Sustainable Mobility: NGE wins the linear railway systems contract for Line 18 West, worth €65 million
NGE, through its rail subsidiary TSO, has been awarded the contract for the linear railway systems of Line 18 West of the Grand Paris Express by Société des Grands Projets.
www.nge.fr
This new contract covers a 9 km section between the municipalities of Versailles, Guyancourt, and Montigny-le-Bretonneux. Line 18 will connect the major economic hubs of Essonne and Yvelines, serving Paris-Saclay, one of the world’s leading centres for Research & Development.
Valued at €65 million, this is the 23rd contract won by the Group as part of the Grand Paris. With all its ongoing projects on the Grand Paris Express, NGE is positioning itself as a key player in Europe’s largest sustainable mobility project.
Line 18 will provide a concrete response to the mobility needs of the region. It will offer an efficient alternative for the 65,000 students of the Saclay plateau, who are currently largely reliant on buses, and will ultimately serve the Orly-Rungis economic hub, home to over 70,000 jobs and 1,850 companies.
The scope of works awarded to TSO includes the supply and installation of the track, the third rail for power supply, as well as linear equipment (walkways, dry risers, cable routes) along 9 km of double-track tunnel, complemented by 200 metres of cut-and-cover section at Saint-Quentin Est station. The section will pass through Guyancourt, Satory, and Versailles - Chantiers stations.
In line with what has already been delivered on Line 16, TSO will use low-carbon or “green rails” (see below)
Proven expertise in major railway infrastructure
Already responsible for the linear railway systems across the entirety of Line 16, TSO is once again confirming its expertise on Grand Paris Express projects. This new contract builds on the experience gained by NGE teams on Lines 11, 15, 16 and 17, as well as on EOLE, the western extension of the RER E line inaugurated in 2024.
This expertise has also been demonstrated internationally, with the installation of the third rail on Line 3 of the Cairo metro (phases 3C and 4B) in Egypt, where NGE has been established for more than 40 years.
« This new contract is part of NGE’s development strategy, in which decarbonised mobility is one of the main pillars. Building essential infrastructure that directly contributes to the decarbonisation of transport is a source of great pride. Our teams will be fully committed to ensuring the success of this project, for the benefit of the regions and their communities. » Gilles Philibert, TSO VP.
“Green rails”: driving the decarbonisation of rail activities
The steel for these rails is produced using electric arc furnaces rather than coal-fired blast furnaces. This avoids 1.455 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent per tonne of rails produced.
It is also worth noting that 95% of the steel used in rail production comes from recycled steel.
En bref Line 18 West
• Contract value: €65 million
• 9 km of double-track tunnel
• 200 m of double-track cut-and-cover section
• 18 km of third rail
• End of 2026: start of works
www.nge.fr
