The impact of the Grand Paris Express on the EU regions

What will be the economic impact of the Grand Paris Express? A JRC analysis, by assuming a combined 1% increase in labour productivity and a 1% increase in accessibility due to this large mobility infrastructure project, estimates positive GDP effects not only in France, but also in the rest of the EU.

Main findings of the Report

Assuming that the completion of the Grand Paris Express project will yield a 1% increase in labour productivity due to better skill supply and demand matching and a 1% increase in accessibility, the simulations carried out with the RHOMOLO model suggest that the GDP of the Ile de France region will increase by 2.61% by 2037.

The neighbouring French regions will also benefit from the project, so much so that French GDP will increase by 0.79% over the same time horizon. Moreover, the GDP of the whole EU will increase by 0.18%, with many regions outside France benefitting thanks to improved trade interlinkages with Ile de France.

These results highlight the important economic consequences of single flagship projects in the EU's hugely integrated economy.

The Grand Paris Express

The Grand Paris Express is among the largest investment projects currently under development in Europe. It includes four additional network lines consisting of 200 km of new railway lines (mostly built underground) and 68 new stations.

The total amount of investment for the period 2010-2037 is estimated at €28 billion, out of which €20.5 billion are to be invested by 2025.

Further information

Full Technical Report on the economic impact of the Grand Paris Express on the EU regions.
A shorter version of the Report has been published as a chapter (entitled: L’impact du Grand Paris Express sur les territoires français et européens) in Prager (ed.): Le Grand Paris Express - Les enjeux économiques et urbains. Economica, Paris.