Gare Saint-Lazare
Encyclopedia
Paris Saint-Lazare is one of the six large terminus train station
s of Paris
. It is the second busiest in Paris, behind the Gare du Nord
, handling 274,000 passengers each day.
The first station at St Lazare was 150 m north-west of its current position, called Embarcadère des Batignolles. The station was opened by Marie-Amélie (wife of Louis-Philippe of France
) on 24 August 1837. The first line served was the single track line to Le Pecq
.
In 1843 St-Lazare was the terminus for three lines; by 1900 this number had tripled.
The station had 14 platforms in 1854 after several enlargements, and now has 27 platforms sorted in six destination groups.
On 27 April 1924 the inner suburban lines were electrified with 750 V
third rail
. The same lines were re-electrified at 25 kV
overhead wires in the 1960s.
The Gare Saint-Lazare has been represented in a number of artworks. It attracted artists during the Impressionist period and many of them lived very close to the Gare St-Lazare during the 1870s and 1880s.
Édouard Manet
lived close by, at 4 rue de Saint-Pétersbourg. Two years after moving to the area he showed his painting "Le Chemin de Fer" at the Paris Salon in 1874. Painted from the backyard of a friend's house on the nearby rue de Rome, this canvas, now in the National Gallery of Art
at Washington D.C., portrays a woman with a small dog and a book as she sits facing us in front of an iron fence; a young girl to her left views the railroad track and steam beyond it. At the time of its first exhibition it was caricatured and the subject of ridicule.
Gustave Caillebotte
also lived just a short walk away from the station. He painted Le Pont de l’Europe (The Bridge of Europe) in 1876 (now in the Petit Palais, Musée d’Art Moderne in Geneva, Switzerland) and "On the Pont de l'Europe" in 1876-80 (Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth). While the former picture looks across the bridge with the ironworks diagonally crossing the picture to the right, with a scene of partially interacting chickens on the bridge to the left, the latter depicts the iron structure of the bridge face-on in a strong close-up of its industrial geometry, with three male figures to the left side of the painting all looking in different directions (the Pont de l'Europe is a massive bridge spanning the railyard of the newly-expanded station, which at that time had an iron-work trellis).
In 1877, painter Claude Monet
rented a studio near the Gare Saint Lazare. That same year he exhibited seven paintings of the railway station in an impressionist painting exhibition. He completed 11 paintings of this subject.
Lesser-known artists who depicted the Gare Saint Lazare were Jean Béraud
, who painted "The Place and Pont de l'Europe" in 1876-78 and Norbert Goeneutte (1854–1894), with a studio providing a very good view of the Pont de l'Europe, who painted this scene many times in the late 1880s. One of these is "The Pont de l'Europe and Gare Saint-Lazare" from ca. 1888 (in the Baltimore Museum).
An engraving showing the Place de l'Europe bridge at the time of its opening in 1868 was made by Auguste Lamy.
In 1932, the wasteland behind the station became the subject of one of the most celebrated photographs of all time, Henri Cartier-Bresson
's Derrière la gare de Saint-Lazare
In 1998 the Musée D'Orsay
and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., put on an exhibition called "Manet, Monet, and the Gare Saint-Lazare".
The Gare Saint-Lazare is mentioned or plays a role in Emile Zola
's La Bête humaine
and Roland Sadaune's Terminus St-Lazare.
The Gare Saint-Lazare is seen in the 1995 film French Kiss with Kevin Kline
and Meg Ryan
. It is the last scene in Paris where Kevin Kline's character is being chased by Police Inspector Jean-Paul Cardon (Jean Reno
) while trying to board a train south to Cannes
(which is an inaccuracy since the Gare Saint-Lazare serves the North-West of France; trains for Cannes depart from the Gare de Lyon
).
The Gare Saint-Lazare is served by long distance Intercités
trains towards Normandy, and regional Transilien
trains to the western suburbs of Paris.
The following SNCF Intercités
train services operate out of Saint-Lazare:
The following Transilien
lines depart from Saint-Lazare:
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
s of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. It is the second busiest in Paris, behind the Gare du Nord
Gare du Nord
Paris Nord is one of the six large terminus railway stations of the SNCF mainline network for Paris, France. It offers connections with several urban transportation lines, including Paris Métro and RER...
, handling 274,000 passengers each day.
History
Louis-Philippe of France
Louis Philippe I was King of the French from 1830 to 1848 in what was known as the July Monarchy. His father was a duke who supported the French Revolution but was nevertheless guillotined. Louis Philippe fled France as a young man and spent 21 years in exile, including considerable time in the...
) on 24 August 1837. The first line served was the single track line to Le Pecq
Le Pecq
Le Pecq is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris from the center.-Geography:...
.
