Hello Paris consortium selected to operate CDG Express

Paris Gare de l’Est

The French government has named the Hello Paris consortium, comprised of Keolis and RATP Dev, as the operator of CDG Express.

The CDG Express is a new rail service which will provide a direct link between Paris Gare de l’Est (Paris-East station) and Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport.

Ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, the new line is expected to open on 1 January 2024.

The contract includes a five-year pre-operational period (2019-2023) and a 15-year operational period (2024-2038).

The CDG Express will run every 15 minutes from 05:00 to 00:00, seven days a week, providing a 32km link between Paris-East station and terminal 2 of Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport in just 20 minutes.

The nine million passengers expected annually will travel aboard Alstom trains, manufactured in France with the train interior designed specifically for airport clientele.

Following the tender process, Hello Paris has chosen to use Alstom’s Coradia Liner, a train which has already been approved and tested for France’s rail network, to ensure that the line can be ready in time for the 2024 Paris Olympics, and that it provides a reliable service as soon as it is launched.

Further details about the service will be communicated once the contract has been signed, which is expected to occur before the end of January 2019.