the Paris metro really does put the Sydney metro to shame. Just having one line going through the CBD really isn’t enough

[@michaelcobbin]

@@neddymcneddy1738 Give it time. There are three metro lines under construction. There are still gains to be obtained with Sydney Trains, Sydney’s version of Paris’s RER, through the removal of bottlenecks, digital signalling and expansion. I am expecting the South West Railway Link will be extended to Bradfield.

[@SpectreMk2]

Paris' love affair with automation actually started in the 70s with the rollout of the PA135 semi-automatic train control on pretty much all its subway lines to increase capacity. The system could be viewed as a primitive GoA2 ATC (wich still requires a driver in the cab) and was developed by a company called Interelec. This company was later on bought by MATRA and the PA135 fixed block signalling technology was used as the baseline for the VAL ATC (fully driverless hence GoA4) in the 80s. In the 90s, MATRA was then tasked to develop the METEOR ATC used on line 14 (Alstom providing the rolling stock), the SACEM for RER A and later on the SAET for line 1 and 4 automation projects. Line 14 ATC got upgraded right in time before the Paris 2024 games with the SAET NG, developed by Siemens (that bought MATRA in the 2000s) and RATP. SAET NG is a proper CBTC system that builds on more than 50 years of automatic train control technology.

[@etbadaboum]

I love your comments. You should concentrate them and open a substack or something like online!

[@SpectreMk2]

@@etbadaboum Thanks! Actually most of my knowledge on the topic comes from a single journal article written by a former MATRA engineer "VAL automated guided transit characteristics and evolutions" (1993), it is easily accessible online. Everything else I know is from wikipedia, twitter and some forums 😂

[@LeGrandJuju49]

To give even more context, the obsession with automation started with RATP itself. In 1951 RATP, with CSEE (now Ansaldo STS) fitted its first automated GoA2 ATO on the first rubber tired metro prototype MP51 (also known as "the Grandmother"). This one was purely analog and worked greatly with passenger on the now defunct service between Porte des Lilas and Porte du Pré-Saint-Gervais. Theses tests validated the concept of the PA BF system which will start deployment on bigger lines in 1967 when money came along. The target was not to replace drivers at first, it was to uniformise driving style. This allowed trains to stick to the timetable more closely, hence evening the load in cars, hence allowing more people to travel. What happened next is perfectly told by the comment above and the video itself !

[@SpectreMk2]

@@LeGrandJuju49 Thank you for this additional information. The history of the development of these systems is fascinating and RATP is truly a pioneer in this field.

[@p4olo537]

@SpectreMk2 well when your drivers like to go on strike for any reason you find solutions 😁

[@siemdecleyn3198]

Some transit projects change the direction of transit forever, others are called cybercab.

[@CZpersi]

Elon "re-invented" the Mashroutka/Sarvis/Sherut - literally the worst forms of public transit.😂

[@RMTransit]

Boo

[@sgbuses]

Surprised you didn't mention Singapore. Singapore's North-East MRT Line (NEL) opened in 2003 is remarkably similar to Line 14, also fully underground and driverless, even uses the same underlying technology and rolling stock from Alstom. Now all other older MRT lines have been retrofitted to run like the NEL as well.

[@Fan652w]

Thanks Reece for an excellent video! I would just add that line 14 is also the model for the 'mini' Metro line M2 in Lausanne, in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. This extremely successful line in a city with less than a quarter of a million population has only two-car trains. And Lausanne is now going to build an M3 line using the same technology. (Note that line M1 in Lausanne is an older line using Light Rail technology.)

[@marty4262]

Line 4 is now fully automated, the next to be automated will be line 13, the most immobilized in relation to its capacity.

[@TuggzDem]

@@marty4262 great more jobs being taken away

[@RMTransit]

Seeing the automation retrofits in Paris over the years has been super impressive!

[@Parmatt]

Thank you for highlighting line 14, I've been waiting for this video for a long time with the opening of Orly ! I just want to clarify a few points : 3:10 Metro line 4 automation is finished since december 2023 😉 7:10 the yard is large. A double track connects the yard to the main tracks of the line This allows trains to be quickly injected into the line, and also allows them to be parked. This maintenance and storage site made it possible to maintain the 35 trains actually on the Mairie de Saint-Ouen extension: 6 positions in the connection leading to the workshop, 5 parking positions in front of the workshop, 2 ancillary tracks with a washing machine, including 2 positions for cleaning the inside of the trains + 2 park positions, and finally 5 tracks on piles where maintenance operations were carried out. Finally, to clarify, the site is semi-buried, not really enclosed because it's on a slope, you can see the light! As for the 85-second intervals, they were effective before the northward extension and have since been compensated for by the 120-meter-long trains you explained. (105s/95s headways until now) The 85 seconds will be effective again in a few months, while Alstom delivers the last 10 trainsets to the new Morangis maintenance site. As for the new maintenance site to the south, it has an additional maintenance track (6 instead of 5) and a very large indoor and outdoor storage area with a long back-gauge to the Aéroport d'Orly station. Maintenance will be around 60% in the south and 40% in the north, with 72 trains to be maintained in a few months' time. 8:53 The last station of the extension will open at the end of the year or in January, while the line 15 is still officially scheduled for completion by the end of 2025, although there could be a few months' delay. TYSM Reece 😁🤩

