photo(s) Paris metro and other network

[Minato ku 631]

 La Motte-Picquet – Grenelle

Due to the installation of a switch at Montparnasse – Bienvenue, the traffic of the line 6 is interrupted between La Motte-Picquet – Grenelle and Raspail from 1 to 4 May 2014.

 

This switch is installed for reversing trains during the closure of the elevated section between Pasteur and Passy this summer.

This lead to an unusual scene at La Motte-Picquet – Grenelle, two trains arriving from the same direction.

Why? Because the set of to reverse is located on the west of the station.

The train on the left will unload passengers while the train on the right will take passengers.

Note that the train on the right will leave the station first, allowing the train on the left to reverse and to serve the right side platform.

This complicated maneuver requires two drivers on each side of the train

 

 

[Minato ku 631]

RATP bus line 91

The Heuliez GX 427 Hybrid are replacing the old Irisbus Agora L on line 91 after two years of test on this line (post #213).

Line 91 is the second bus line to have a large delivery of hybrid bus in the RATP network. The first was the line 21 (post #285).

 

 

 

[Minato ku 631]

With the arrival of the MF 01 on line 9, some of the former MF67 of line 9 are moved to lines 10 and 12.

The line 10 and 12 have a more and more heterogeneous mix of MF67.

The MF67 of line 9 were renovated in during the 1990's and feature a black front unlike the green front of the usual MF 67 of lines 10 and 12.

 

 

There is also a difference inside the train.

Different seats and colors.

For some former MF 67 of line 9, they changed the seats to look more in tune with the other train, here on line 10.

This is the usual interior on the MF67 of line 10 and 12 (the interior was modernized in the early 2000's).

 

[Minato ku 631]

T Zen 1

T Zen is the name of the network of BRT service in Paris region managed by the STIF (Paris region transport organisation authority).

There is one line but four other lines are planned all over the metropolitan area.

 

T Zen 1 serves Sénart, a group of southeastern outer suburbs.

The area around most of the line is still underdeveloped but development is underway.

The stock of T Zen 1 is Irisbus Crealis Neo

 

Lieusaint - Moissy RER.

This station is the eastern terminus

 

 

 

Château de la Barrière

 

 Irisbus Crealis Neo has a nice interior

Carré Trait d'Union (there is a big shopping mall here, Carré Senart)

 

 

 

[Minato ku 631]

 Porte des Lilas

Except for the platforms of line 11, the station has been renovated.

Porte des Lilas is a interchange with the tram T3b and several bus lines (48, 61, 96, 105, 115, 129, 170 and 249).

 

Before

Now: you can notice the big difference.

There is no longer a wall, an acces has been made to the tram line and big windows have been added to increase the luminosity.

 

 

 

Before: this picture provides a view of what was inside the station.

Now: tiles have been replaced, the electrical installations are now hidden, signages and information tools have been updated.

Unfortunately, no chance on line 11 platforms for the moment.

Except for platforms of line 11, we can say that Porte des Lilas has entered the 21st century.

 

[Minato ku 631]

 Opening of the 8th line of Paris tram network.

 

Last sartuday (December 13th), the T6 opened.

This line is 12.4km long with 21 stations, it links Chatillon-Montrouge (southern terminal stop of the metro line 13) with Vélizy, a southwestern suburb with a big mall and lot of offices. This edge city was built in anticipation of a southern extension of metro line 13 which never came.

By Spring 2016 the line will be extended southwest with two underground stations, those two stations will provide transfer with suburban trains in the suburb of Viroflay.

Like the T5, this line is rubber tired tram Translohr but this is line is using longer rolling stock. The 46m long STE6.

 

Unfortunately the weather was bad, the day of the opening.

 

Châtillon-Montrouge

 

 

 

The rolling stock is long

Robert Wagner, the current southern terminal stop.

The interior

[Minato ku 631]

 Opening

After the T6 last Saturday, it was the opening of the T8, Tuesday, December 16.

T8 is 8.46 km with 17 stations. The north side of the line consists of two branches. 

The line southern terminal is Saint-Denis Porte de Paris (transfer with metro line 13) and it goes in the north to Épinay-sur-Seine and Villetaneuse.

T8 use Alstom Citadis 302 for rolling stock with the same design than the T7 (posts #268 and #269)

 

With the opening of the T8, Paris's tram network is over 100 km 

103.8 km (64.5 miles)

181 stops

 

They opened the line at 4pm when the sun begins to set and trams have been stuck long time because of a technical hitch.

So I could not take pictures like I wished. 

 

Saint-Denis - Porte de Paris

Information device

Arriving at Pierre de Geyter

After Delaunay-Belleville where line splits into two branches.

The switch had a dysfunction, the driver had to move it manually.

 

The branch to Villetaneuse-Université

Blumenthal, notice the Z50000 train of Transilien H suburban rail in the back.

