The City of Paris and RiverCat France have announced that an electric river transport line with electric shuttles will open on the Seine in April 2024 for use by the general public.
The new service will link Val-de-Marne and Hauts-de-Seine via Paris and will consist of six autonomous electric boats, each of which will be able to carry 100 passengers and 40 bicycles.
This route has a total navigation time of 1 hour 15 minutes with stops included. Departures will take place every 30 minutes from 6am to 7pm 7 days a week.
To ensure accessibility, the vessels will use wide hydraulic ramps for boarding and disembarking.
Although the boats will be 100% electric and autonomous, a crew and a captain will remain on board to ensure the safety of travellers.
The 16.5-kilometre line will open in time for the start of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, with the opening ceremony taking place on the river.
Most journeys along the river will cost just 3 EUR and subscriptions and ticket books will also be offered to further reduce the cost for regular riders.
Furthermore, a second line is scheduled to open in July 2024 to connect Juvisy-sur-Orge and Soisy-sur-Seine via Ris-Orangis.
Following this, a third line is also planned for 2024 between Soisy-sur-Seine and the Bibliothèque nationale de France.