[@jadenanjara]

@@Parmatt Another specificity I think he skipped over is that the train is connected to RER C in Bibliothèque François Mitterand. And he also mentioned the connections to Gare de Lyon and Châtelet with the 1 and St Lazare and GdL on the A but Châtelet also is an RER A station (technically it’s Châtelet Les Halles but if Auber/Opera are counted under St Lazare, Châtelet Les Halles definitely can be counted as one) which makes the 14 serve 3 consecutive RER A stations

[@St0rrrm]

when you say line 15 will be completed in late 2025 you mean just the southern section right ?

[@ykpr]

The depot is connected with 2 track but in the section you have a section with just one track when you join the main line. You can see it when you take the line 14.

[@Parmatt]

@@St0rrrm yeah

[@Parmatt]

@@ykpr obviously you can't do anything else...

[@TheReactorLore]

The TTC really needs to make lines like Line 14. The Ontario Line got close with its modernity, but it should have been extended further north into the suburbs.

[@RMTransit]

Line 4 would be a good candidate for automation!

[@nanaokyere7141]

@RMTransit Something tells me that future Eglinton east LRT could be turned into a fully automated line in the not too distant future.

[@bearcubdaycare]

1 to 2 km between stations is really good. Most people can walk ten minutes to or from a station. But being on a train that stops every few hundred meters is slow and frustrating.

[@KyrilPG]

1 or 2 kilometers aren't a 10 minute walk... The average person needs more than that as the average walking speed is between 3 and 5 km per hour...

[@thunderbolt8409]

the problem in Paris is the city is very very dense (20k people/sq km in average some district are more at 25 or 28k) so you can have 2 subway stations in 500m but they deserve so much people

[@viken3368]

@@KyrilPG 1-2km between stations means the when you stand right between the two stations you only got 0.5-1km to a station, putting it between 7.5 to 15 minutes of walking at 4kmh

[@KyrilPG]

@@viken3368 Yeah, but we're not talking of being on the path of the line right between two stations, but being 1 to 2 km away from a station.

[@Ruzzky_Bly4t]

@@KyrilPG "1 to 2 km between stations" , "Most people can walk ten minutes to or from a station" The commenter is clearly talking about the distance to walk to the station if you live alongside the line. How is this so hard to understand? And in that case, you only need to walk 0.5-1 km, as the reply mentions.

[@pimpnamedslickback7780]

More impressive than the latest tesla

[@dgrv]

I was there on the first day when the Line 14 opened. We rode it back and forth. I still remember it. It was so exciting. Like someone opened a door straight into the future. Whenever I’m in Paris, I will go out of my way to take line 14 instead of others. It did lots of things right!

[@Yataka]

2:40 Bibliothèque nationale on line 14 is connected to a huge underground station for the RER C actually. Many stations are also connected to the tram network

[@evanzai1771]

Line 14 is always there to save the day 1998/2003 - Save RER A - Give a purpose to RER C South-East 2020 - Save line 13 branches - Give a purpose to RER C North 2024 - Save line 7 branches - Save RER B

[@johannmada972]

You forgot "save the olympics " 😂

[@EdwardM-t8p]

A lot of heavy lifting for one rapid transit line 💪😏

[@Clery75019]

Line 14 route within Central Paris is basically what a good RER C should have been.

[@linux6539]

I lived in Porte de Clichy for many years, line 14 literally has been lifechanging!

[@WolfSchouten]

Two weeks ago I spent a weekend in Paris, and I had taken line 14 a couple of times that weekend. Hadn't realised how new and modern that line actually is. Thanks for the information!

[@stepankoor]

6:45 Fun fact: it's the exact opposite on the moscow metro. Most platforms on the moscow metro are island platforms and the doors open on the left (making the 3rd rail hidden under the platfrom so if a person falls he doesn't get 750V of power running through his body) and if it's on the right then it is announced

[@catairlines-peciarda]

And in Warsaw it's Moscow-style metro with just one side platform's station but still the side of a platform is always announced

[@LeGrandJuju49]

This is really a third rail with bottom contact win. In Paris, we put the third rail away to allow people to climb back onto the platform safely and allow workers walk near wall and catch a hiding spots every 50m or so. Indeed you only have roughly 70cm between a train and the tunnel wall in older tunnels.

[@TheRealCharter]

Oh shoot! I've ridden a lot of the Paris Metro when I've stayed there, but last year the hotel my group was staying at in Bercy was right on Line 14 and it was such a shock from what I had ridden before. Line 14 is a statement in the future for SURE Also with M14 connecting to Orly, its interesting to see the options provided for transit to CDG because taking the Orlyval to Antony - the RER B North terminates at CDG as well. Just a wonderful example of multiple means of getting to the same place. Redundancy is the best.

[@AlainLesage]

I’m a simple man, I see the 14 I watch and I like.