In 1843 St-Lazare was the terminus for three lines; by 1900 this number had tripled.
The station had 14 platforms in 1854 after several enlargements, and now has 27 platforms sorted in six destination groups.
On 27 April 1924 the inner suburban lines were electrified with 750 V
Volt
The volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force. The volt is named in honor of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta , who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.- Definition :A single volt is defined as the...
third rail
Third rail
A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...
. The same lines were re-electrified at 25 kV
Volt
The volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force. The volt is named in honor of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta , who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.- Definition :A single volt is defined as the...
overhead wires in the 1960s.
Gare Saint-Lazare in art and literature
Édouard Manet
Édouard Manet
Édouard Manet was a French painter. One of the first 19th-century artists to approach modern-life subjects, he was a pivotal figure in the transition from Realism to Impressionism....
lived close by, at 4 rue de Saint-Pétersbourg. Two years after moving to the area he showed his painting "Le Chemin de Fer" at the Paris Salon in 1874. Painted from the backyard of a friend's house on the nearby rue de Rome, this canvas, now in the National Gallery of Art
National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art and its Sculpture Garden is a national art museum, located on the National Mall between 3rd and 9th Streets at Constitution Avenue NW, in Washington, DC...
at Washington D.C., portrays a woman with a small dog and a book as she sits facing us in front of an iron fence; a young girl to her left views the railroad track and steam beyond it. At the time of its first exhibition it was caricatured and the subject of ridicule.
Gustave Caillebotte
Gustave Caillebotte
Gustave Caillebotte was a French painter, member and patron of the group of artists known as Impressionists, though he painted in a much more realistic manner than many other artists in the group...
also lived just a short walk away from the station. He painted Le Pont de l’Europe (The Bridge of Europe) in 1876 (now in the Petit Palais, Musée d’Art Moderne in Geneva, Switzerland) and "On the Pont de l'Europe" in 1876-80 (Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth). While the former picture looks across the bridge with the ironworks diagonally crossing the picture to the right, with a scene of partially interacting chickens on the bridge to the left, the latter depicts the iron structure of the bridge face-on in a strong close-up of its industrial geometry, with three male figures to the left side of the painting all looking in different directions (the Pont de l'Europe is a massive bridge spanning the railyard of the newly-expanded station, which at that time had an iron-work trellis).
Claude Monet
Claude Monet was a founder of French impressionist painting, and the most consistent and prolific practitioner of the movement's philosophy of expressing one's perceptions before nature, especially as applied to plein-air landscape painting. . Retrieved 6 January 2007...
rented a studio near the Gare Saint Lazare. That same year he exhibited seven paintings of the railway station in an impressionist painting exhibition. He completed 11 paintings of this subject.
Jean Béraud
Jean Béraud was a French Impressionist painter and commercial artist noted for his paintings of Parisian life during the Belle Époque.-Biography:...
, who painted "The Place and Pont de l'Europe" in 1876-78 and Norbert Goeneutte (1854–1894), with a studio providing a very good view of the Pont de l'Europe, who painted this scene many times in the late 1880s. One of these is "The Pont de l'Europe and Gare Saint-Lazare" from ca. 1888 (in the Baltimore Museum).
An engraving showing the Place de l'Europe bridge at the time of its opening in 1868 was made by Auguste Lamy.
In 1932, the wasteland behind the station became the subject of one of the most celebrated photographs of all time, Henri Cartier-Bresson
Henri Cartier-Bresson
Henri Cartier-Bresson was a French photographer considered to be the father of modern photojournalism. He was an early adopter of 35 mm format, and the master of candid photography...
's Derrière la gare de Saint-Lazare
In 1998 the Musée D'Orsay
Musée d'Orsay
The Musée d'Orsay is a museum in Paris, France, on the left bank of the Seine. It is housed in the former Gare d'Orsay, an impressive Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900. The museum holds mainly French art dating from 1848 to 1915, including paintings, sculptures, furniture,...
and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., put on an exhibition called "Manet, Monet, and the Gare Saint-Lazare".
The Gare Saint-Lazare is mentioned or plays a role in Emile Zola
Émile Zola
Émile François Zola was a French writer, the most important exemplar of the literary school of naturalism and an important contributor to the development of theatrical naturalism...
's La Bête humaine
La Bête humaine
La Bête Humaine is an 1890 novel by Émile Zola. The story has been adapted for the cinema on several occasions. It is based around the railway between Paris and Le Havre in the 19th century and is a tense, psychological thriller....
and Roland Sadaune's Terminus St-Lazare.
