The future automatic metro lines 16 and 17 under construction in northern and eastern Paris will not enter service before 2028 and 2029 respectively, instead of the previously planned 2027 and 2028, the Societe du Grand Paris (SGP), the public body overseeing the works, announced on Thursday.
The revised timetable follows an earlier delay announced in June for the opening of the southern section of Line 15, which was followed by an “in-depth study” conducted with the industrial firms responsible for the automation and centralised control systems that will manage the entire sprawling Ile-de-France network.
Revised Timelines for Lines 16 and 17
Under the new schedule, Line 16 — which connects Saint-Denis Pleyel in the north of the capital to Noisy-Champs in the east — was due to open at the end of 2027. Its first section, running between Saint-Denis Pleyel and Parc du Blanc-Mesnil, is now expected to open in autumn 2028. A second portion of the line, between Parc du Blanc-Mesnil and Noisy-Champs, has been pushed back to autumn 2029 — a delay of two years.
On Line 17, which will also depart from Saint-Denis to reach Le Mesnil-Amelot north of Paris via the Villepinte exhibition centre and Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle airport, a first section linking Saint-Denis to Bourget Airport is now scheduled to open in autumn 2028 instead of autumn 2027. The Bourget-Airport to Parc des Expositions section, previously planned for 2028, has been postponed to autumn 2029. The final stretch of Line 17, between Parc des Expositions and Mesnil-Amelot, remains unchanged with an opening planned for 2030.
Local Officials Express Outrage
“Our disappointment is proportionate to the anticipation generated by the arrival of these new metro lines in Seine-Saint-Denis,” said ten mayors from the department and the president of the departmental council, Stephane Troussel, in a joint statement.
The officials called for an end to what they described as the “successive delays of Lines 16 and 17,” underscoring growing frustration in one of the regions set to benefit most from the new transport infrastructure.
Mounting Concerns Over the Project
The repeated postponements raise questions about the broader rollout of the Grand Paris Express, one of Europe’s largest urban transport projects. The delays to Lines 15, 16 and 17 come as the SGP works to resolve technical challenges related to the automated systems that will operate the network.
The project is intended to connect Paris suburbs, reduce congestion on existing lines and spur economic development across the Ile-de-France region. However, the accumulating setbacks have fuelled concerns among local communities that have long awaited improved public transport links.