[@TheLiamster]

I wish every underground subway line in New York was as nice as this with platform screen doors and spacious interiors

[@Ruzzky_Bly4t]

Forget that, I wish it had fewer drug addicts, rats and criminals in it, as well as slightly refurbished interiors. I am from Russia, and if you ride the Saint Petersburg metro and then the NYC subway, you would think the first country is drowning in riches while the second one is going through an apocalypse. It is one thing to have aesthetically unappealing public transport, it is another thing when it is dangerous and scary to use at night.

[@crowmob-yo6ry]

@Ruzzky_Bly4t you are clearly brainwashed by NJB cynical doomerism, Putin's disinformation, and sensationalist fear-mongering news media all at the same time.

[@xadeua]

I haven't seen line 14 but i have to say i am always impressed to see such big trains stopping every 1-2 minutes in Madrid and this line definitely looks like a newer and more beautiful version of line 10 from Madrid metro

[@SmthPositive_]

Another great video, i always found m14 fascinating so its good to see a video about it on the channel

[@mygetawayart]

line 14 was my first automated metro, i aws in awe and it was one of the reasons i moved to Turin, the fact that it had an automated (VAL but still..) metro. Needless to say, the influence of line 14 are extremely visible in all new metro lines Ital yhas built, starting with Turin's M1

[@SpectreMk2]

VAL and Paris line 14 have a lot in common: - Both rely on automatic train control systems developed by MATRA (although the VAL system is a lot older). Siemens later on acquired MATRA but kept working closely with Alstom for the Paris metro. - Both the first the generation of VAL (VAL206) and line 14 rolling stocks were made in same factory in Petite-Forêt (now owned by Alstom). - And both the VAL208 (second generation of VAL, the ones used in Turin) and the MP89 (first used on line 14 and then moved to line 4) were designed by french designer Roger Tallon.

[@mygetawayart]

@@SpectreMk2 yeah, Turin has heavily modeled its metro system (including future Line 2) after the french experiment, consequently most other Italian automated metros followed Turin's line 1's example and feature similar concepts, although none of them uses the VAL trains, opting instead for Hitachi Driverless. Milan and Brescia are the best examples, they have those utilitarian standardized station designs, brescia even has the big station boxes and the vaulted gallery over the trains very similar to Turin's. Rome, due to the archaeological strata the city sits on, had to create ad-hoc solutions (and sometimes change plans on the fly).

[@tompang5296]

I had no idea that Line 14 might have been the inspiration for Sydney Metro's amazing looking architecture! I think I speak for all of us rail enthusiasts who were on board the first 5am train out, that it was a great day to be a mass transit enthusiast. I was ecstatic at how well-received and almost tourist-like the metro line had become! It definitely paves the way for bipartisan support for more world class rapid transit infrastructure Down Under.

[@IllogicalThinker]

1:30 Never seen double decker metro cars before they are beautiful ❤️

[@cdrw92]

It's the RER It's more a regional train than a metro. Even though its central core can be considered as a metro as it has full grade separation and serve systematically all stations

[@quoniam426]

My favorite line in Paris, I saw it built when I was in Highschool (although I remember seeing promotional material years prior). Suddenly seeing a new line appear on the map when I completely forgot about the project was so mind boggling, then I remembered. Since then, I go see documents about the new projects on a regular basis. First goal of the line was not to go to airports but remain in Paris or take branches of lines 13 and possibly 7 but that was dropped due to -fear of causing to much trouble- ahem, Christian Blanc's dream of what would become the Grand Paris Express... Line 14 first maintenance facility was what is Olympiades station now. Then, it was displaced beyond it (the three track portion just before Maison Blanche. The small size of the yard was partially due to lack of funds but also because the main heavy maintenance yard of Rubber Tyre trains is Fontenay, beyond Château de Vincennes on Line 1, hence the link with Line 6... Without enough space to store trains during the nights, the solution was to keep trains stopped in stations before starting up next morning. With the extentions, St Ouen workshop was created and it has a TWO track tunnel link with the line, not single track. With the new extentions to Orly and St Denis, there is now a second facility South of the airport, big enough to store 60% of the line trains and offer independant heavy maintenance (the network will be private by 2039 so each line or couple of lines shall have the necessary independant facilities...) The link to Line 6 at Bercy is also useful for Track maintenance since the RATP part of the network will still be under RATP charge as far as Infrastructure Maintenance goes (as decided in the Grand Paris Law in 2010, RATP stays Infrastructure owner but rolling stock and tickets go to the Regional Authority, independant of who will run the lines). Grand Paris Express Line 15 expoitation will go to RATP when Lines 16 and 17 (coming together because they have the common trunk and a common train maintenance facility) to Keolis. RATP Infra will still maintain tracks on all lines. Worthy of note, The Morangis Workshop, South of Orly is designed to eventually accomodate a new terminus there, if necessary. That kind of express line is good but if you begin to build your network now, better go the Japanese or Chinese way and mix both -Line 14 style and NY Subway style, in the same infrastructure, it will cost more at first but will be insanely useful and future proof on the long run. Line 14 only has a 80 kph top speed. Despite that, the way the stops are spaced, especially on the Orly extension, make up for it, linking the Airport to Châtelet 10 minutes faster than RER B+Orly Val combo. And if you want to explain relativity to someone, that example is quite the good one...

