Europe is changing drastically. While the EU invests billions in its eastern member-states for brand new highways, city face lifts and railways, Western states need to update their infrastructure: think of high speed lines and subway systems that are outdated. Meanwhile, many EU-candidates try to speed up the application process by mayor infrastructure works. In Europe under construction, Reasq takes you every Saturday to a new mayor construction site in Europe and tells the true story behind the project. Today: the Grand Paris Express.
Avenue d'Italie, in the 13th arrondissement of Paris. In front of the Italie tower are working construction workers every day at the Maison Blanche metro station. On the fence of the construction site, a modern station building is displayed. The modern escalators are in marked contrast with the current station, which is stereotypical for the Parisian metro: A 100 years old staircase that stinks of pee. Loved by nostalgists, hated by realists.
The new station will be part of the extension of the Paris metro network: Two hundred kilometres of new full automatic Metro lines and 68 new Metro stations have to offer a convenient way of transport in the Greater Paris area. With 35 billion euros, it's by far the biggest development project in Europe. "It's an investment in the future",
The Parisian metro is outdated
Currently, the Paris' metro network consists of 302 stations and 214km of lines. Its first line opened on 19 July 1900, during the Exposition Universelle world's fair. It ran from the Parisian Western border, at Porte Maillot, to Porte de Vincennes, on its Eastern border. Right under the prestigious Champs Elysée, Arc de Triomphe, Louvre, Bastille and Gare de Lyon. The system expanded quickly until World War I and the core was complete by the 1920s.
The metro was created to replace the urban trams, that were stuck on the overcrowding streets in one the most densely populated cities at the time. Therefore, the stations were built very close to each other: only 5 minutes by feet on average. Back in the days, it served the rich population living within the périphérique very well. Now, however, it slows down the trains enormously.
The RER connects the suburbs to the centre
However, during last century, the urban area around Paris expanded. That's where the RER came in. As the metro system was already overloaded, they were looking for a another network to better connect these urban areas with the city centre of Paris. In 1977, the first urban RER (urban train) Line A opened. It picks up commuters from the suburbs in overground stations and then disappears in tunnels under Paris, where it stops more frequently and links the railway stations with each other.
Nowadays however, this urban area has expanded so much that it can also be considered as part of Paris itself. It no longer necessarily relies on the historic Parisian city centre and thus new links in between the suburban areas become necessary. Nowadays, most people traveling between 2 suburban areas have to travel through the overcrowded Parisian centre.
The Grand Paris Express changes the Parisian borders
The Grand Paris Express project has been put in place to change this. The new automated network will link the suburbs with automatic fast and frequent trains that come every 90 seconds. It consists of 4 new lines that will run around Paris and stop, inter alia, at the 2 biggest French airports. Three extensions of existing Parisian lines will connect these lines with the Parisian city centre.
First deadline: Line 14 and 15
The very first completion of the project will be the extension of the automatic express line 14 through the Parisian centre to the north next summer. More important however, will be its Southern expansion to the Orly Airport, which will open in 2024 for the Olympic Games.
The whole project should be finished in 2030 and will not only double the Parisian metro network, but also the city area. Even though the different municipalities will stay what they are, the better connection in between them and with Paris will make it much more convenient to live. Together with the new stations, whole areas are freshened up and the house market is expected to blow up whenever a metro line opens in the area.
If you want to stay updated with the newest articles & exclusive promotions, subscribe to our free weekly newsletter.
Kommentare