Les Mobiles, the muncipality of Épinay-sur-Seine installed decorations for the opening day.

Les Béatus, there is a junior high school here. This means a lot of careless kids.

Rose Bertin, the center of Épinay-sur-Seine with a shopping mall.

 

Interior

 

Around Épinay-sur-Seine - Gare

[Minato ku 631]

  Saint-Denis - Gare

Here the T8 meet the T1 (post #223)

This is only place where two tram lines cross each other in Paris' tram network.

Paris tram network may have many lines and km but it is a rather discontinuous network. Trams are built to replace busy bus corridors rather that creating an integrated tram network like you would see in other cities.

Except for the T3a and T3b, all lines operate in complete independence (own tracks, own stocks, own yard...).

 

T1 crossing the T8

T8 crossing the T1. Notice that they built the beginning of a connection.

Tram station

A southbound tram

Here tracks of T1 with like in the T7's tracks, the same debut of a connecting track.

 

Note that the T1 and T8 have different names, T1 station is called "Gare de Saint-Denis" and the T8 station is called "Saint-Denis - Gare". 

I much prefer the name "Gare de Saint-Denis".

[LTA1992 1,355]

With a trip to Paris happening in August, I think I'm going to re-read this entire thread. I love it.

[161 New York 172]

Merci beaucoup for sharing!

[Minato ku 631]

With a trip to Paris happening in August, I think I'm going to re-read this entire thread. I love it.

You are welcome and I am going in New York City, next week. 

Note that summer is the last busy period on Paris transportation network, so they are a lot of closure for renovation during this part of the year.

 

A little review of what is going on during this summer, I did not includes the partial closure during the night.

 

Metro 

-Metro line 2: From June 15 to August 30, Stalingrad is closed on line 2.

From July 9 to July 12, no service between Nation and Avron 

-Metro line 5: From July 18 to July 20, line is closed.

-Metro line 6: From June 15 to August 30, Corvisart station is closed.

-Metro line 13: From August 3 to August 30,  Basilique de Saint-Denis station is closed

 

RER

-RER A: From July 25 to August 23, the line is closed between Auber and La Defense and there will be no service to Poissy on the western side.

-RER C: From 15 July to 22 August, the line is closed between Gare d'Austerlitz and Javel/Avenue Henri Martin.

 

The western side of the RER A will be one of the most affected line during this summer. 

Closure of the line between Auber and La Défense, no RER A service to Poissy and closure of Cergy Prefecture station.

The L services terminating at Maisons Laffitte will be extended to Poissy during this time.

 

The RER C is closed every summer in the central section to renovate the old tunnel next to the Seine river.

[Minato ku 631]

 Balard

To facilitate transfer with the Tram T2 and to accommodate with the growing number of passengers with the new French army hq and new office buildings in the area, a new entry and a new tickets hall has been built in Balard.

 

 

New interior space are in the modern retro style of Paris metro

 

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately, the platforms and the rest of the station have not been renovated. 

[LTA1992 1,355]

So, I've been here for three days and I absolutely love this city. I'm already planning on coming back and the 7-Day Navigo Pass helps a LOT. I heard from one of my Parisian friends that the Navigo Pass unlimited works in all zones during the holiday season, is that true?

[Minato ku 631]

Yes and since September 2015, Navigo pass covering zone 1 includes all zones, not just for holiday.

I pleased that you enjoyed your trip. 

[Minato ku 631]

This is confirmed, the summer is over. Black is back 

 

[Minato ku 631]

 Rosa Parks

Today, a new station opened on the RER E.

Rosa Parks station is made of a simple island platform and passengers space under the track.

This is the 22th station on the RER E line, it is right after central Paris at the limit of 18th and 19th arrondissement near Porte d'Aubervilliers in an area in redevelopment. 

 

This station is served by a train every four minutes in weekday rush hours.

When I was there this sunday, there was a train every 5-6 minutes, maybe more.

 

South entrance

North entrance

A big plaza in front of the north entrance, it is the site of the former inner ring railway.

Transfer with the T3b tram line. 

Interior of the station

Rosa Parks station is built in the site of the former Est-Ceinture station (East Belt station). It is the area where the inner railway belt meet the tracks from Gare de l'Est.

Map of the former Est-Ceinture station in the 1920's. Rosa Parks has much less platform but have a much higher ridership. This area was very industrial in the past. 

 

Platform

 

 

Rosa Parks is good place for trainspotting, all the train traffic of Gare de l'Est (high speed TGV, German high speed ICE, slower intercity trains including the Orient Express, regional trains and surburban trains) and the RER E pass there.

You can also see the Sacre Cœur basillica.

