Work is in progress to create a line extension and new station platforms for the brand new fully automatic Meteor line in Paris, the first phases of which opened in 1998.
A 7.8km southern section and a three-station northern section are currently operating with two more stations now required to join the two halves. The current tunnelling work is the first part of the link-up.
At St Lazare in central Paris, there will be connections with three other lines, an RER suburban underground line and with the mainline railway station.
The new work, costing the regional authorities and metro operator RATP some FFr872M ($121.5M), will bring the line from the Madeleine interchange to the busy SNCF railway station above. Some 500m of excavation is being done in total in three sections; a 132m long twin-line tunnel extension section; the 120m long station 20m beneath St Lazare itself; and a 257m long section of overrun tunnel which will eventually carry the line on towards Place de Clichy. This latter is particularly complex being situated mainly beneath the platforms of the main line station.
