Unlike previous models, the MF 77 was designed for travel into the immediate suburbs of Paris, and as a result has a maximum speed of 100 km/h (62 mph) which has yet to be fully utilized.

In the early 1970s, upon the completion of the MF 67 delivery, at the time the newest steel-wheeled trains on the Métro, many technological advances in braking and traction caused the RATP, which oversees operations of the Parisian public transport network, to examine the possibilities for new steel, rather than rubber, wheeled trains to replace the aging Sprague-Thomson fleet.

Thus, the RATP commissioned a consortium of companies including Alstom, CEM, Creusot-Loire, and Jeumont Schneider, to design a new addition to the Métro's rolling stock, the MF 77.

The trains on Line 13 recently underwent their mid-life refurbishment, which included a new interior configuration, updated destination signage, lighting and mechanical improvements.

However, the RATP was largely dissatisfied with the refurbishment of the Line 13 trains, citing problems with the contractor that handled the work, as well as defects in the workmanship.