It ran with passengers from 13 April 1952 until 31 May 1956 and was used as a test bed for rubber-tyred metro technology and automatic train operation.

[1][2][3] Lack of funds prevented installation of automatic train operation on the rest of the Paris Metro until 1966, starting with line 11.

The MP 51 operated a shuttle service on la voie navette of the Paris Métro.

The short service, only 770 m (2,530 ft) long, featured sharp turns and steep grades, characteristics well-suited to rubber-tyred metro trains.

The MP 51 featured a GoA 2 system with an ATO "mat" fitted onto the underfloor of the train, continuously in contact with a guide-line between the tracks nicknamed "Grecque."