The new station is just one of many due to open (Image: Getty)
A huge new part of a £36.8billion project has opened in a major European city.
Villejuif-Gustave Roussy station in is part of the city’s new metro network, which will get by 2031.
The new stop is the last to be opened on Line 14, and the first station connecting to the future Line 15 South.
This is set to open by 2026, reports.
Officials say 200km of new metro track and 68 stations will serve Paris’ main business districts, La Défense and La Plaine Saint-Denis; “major hubs of science and higher learning”, Paris-Saclay, Institut Gustave-Roussy, La Cité Descartes; three airports, Charles de Gaulle, Orly, Le Bourget; and three high-speed train stations, Massy-Palaiseau, Versailles-Chantiers and Charles de Gaulle.
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The metro upgrade is Europe’s largest infrastructure scheme (Image: Getty)
Presently, the metro upgrade is Europe’s largest infrastructure scheme. At its zenith, 100-metre-long tunnel boring machines were advancing 12 metres a day.
Advocates also said the new infratructure will “fight social inequality”, and provide access to public transport in the city that currently has “little or poor service”.
Thiais, Rungis, and Plateau de Saclay in the outer suburbs, for instance, are already home to several companies, engineering schools, and research centers.
Grand Paris Express says: “The arrival of the metro is a momentous event for these residents. There will be 11 times more job offers 45 minutes away from the Clichy-Montfermeil station by public transport.
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The project includes 68 new stations (Image: Getty)
“The Grand Paris Express will bring with it urban development projects offering new activities and job opportunities in these neighborhoods. These development projects will lead to greater diversity in housing, commerce, and services.”
Hiba Farès, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of RATP Dev, said: “The inauguration of the Villejuif-Gustave Roussy station is the first milestone, and a moment of pride for the 65 women and men now operating the first station of Line 15, connecting to Paris’ backbone Line 14.”
She added: “The team will grow to 300 people, all committed to providing the full expertise of RATP Group in high-capacity automated metro systems and infrastructure management.”