The Gare Saint-Lazare is seen in the 1995 film French Kiss with Kevin Kline
Kevin Kline
Kevin Delaney Kline is an American theatre, voice, film actor and comedian. He has won an Academy Award and two Tony Awards, and has been nominated for five Golden Globe Awards, two BAFTA Awards and an Emmy Award.- Early life :...
and Meg Ryan
Meg Ryan
Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra , professionally known as Meg Ryan, is an American actress and producer. Raised in Bethel, Connecticut, Ryan began her acting career in 1981 in minor roles, before joining the cast of the CBS soap opera As the World Turns in 1982...
. It is the last scene in Paris where Kevin Kline's character is being chased by Police Inspector Jean-Paul Cardon (Jean Reno
Jean Reno
Jean Reno is a French actor. Working in French, English, Spanish and Italian, he has appeared not only in numerous successful Hollywood productions such as The Pink Panther, Godzilla, The Da Vinci Code, Mission: Impossible, Ronin and Couples Retreat, but also in European productions such as the...
) while trying to board a train south to Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
(which is an inaccuracy since the Gare Saint-Lazare serves the North-West of France; trains for Cannes depart from the Gare de Lyon
Gare de Lyon
Paris Lyon is one of the six large railway termini in Paris, France. It is the northern terminus of the Paris–Marseille railway. It is named after the city of Lyon, a stop for many long-distance trains departing here, most en route to the south of France. In general the station's SNCF services run...
).
Services
Intercités
Intercités is a brand name used by France’s national railway company, SNCF, to denote medium-distance passenger rail services in France. SNCF established the Intercités system in January 2006 as an upgrade of the former Corail network...
trains towards Normandy, and regional Transilien
Transilien
The Transilien is the brand name for suburban railway services of the SNCF-owned railway network operating within the Île-de-France région...
trains to the western suburbs of Paris.
Intercités
Intercités
Intercités is a brand name used by France’s national railway company, SNCF, to denote medium-distance passenger rail services in France. SNCF established the Intercités system in January 2006 as an upgrade of the former Corail network...
train services operate out of Saint-Lazare:
- Gare Saint-Lazare - VernonGare de VernonGare de Vernon is a railway station serving the town Vernon, Eure department, northwestern France. It is situated on the Paris–Le Havre railway.-Services:-References:*...
- Rouen-Rive-Droite - Le HavreGare du HavreGare du Havre is the main station serving Le Havre and its suburbs in France. It is the western terminus of the Paris–Le Havre railway, opened in 1847. The station was built in 1932 by Henri Pacon for the CF de l'Etat replacing the older building along with a new clock tower. It is a terminus and... - Gare Saint-Lazare - Évreux-Normandie - Lisieux - CaenGare de CaenCaen, Gare de l'Ouest or Gare Calvados, is the main and now only station serving the city of Caen. The station stands on the main line from Paris to Cherbourg and although it mainly is an intercity station many regional trains use the station. Typical services link Caen to Lisieux, Evreux, Paris,...
- CherbourgGare de CherbourgGare de Cherbourg is the railway station of the city of Cherbourg, France. It is the western terminus of the Mantes-la-Jolie–Cherbourg railway.... - Gare Saint Lazare - Évreux-Normandie - Lisieux - Trouville-DeauvilleGare de Trouville-DeauvilleTrouville-Deauville is the station for the towns of Deauville and Trouville-sur-Mer. The station is built in neo-normand architecture and is a terminus for two railway lines, the main line from Paris by Lisieux and the Côte Fleurie branchline to Dives-Cabourg.The line from Paris and Lisieux opened...
- Gare Saint Lazare - Rouen-Rive-Droite - DieppeGare de DieppeGare de Dieppe is the train station for the town of Dieppe, Seine-Maritime and was built by Chemins de Fer de Paris à Cherbourg on 28 July 1848. It used to have a direct connection with Paris-St. Lazare via Serqueux and Gisors, but this line was closed in 2006. Along with Dieppe-Port, it was a stop...
Suburban (Transilien)
- For more information on Transilien services, see Transilien Paris – Saint-LazareTransilien Paris – Saint-LazareTransilien Paris – Saint-Lazare is one of the sectors in the Paris Transilien suburban rail network. The trains on this sector depart from Gare Saint-Lazare in central Paris, as well as from Noisy-le-Roi station in the suburbs. Transilien services from Paris – Saint-Lazare are part of the SNCF...
.
The following Transilien
Transilien
The Transilien is the brand name for suburban railway services of the SNCF-owned railway network operating within the Île-de-France région...
lines depart from Saint-Lazare:
- J
- Saint-Lazare - Conflans - Gisors
- Saint-Lazare - Ermont-Eaubonne
- Saint-Lazare - Conflans - Mantes-la-Jolie
- Saint-Lazare - Poissy - Mantes-la-Jolie - Vernon
- L
- Saint-Lazare - Cergy-le-Haut
- Saint-Lazare - Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche
- Saint-Lazare - Versailles-Rive-Droite