[@xouxoful]

About the grand design of M14’s stations, though architects will try to make you believe it’s entirely on purpose, don’t forget 30m deep station HAVE to be grand as they’re boxes digged from the surface ! That’s a huge volume.

[@brunor832]

Just a little comment here: the first automated heavy metro line in the world isn't M14 in Paris, but line D in Lyon which opened in 1991, seven years before M14 was inaugurated!

[@SpectreMk2]

You are 100%. Moreover, like for the line 14, it was Alstom and MATRA that made the MPL85 rolling stocks for Lyon line D. The automatic train control developed by MATRA, called MAGGALY (Métro Automatique à Grand Gabarit de l'Agglomération LYonnaise), was a significant step forward compared to the VAL ATC (first put in service in Lille in 1983) as it introduced moving block signaling technology.

[@etbadaboum]

Lyon is more like a light metro!

[@hbecph]

Nope​@@etbadaboum

[@hbecph]

Thanks

[@Parmatt]

This question often comes up, but the argument is capacity with heavy metro: At the time and still in progress: 350 people capacity for Lyon's metro line D (still no double unit) and 700 persons per metro when line 14 opens.

[@Blastnet_DanHarris]

Always good info and now getting some chill vibes with the music choices!

[@statelyelms]

[3:00] this video's obligatory Platform Screen Doors mention

[@mdhazeldine]

Are you planning to do a video about the newly opened Sydney Metro extension?

[@sawiix9850]

3:10 that is a bit inexact, line 4 automation is fully completed already

[@JunaidBaloch-u5y]

i'm binge watching RMTransit and Not Just Bikes videos. This would make for fabulous development once Balochistan is free, my wish is to become its Development Minister. Wish me luck guys :)

[@crowmob-yo6ry]

NJB sucks. He's too angry and hateful and lies a lot. His fanbase is even worse!

[@SpectreMk2]

@@crowmob-yo6ry NJB indeed has this "I have seen the best in NL therefore I m right" attitude. Having lived in both "fake" London and Holland he is not totally wrong though, but I now prefer RMTransit or Oh The Urbanity! vibes. In any case, Canada has a very strong bike/transit youtube game.

[@barryrobbins7694]

@@crowmob-yo6ry A lot of people are angry about what many metropolitan areas/countries have done with their transportation systems. NJB is channeling his righteous anger to provide information and analysis that can lead to positive change. He does have an often sarcastic style that some find annoying, but I can’t recall him ever lying. There is a difference between making a mistake and actually lying. Perhaps you are misunderstanding some of the sarcasm. Please give an example of a lie that you believe that NJB has told.

[@crowmob-yo6ry]

@@barryrobbins7694 NJB ignorantly generalises entire countries as doomed or perfect. He ignores any positive changes in North America. He believes running away to Europe is the only solution. He blocks people who disagree with him. He is a rich sociopath who doesn't care that most people don't have the money or luxury to move across oceans. He has an extremely obnoxious and aggressive fanbase. You must be an NJB fanboy.

[@louiszhang3050]

"What's unique is that Paris Metro Line 14 was built to be fully driverless as a heavy metro with long trains and frequent service" Washington Metro: *that's what I was supposed to be*

[@kueller917]

I was on the first train to Orly Airport the day it opened (I know it's the first because they got us all off the train at Olympiades before getting the green light to let us back on and let the train continue). The distances were impressive and I'm surprised the entire extension was underground too. I had a video of the route but unfortunately my phone was stolen a couple weeks after and the video with it.

[@Cjbcampbell]

Bruno Latour's book _Aramis_ is of singular interest and relevance here, though (or because?!) it deals with a project that was never realized.... Would love to talk with you about that book sometime Reece!!! Keep up the good work!

[@andreasvogel5186]

15 years ago line 14 felt empty, large and insular. (It terminated at Cour St. Emilion and St. Lazare then.) With each extension it has become busier and more integral to the network and today it feels almost as busy as lines 1 and 4

[@geirmyrvagnes8718]

So... time to build another line to relieve it? 😅

[@etbadaboum]

Valérie Pécresse, president of the IdF region and IdF Mobilités, call them the millionaire line because it transports daily more than a million people

[@KyrilPG]

"Feeling empty" is quite an overstatement... It was packed during rush hours and reasonably attended in off-peak hours. In 2010 it already had a pretty good ridership.

[@P_NG]

​@@geirmyrvagnes8718 Line 15 is coming for that very purpose

[@Parmatt]

The line was originally between Bibliothèque and Madeleine. With recent extensions, it now exceeds lines 1 and 4.

[@Luisjoseglobal]

Dominican Republic is investing heavily in mass transit. You should take a look at what they’re doing. They are building a Monorail, metro extensions and cable cars.

[@valerioivanov7588]

Hello❤❤ Milan has now a new metro line, it’s definitely worth a video about it!!!

