Alstom Selected to Deliver Advanced Train Control for Paris Metro Line 8

Alstom has been selected to supply its onboard automatic train control technology for Paris Metro Line 8 as part of a wider modernisation programme across the network.

The contract, awarded by RATP on behalf of Île-de-France Mobilités, will see Alstom provide its I-CBTC onboard automatic control system under the OCTYS 2030 programme. The initiative aims to deploy advanced automatic control and driving systems across the Paris Metro network to improve performance, reliability and operational efficiency.

The project will also support the introduction of the new MF19 train fleet, which is scheduled to begin operating on Line 8 by 2029.

The agreement includes two key elements. The first covers the onboard automatic train control system operating with a driver, known as Grade of Automation 2 (GoA2). The second involves the radio system used to transmit data between trains and trackside equipment. Alstom has also been given responsibility for coordinating the overall automatic driving system.

The I-CBTC system is a communication-based train control solution designed for metro networks. It complies with RATP’s OCTYS framework and meets international standards covering safety, cybersecurity and reliability. The technology enables trains to operate closer together while maintaining safe separation, improving service regularity and resilience across the line.

Alstom and RATP have worked together for more than two decades on the modernisation of the Paris Metro. In recent years, the OCTYS onboard system developed by Alstom has already been installed on lines 5, 6, 9, 10 and 11.

More than 200 trains on the Paris Metro network currently operate using Alstom’s I-CBTC technology, carrying over 350 million passengers each year.

As part of the Line 8 project, Alstom will oversee the development, validation, industrialisation, installation, testing and commissioning of both the onboard and radio components of the system.

Work on the programme will involve three Alstom sites in France:

• Aix-en-Provence, responsible for project management, development, system engineering and supply
• Saint-Ouen, responsible for radio deployment studies, installation, testing and commissioning
• Villeurbanne, responsible for supplying electronic equipment and reliability and maintainability activities

The agreement further strengthens Alstom’s role in railway signalling and digital mobility in France. The company currently employs more than 2,000 specialists in digital mobility across the country.

Frédéric Wiscart, President of Alstom France, Belgium & Luxembourg said:

“With I-CBTC, we are providing a reliable, state-of-the-art automatic control solution designed and integrated by our teams in France. We are delighted to once again contribute to the modernisation and improvement of the Paris metro performance alongside RATP and Île-de-France Mobilités.”

Image: Alstom