 

 

Rosa Parks will not be only served by usual RER E services, because of the lack of rolling stock for the RER E, a new local service will be created between Gare de l'Est and Villiers-sur-Marne in addition to the usual RER E.

This service will use five Z 50000 trains.

[Minato ku 631]

I come back to the last part of my last post. I gave a false information.

If effectively five Z 50000 have been added on local service to Villiers-sur-Marne, those trains follow the usual RER E route in Central Paris, they don't terminate at Gare de l'Est but in the tunnel section at Haussmann Saint-Lazare like any other RER E trains.

 

Z 50000 trains in service

Z 50000 in the RER E feels more like provisional solution to cope with a lack of rolling stock than true new trains for the line.

 

Haussmann Saint-Lazare

 

Underground stations are not made for the Z 50000, platforms are higher than the train's floor. There are warning annoncements in trains.

Map inside trains

 

Magenta

 

[Minato ku 631]

  Nanterre Université

After several years of construction, the new passenger hall opened yesterday.

See posts #164 and #294 for more information about the station and the project.

 

New building

The street in front is not yet open to traffic, several bus lines will run there and the tram T1 in a more distant future.

 

 

Although being served RATP and SNCF trains, the space is managed by the RATP. So the station has RATP's furnitures and signages.

 

 

RER A platform, a large island platform. It was enlarged during the work.

 

 

The work is not completely finished

 

 

Transilien L

 

[Minato ku 631]

Iveco UrbanWay 18 (articulated) Hybrid on line 143

Many lines have become articulated these days especially in northeastern inner suburbs.

There are also more and more hybrid buses. Authorities want to scrap all fully diesel bus by 2025.

 

The old vehicules of line 143, Scania Omnicity

 

 

 

Heuliez GX 337 Hybrid on line 112

 

 

MAN Lion's City CNG on line 24.

Renault Agora CNG of line 24 have been replaced by MAN Lion's City but they keep the Compressed Natural Gas motorization.

 

[Minato ku 631]

 Jaurès 

Good news: one of the worst platform hall of Paris metro will be closed for renovation during two month between August and October 2013.

Jaurès opened as part of the line 7 in 1911. The line 7 had two branch in the north.

Because the traffic of this branch was too low compared with the high traffic of the other branch, it was cut off in 1967 and became an "independent" short bis line of 3km and 8 stations.

It is managed by the line 7 but the line 7bis is working independly of the line 7.

 

Jaurès is the busiest station of the line 7bis due to its connection with the line 2 and 5 of the metro.

 

The rolling stock is the MF88, in service since 1994, it is the first articulated stock of Paris metro. The MF88 run only on the line 7bis.

This stock was pretty much a prototype (9 trains produced) for many new technologies and it aged quite badly, I heard that it could be withdrawn prematurely.. 

 

Almost three years ago, I made a post about the station Jaures on line 7bis and the bad state of the platforms hall.

You will be pleased to see that the station is no longer decrepit.

 

 

 

I wonder how long it will remain in this state.

Paris has a recurring problem with groundwater.   

[Minato ku 631]

Two videos, I made with my camera during my commutes.

 

  Montparnasse - Bienvenüe 

 

 Place de Clichy 

 

 

[Minato ku 631]

A little update about Paris metro after a long pause.

 

Renovation work at Châtelet-les-Halles

Chatelet is most central metro and RER station of Paris is under renovation, much of the work is concentred inside the corridors and access to the station. Nothing have been done in the platforms.

 

To ease the passengers, the station is now divided in three parts on signagnes.

-Rivoli : lines 1, 4 and 14

-Seine: lines 7 and 11

-Forum : RER A, B, D and line 4 (Les Halles)

 

New signage from the platforms of line 7

Inside the corridors linking the Seine sector (lines 7 and 11) to the rest of the station

 

New moving walkway under construction in this corridor

 

A corridor in the Rivoli part of the station

 

Part of the new Marguerite de Navarre entrance is open in the Forum part of the station.

This entrance should directly to the street level but for now it just links to the underground Forum des Halles shopping mall.

 

More to come. 

[LTA1992 1,355]

My goal is to go back in December. Aside from the fact I didn't get to ride lines 4, 10, and 12 and MANY buses. I do want to see the completed structure at Les Halles as it was under construction when I first went in August 2015. I do plan on using my Navigo Decouverte (provided it still works) for all 5 zones so I can use the other Tram lines and various other buses. 

 

And find great foods along the way. I'm not a very touristy kind of guy. I like to see cities in the ways residents see them. That's the most interesting part of the experience to me.

[N6 Limited 1,125]

Transfers = Correspondances

 

Many London and Paris transfers are like the Times Square to Port Authority Transfer , tres long.

[Via Garibaldi 8 9,649]

Transfers = Correspondances

 

Many London and Paris transfers are like the Times Square to Port Authority Transfer , tres long.

Oh là là...