[@effeo9962]

I remember taking it for the first time around 1998. It was very pleasant. Pity I never needed it in my latest trip to Paris.

[@Thiccolo]

Rail daddy with the weekend upload!

[@Gutego44]

Always interesting to watch your videos. Thanks ! You should check out the modernization and extension of Paris metro line 11. His success brings a new issue : the overcrowding of the République station, that just got an "emergency" renovation appoval by IDFM to make it suitable for such passenger flows.

[@Parmatt]

Tbh it justs cosmestic : it doesn't mean new access that the station need, it's just adaptation of the existing station

[@emmanueltorrens]

Currently watching this video ina L14 train ! 😁

[@saifuddinareeb657]

Milan just extended M4, you should make a video on Milan's trams and Suburban and Regionale network

[@toufoulefoufou]

I already took the southern expansion 2 times as of now, one time for fun and the other time to go home from the airport, I will take it again in a little more than 4 hours from now too 😊. It's really neat as someone living in the petite couronne (close suburbs) it allows to only take the métro instead of the RER B or the OrlyBus. It really sped up the ride. I also went to Saint-Denis - Pleyel right before the Olympics and seeing such a big station almost completely empty was quite the nice sight to be honest.

[@Klar-media]

Actually, you’re wrong on the fact that line 14 was the first heavy-rail automated metro. It was in fact the line D in Lyon France ! Line D was operational in 1992, while line 14 opened in 1999.

[@cdrw92]

1998*

[@Parmatt]

to be honest, each operator uses the terms as they see fit. Regarding line D, it doesn't have a large carrying capacity

[@u1zha]

My SWAG says that the "future" future subway systems will deliver even more capacity per concrete poured, using such innovations as advanced train control, high speed passing loops at select stations (can shove an express train past the local train, without paying the cost of full additional set of tracks), and possibly platooning (coupling two short trains from branch lines together into a full length train, automatically, when they arrive at a junction station).

[@evanzai1771]

8:58 Actually Gustave Roussy station should open in December

[@jandy8678]

Good video! And for rapid metro, do you have a plan for introducing Tsukuba Express in the future? This is also a very intersting line. By defination it can be regareded as 'rapid metro', relatively new, featuring technologies like ATO and faster vehicles. But on the other hand it also has some features similar to traditional Japanses private railways like you have both local and fast service and fast service can bypass local service at some station. Also by the arrangement of the timetable, passengers on the local train can even transfer to the fast train at some intermediate stops to save the overall travel time.

[@guy_autordie]

I love to see that non-french/non-parisian people praise the ratp while parisians cursed them often ^^ They did a really good work with line 14 and retrofitting line 1. They finally exposed the plan for the grand Paris metro lines (15-16-17). 15 should be 2 lines like 2 and 6. It's going to be a RER C mess.

[@evanzai1771]

4:00 Isn't Lyon line D considered to be the first automated heavy metro line ? (1991)

[@SpectreMk2]

You are 100%. Moreover, like for the line 14, it was Alstom and MATRA that made the MPL85 rolling stocks for Lyon line D. The automatic train control developed by MATRA, called MAGGALY (Métro Automatique à Grand Gabarit de l'Agglomération LYonnaise), was a significant step forward compared to the VAL ATC (first put in service in Lille in 1983) as it introduced moving block signaling technology.

[@rgilles42]

@@evanzai1771 thanks, I was looking for this comment

[@Parmatt]

it isn't : This question often comes up, but the argument is capacity with heavy metro: At the time and still in progress: 350 people capacity for Lyon's metro line D which is barely better than a tramway (still no double unit) and 700 persons per metro when line 14 opens.

[@Subway2400]

​@@Parmatt What is important is the capacity of the line with how many people per hour per direction it can transport. The Lyon Metro has a better PPHPD than a tram line and faster speed. Moreover its gauge is the one of a true subway with a width of 2,89m instead of the way smaller 2,40-45m of the Paris metro that is closer to a light metro than a heavy metro by global standards. With longitudinal seating and wide trains, the Lyon rolling stock better handles high loads of passengers.

[@Parmatt]

@@Subway2400 this is not correct. wide trains doesn't mean high capacity with only 2 cars....2 times less capacity. Longitunidal has nothing to do with capacity, it's a question of gauge. Regarding the PPHPD of Lyon : it is low with 350 persons

[@Diego_x_Ale]

A few days ago I was having lunch in south east Paris and didn't know what to do for the rest of my day off. And I thought: "Hey, why wouldn't I go to Orly airport? since line 14 go there now" And I just did, I spent a few hours at the airport (and also tried the T7 tramway :p ).This was just unthinkable a few monthes ago, not that it was impossible to do it (there is a direct bus that is actually pretty fast), but damn how easy it is to just take the subway.

[@andrewthaboss6643]

I wish you talked about constructione times + cost of all these lines. I'm always curious to know as a point of comparison

[@JonathanBondu]

1:09 Watching from Gif sur yvette, where we have the rer B and ligne 18 in construction... that is still somewhat true.

