Chantiers Modernes Construction, a subsidiary of Vinci Construction, has won an €82m contract to build the operation and rolling stock maintenance centre for the future Line 18 of the Grand Paris Express, billed as Europe’s biggest current transport infrastructure project.
Grand Paris Express will extend the French capital’s metro and light rail network by 200 kilometres and 68 stations to improve connections between the centre and the periphery.
Commissioned by Société du Grand Paris, the body overseeing delivery of the scheme, the maintenance centre will be near the famous engineering school, École Polytechnique, in the southern suburb of Palaiseau.
Line 18 will connect the rapidly expanding Paris-Saclay research and development hub to Orly Airport and the city of Versailles.
The 64,000-sq-m maintenance centre will service the line’s tracks, power systems and automatic trains. It will also have a control room to coordinate traffic.
Work involves roadworks and utility networks, earthworks, the structure, the envelope, finishing work, technical installations and industrial equipment.
The contract has social objectives. Vinci said 20% of it has been awarded to small and medium sized companies, and that 10% of the hours worked will be set aside for people on social integration programmes.
This contract follows the one for the Line 14 maintenance base and depot in Morangis (also south of Paris), awarded in 2018.
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