[@varoonnone7159]

I'm so glad, we're starting to have rail alternatives to the RERs At Évry, we finally have the T12 tramway since a year even if its frequency isn't as great as it should be

[@thedumbaviator5536]

my right ear loved this video

[@reginabillotti]

@@thedumbaviator5536 The audio works fine for me. Try different headphones or earbuds.

[@wade7488]

time travelling trains sound pretty convenient

[@pizzajona]

And hopefully the Sepulveda Pass subway in LA will also be automated heavy metro

[@antonino_3635]

0:34 T13 the Tram-Train line I'm driving 💗

[@francoisb.4453]

and the only (for now, until the Grand Paris Express opens) 100% fully accessible metro line in Paris!

[@johnlee1544]

Talk about the "407 Transit Way" in Ontario. Make it popular so they build it. And explain why it hasn't been built/continued on yet.

[@8jof544]

When you realize that the first extension project of the line 14 planned to link the main airport Charles de Gaulle too...this line could be more legendary than it is already

[@thunderbolt8409]

it was...too attractive and the line would be a real hell

[@quoniam426]

Il will already be Hell with just Orly... Having CDG connected too would crush the line altogether, so it was dropped. For that, transforming RER B into a proper heavy automated metro, Japan style in train length could be the solution... however it has common tracks with regular suburban trains., so that's not likely to ever heppen. I had a project idea to cut Line B at St Michel, build a new Northern section and turn the Southern section linked to the new Northern one into such a heavy metro line while a new RER tunnel would be built to link Montparnasse station, Southern suburbs and a branch to Orly to have a proper Airport to Airport via City center RER line, faster with less stops and same specs all the way through. The current Southern section was a very slow railway turned into a suburban line and it would benefit more of being a metro than a RER line. Same goes for RER C central section which should be turned into a metro and the RER line displaced to enhance connectivity of the whole RER network elsewhere. Alas, our political authorities think short term gains only...

[@mfnorbi]

When will be there a video about Budepest's metro and HÉV system?

[@nicolasblume1046]

7:25 how on earth did they manage to run the line with such high frequency before the new yard was open?

[@KyrilPG]

They had extension tunnels where trains "slept". Terminus stations weren't true stub-ends, the tunnel continued for a few hundred meters. It's still the case now : the tunnel extends beyond Saint-Denis Pleyel up to La Plaine - Stade de France RER B station, slightly over a kilometer away. The line used to operate with something like 35 trains, and will now operate with 72. (Tho they haven't received all 72 of them yet, they are missing some that should arrive before the end of the year or February).

[@Parmatt]

Since the opening of the northern section in 2020, the interval had returned to 105 seconds/95 seconds. The stock of rolling stock did not allow for this. What's more, the acquisition of new rolling stock, which necessitated the transfer of old rolling stock to line 4 as part of the automation process, meant that the interval was no longer possible. But this was compensated for by a higher-capacity equipment. The 85-second interval will be possible again in the coming months with the latest deliveries.

[@evanzai1771]

And this yard didn't exist before 2020. I think line 14 trains used to go on line 6 yard

[@Parmatt]

@@evanzai1771 Yeah it opens in 2020. No, on line 4 and metro of line 4 on line 6.

[@yorkchris10]

This is my first update on L14 since the mid 2000's. There was a change in signalling concept which was a bit of a disappointment in some ways, but I think the coverage in the tunnel is good for commuters. I got the feeling there were numerous delays, but it seems it has met important deadlines.

[@Parmatt]

wdym

[@evo3s75]

Can you cover the plans for a BRT system going from Haarlem to Schiphol? I personally think it's kinda stupid and it would make more sense to use lightrail or metro

[@baalbektrilithon]

Interesting video Reece. Line 14 is my daily driver but I hadn't realised it was the progenitor for modern metro (although no surprise France revolutionised another aspect of transport). I've also ridden the VAL in Lille so it's cool to see the automated evolution. A couple of comments on the line: - Spacing - Compared to the rest of the network it does indeed feel like a meteor. So much faster and more modern. I was very surprised when you said the station spacing was only 1-2km as it feels much further than that. This could be a reflection of the ridiculous tram-stop spacing on the rest of the network though. - Ride quality - dreadful. As a rubber - tyred system, the ride has all the smoothness of a bus. Its not the 1940s, steel is no longer in short supply and none of the gradients are remotely steep. There's no excuse for using tyres on a modern system (although at least it's not as bad as the truly terrible Line 4). Carriages - they are very modern and bright, with air-con and USB ports which is a nice touch on a metro. Unfortunately it replicates the same problem as most french vehicles - the curvature around window seats is so bad that you can't sit with your legs straight. This is especially bad around the doors, where its impossible for two people to sit side-by-side with straight shoulders - you take up one third of the seat next to you. The fench are quite small as a people but this is ridiculous - not even Asians could sit comfortably in these seats. It's the same problem across many systems, like the RER, and I don't understand why they keep making the same mistake. Stations - they are much bigger, brighter and accessible than the rest of the network. The design though is fairly utilitarian - modern and clean but no real wow factor, apart from Pleyel which is great. Certainly nothing compared to the incredible new Sydney Metro stations, or even the beautiful double-leaf stations on the NW section. This is very surprising given how fantastic modern french architecture is. And while there are lifts, there are still a huge number of stairs throughout the stations, which replicates one of the worst aspects of the legacy system. As the line was inaugurated in the 90s, I hope some of these issues reflect the prevailing thinking at the time and the new GPE lines will be an (elevated) step up again. At this stage, it appears Sydney has the best metro line (full mod-cons coupled with stunning design and architecture) - I've ridden the original line but not the new section. So hopefully GPE, and some of the other systems being developed, better it and we get a race to the top!

[@varoonnone7159]

I live in the Paris region and we'll be visiting Sydney for a month this December, I'll tell you what I think later on !

[@Parmatt]

Between Gare de Lyon and Châtelet it's 2.7km and Saint-Lazare Pont Cardinet it's 2km, apart from that it's about 1km for the others and 2km south of Maison Blanche station. Even 20 years ago, the performance of a rubber-tyred metro was much better than that of an steel metro (acceleration, braking). Today, performance is virtually equivalent between the 2 types. It's going to be difficult to convert the line from now on. Most escalators are used mainly in conjunction with fixed staircases, which are obviously compulsory.

[@baalbektrilithon]

@@varoonnone7159 Cool! Keen to know what you think. I might be going back to Sydney soon too so I'm very keen to see what it's like in person!

[@baalbektrilithon]

@@Parmatt Ah, ça a du sens. My most common route is Pont Cardinet to Pyramides, so the stations seem quite far. Sydney metro is 3-4km between stops (apart from the CBD) and I get the same sense of speed differential from Sydney trains to metro as I do between Paris metro to Ligne 14. But that probably reflects the fact Sydney is 120x larger than Paris, so speed and station spacing have to be a lot higher. Really? I can't agree about the tyres. The only benefit now is acceleration/deceleration but the difference is minimal for a modern system. However, you get the bounciness of air and a more shuddering halt from tyres that is quite unpleasant. Previously, I lived on Ligne 4 and that was far worse. To the extent, that I was nearly thrown to the ground several times as the metro was shuddering to a halt. I forgot that the line had been automated and thought it must be a trainee driver. Reece mentioned that the old rames from 14 were transferred from 4, so I don't know if there's a slight difference in gauge or wheel profile, or the track bed needs to be rebuilt, but I definitely felt the bad journey. Give me steel on steel any day (as much as I appreciate Michelin's support of ASM).

[@Parmatt]

@@baalbektrilithon That's what I just said, although the performance of the 2 types converge over time. Yes, on line 4, every interstation route is optimized for minimum time loss (lots of curves). Yes, it's the older generations of trains that are less comfortable. That's the way it is, and there's no going back. In any case, it considerably improves operating performance.

[@lekinsh]

I go out my way when I’m in Paris to ride Line 14. It’s so nice and smooth. Great metro line.

[@benshields39]

Milan M5!

[@pizzaipinya2442]

That's very similar to what lines 9/10 in Barcelona tried to do too: fully automated, fully underground, stops further apart than the other lines (from the usual 500m or less to between 750m and 1km)... With the small difference that the awful finances of the L9 project meant that it isn't even finished yet xd

[@SpectreMk2]

Barcelona line 9/10 is indeed a very good comparison. Like the line 14, the rolling stocks are from Alstom and the automatic train control is from Siemens (formerly MATRA).

[@martinbruhn5274]

Maybe you could do a video about the subway of Nürnberg and the RUBIN project.

[@incognito6751]

This channel has had me completely addicted ever since I discovered it. I actually have to force myself to stop watching it or else I'll spend at least two hours. I love trains and transit too much

[@vojtasTS29]

The biggest problem with the line 14 is that it's a "high-speed heavy metro" line using rubber traction tyred light metro rolling stock in a loading gauge smaller than most tramways.

[@Parmatt]

It isn't light metro, it's heavy metro which carries up to 1,000 passengers 3 times more than a tramway.

[@GabrielA-uk2dy]

Watching the vid on ligne 14

[@chasemartin4450]

We need this in San Francisco! No more spending billions of dollars per mile to put trams in tunnels with 10 minute service frequencies, start building some *real* subways!

[@evanzai1771]

0:35 What do you mean by future orbital tram-trains ? T11, T12 and T13 are already there :)

[@kalliase]

@@evanzai1771 yea but they're not fully extended yet

[@evanzai1771]

@@kalliase But T11 and T12 extensions are postponed indefinitely

[@Deka-1024]

The metro line opening this November (apparently) in Thessaloniki will also feature automated trains, plus an archeological site in one of the stations. The Athens line 4 metro that has begun excavation is also said to have automated trains as well

[@JacobMoretti-NotABot]

We are just SOOO behind in public transit here in the US…

[@Ruzzky_Bly4t]

It took decades in the 20th century to destroy the public transport and make the country car-dependent. It would take much more than that to rebuild what was lost, and it would not be as useful due to urban sprawl and the lack of density in many US cities.

[@TheSpecialJ11]

At least if we turn things around, we can copy all of the advancements the rest of the world has made.

[@crowmob-yo6ry]

Stop generalising an entire country. Only cynical doomers like NJB and his fanboys are ignorant enough to generalise.

[@crowmob-yo6ry]

@Ruzzky_Bly4t go back to your NJB propaganda videos, doomer.

[@Ruzzky_Bly4t]

@crowmob-yo6ry Explain how I'm wrong, otherwise it seems like you're just whining

[@quoniam426]

Oh, the Gare de Lyon garden is... kind of a waste. Brake and tyre dust cover the plants all the time and kill them quite quickly. It's a maintenance nightmare for the gardeners... It seems nice at first sight but is dispensable, really.

[@Ruzzky_Bly4t]

Wouldn't the tyre dust be a health hazard as well? I suppose people don't spend that much time underground for it to be significant, but it's another minus for rubber tyre metros.

[@tryonco]

Great presentation… very interesting and informative. Thank you.

[@etbadaboum]

What do you mean by future 'orbital tram-trains'? I'm not aware of this project in Paris! Do you reference to the 'Tangentielles' plans made in the past? Thank you for this video.

[@SpectreMk2]

I think he is referring to the tramway express line 11, 12 and 13.

[@Powl_tm]

I think he is talking more generally. Like a couple of cities are building orbital light rail lines, Helsinki and Washington DC are two that I can think of.

[@quoniam426]

Some of them are already implemented. But the choice of low floor trams on train tracks is not entirely without downsides...

[@etbadaboum]

@@SpectreMk2 Yes, most probably.

[@chrisgameplay0141]

Check out first automated metro the South Island line of Hong Kong

[@paulowarhol9375]

When are you gonna make a video about Dubai's Metro system?

[@eldqvist]

The video just abruptly ended

[@michaeloconnor7849]

When it comes to interchanges the Paris metro will definitely up your step count by a ridiculous degree.

[@delonperera7849]

Can you make a video about Milan Line 4? Today the whole line finally got completed and phase 3 of the line just opened

[@SpectreMk2]

Big milestone for Milan, congrats! 🤗

[@delonperera7849]

@@SpectreMk2 Thank you!

[@TheJeff0569]

video 14 of asking for a Cleveland video

[@sriracharailspotterTH]

Paris Metro Line 14 finally getting some new extension?

[@thunderbolt8409]

yes since Olympics and it's a BIG extension

[@quoniam426]

It brings Paris Metro to a whole new level... 25 minutes between Châtelet and Orly ! (RER B + Orlyval being at best 35 minutes thirty years ago and now closer to 40 minutes...

[@stickynorth]

ALL metro systems should use these best practices... Automated trains, platform screen doors, suburban and urban stop spacing depending on local geography... It's a shame that they are still only considered a novelty in 2024 and not just commonplace.. Though Vancouver's Skytrain and Montreal's REM prove the local outliers...

[@crowmob-yo6ry]

Also the Skyline in Honolulu.

[@arnorrian1]

8:57 line 11 going from Rosny Bois-Perrier to Noicy Champs? What?

[@varoonnone7159]

Noisy*

[@u1zha]

1 km, a 5-10 minute walk to a station, seems to be really reasonable station spacing. Weird to do anything else.

[@KyrilPG]

1km isn't a 5-10 minute walk. It's, at best, a 10 minute walk in a straight line with no stop for someone very fit. The average walking speed is between 3 and 5 km per hour for an average person. While for seniors, kids, etc. It's between 2 and 4 km per hour. So, usually a distance of 800 meters to a kilometer takes 12-17 minutes for the average person. But with stops at intersections, traffic, etc. It can easily extend to 20 minutes. Plus, let's not forget that there are plenty of turns in cities, and having a stop 1km away as the crow flies may force most passengers to walk a lot more than that.

[@geirmyrvagnes8718]

@@KyrilPG Wouldn't it be easier to take the train, rather than walk from station to station?

[@Ruzzky_Bly4t]

​@@KyrilPG 1km between stations would mean the walk is 500 meters or less in a direct line. So half all your numbers and you get the correct results. Unless the commenter meant the scenario with 2km between stations and 1km walking if you live right between two stations.

[@catlerbatty]

So you're saying Robotaxis are not the future? 😱

[@ronvandereerden4714]

Sounds like BART.

[@SpectreMk2]

Except that Paris line 14 carries as much passengers in a single day of operation as BART in a full week.

[@crowmob-yo6ry]

I wish BART was this good! Stupid NIMBYs keep sabotaging improvements.

[@timonsku]

Isn't this the same concept to the S-Bahn in Germany?

[@Любадрель-у9з]

Just another metro line in Paris

[@Chamarel]

Hi!

[@oui164]

Worthnoting the traffic is still interrupted early on the evening to fix some details

[@quoniam426]

The system was not fully installed as the Olympics drew near, they had to cut some corners to meet the deadlines. So now, they finish the job until December.

[@Parmatt]

For even greater performance 😏