Paris Metro Line 13
Encyclopedia
Line 13 is one of the sixteen lines of the Paris Métro
rapid transit system. The result of the fusion of the now-extinct Line B of the Nord-Sud Company
and the old Line 14 of the CMP
. Their creation was destined to be replaced by a north-south RER line before the reorganisation of the Île-de-France region in 1965 and the plan was never realised. Instead, Line 13 connects the western part of Paris to the suburbs of Saint-Denis
, Asnières
, and Gennevilliers
in the north and to Châtillon
and Montrouge
in the south.
At 24.3 km (15.1 mi) in length, counting both of its northern branches, it is the longest line of the Métro. In 2004, it carried over 114 million riders, about 540,000 per weekday. Annual traffic grew by about ten million passengers after the opening of two new stations on the Asnières branch on 14 June 2008. According to data from December 2009, there are 610,050 riders per day.
Line 13's use of two northern branches serving highly populated areas, its long length, extension into the suburbs, and rapid development of areas that it serves have culminated in the line's saturation, further highlighted by associations representing passengers. It is the most crowded line in the system, especially the tracks closest to Saint-Lazare.
, obtained a concession from the City of Paris to build a rapid transit network of two lines concurrent with the more prominent CMP
, which had already opened the first lines of the Métro.
Connecting Porte de Saint-Ouen (Paris Métro)
and Saint-Lazare (Paris Métro)
, the construction of Line B began on 19 June 1905 with 2.8 km (1.7 mi) of track. Four years later, building commenced on the branch to Porte de Clichy. The line ran under Rue d'Amsterdam until its split at La Fourche
, with each branch following either the Avenue de Clichy or the Avenue de Saint-Ouen. No connection was provided to the CMP.
On 26 February 1911, Line B opened between Saint-Lazare and Porte de Saint-Ouen, with the northwestern branch to Porte de Clichy opening a year later. Due to the narrow width of Rue d'Amsterdam, Berlin (renamed to Liège) station was built unusually with non-aligned platforms. The Nord-Sud Company operated Line B with 368 trains per day, a minimum of 2.5 minute headways.
On 1 January 1930, the CMP absorbed the Nord-Sud Company and re-named Line B to Line 13 in accordance with its numerical naming policy. The electrical supply also needed to be changed; the Nord-Sud Company used overhead power, while the CMP relied on third rail technology. In order to allow interoperability, Line 13 was switched to third rail power.
In December 2003, the extension of Line 14 to Saint-Lazare resulted in a large increase of passengers using the station; within a year, the number of people using Saint-Lazare rose from 40.8m to 64.1m. However, this has only worsened the chronic congestion of Line 13.
Important economic development at Plaine Saint-Denis around a vast urban project since the construction of the Stade de France
has also worsened conditions on the line since a number have companies have moved there, forcing more employees to use the line for their commutes.
In 2007, the delay of the automatic control system named Ouragan led the RATP to propose to STIF the establishment of "pushers" (poussers, control assistants), responsible for smoother boarding and detraining at the busiest stations on Line 13.
to prevent passengers from falling onto the tracks when no train operator is onboard.
On 17 December 2006, Line 13 has had its own command post and centralised control (poste de commande et de contrôle centralisé, PCC) managed from Châtillon. It involves the coordination of a number of officials to reduce the number of delays and incidents on the line. Since 29 July 2008, the PCC integrates the manoeuvre and start functions that were previously operated at each terminal.
At the end of 2010, it was revealed that ten stations would receive platform screen door installation in an attempt to increase the average speed of trains and reduce track-related incidents. After a test a few years earlier, the RATP decided that such doors must be built as crowding increases so that passengers cannot fall off the platform; to do this, the agency recruited the Kaba Group
to perform automation and installation on Lines 1 and 13. The company uses the ClearSy security system to control door opening and closing. However, the new platform screen doors are not the same as the prototypes installed at Invalides
.
On 29 December 2009, the RATP announced that Miromesnil
would be the first of twelve stations to be equipped with these doors and that work would begin in June 2010, finishing three months later. After that, the following stations will receive platform screen doors: Saint-Lazare, Champs-Élysées – Clemenceau, Basilique de Saint-Denis, Saint-Denis – Port de Paris, Invalides (replacement), Varenne, Saint-François-Xavier, Duroc, Liège, Montparnasse – Bienvenüe, and Place de Clichy.
Line 13 is one of the most crowded of the Parisian network. Various solutions have been investigated to enhance capacity:
It is the latter solution which has been adopted.
Paris Métro
The Paris Métro or Métropolitain is the rapid transit metro system in Paris, France. It has become a symbol of the city, noted for its density within the city limits and its uniform architecture influenced by Art Nouveau. The network's sixteen lines are mostly underground and run to 214 km ...
rapid transit system. The result of the fusion of the now-extinct Line B of the Nord-Sud Company
Nord-Sud Company
The Nord-Sud Company was an operator of underground trains in Paris established in 1904, which built two lines and had a concession to build a third...
and the old Line 14 of the CMP
CMP
- Medicine :* Cardiomyopathy, a heart muscle disease* Chondromalacia Patellae, a degenerative condition of the knee cap * Chronic myofascial pain, also known as Myofascial pain syndrome, a condition associated with hypersensitive muscular trigger points...
. Their creation was destined to be replaced by a north-south RER line before the reorganisation of the Île-de-France region in 1965 and the plan was never realised. Instead, Line 13 connects the western part of Paris to the suburbs of Saint-Denis
Saint-Denis
Saint-Denis is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Saint-Denis is a sous-préfecture of the Seine-Saint-Denis département, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Saint-Denis....
, Asnières
Asnières
Asnières is the name or part of the name of several communes in France:* Asnières, Eure, in the Eure département* Asnières-en-Bessin, in the Calvados département* Asnières-en-Montagne, in the Côte-d'Or département...
, and Gennevilliers
Gennevilliers
Gennevilliers is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-History:On 9 April 1929, one-fifth of the territory of Gennevilliers was detached and became the commune of Villeneuve-la-Garenne.-Transport:...
in the north and to Châtillon
Châtillon
Châtillon may refer to:*Châtillon ** Hugh I of Châtillon*First Battle of Châtillon during the war in the Vendée .*Battle of Châtillon during the Siege of Paris in the Franco-Prussian War It is the name of several places:...
and Montrouge
Montrouge
Montrouge is a commune in the southern Parisian suburbs, located from the center of Paris, France. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe...
in the south.
At 24.3 km (15.1 mi) in length, counting both of its northern branches, it is the longest line of the Métro. In 2004, it carried over 114 million riders, about 540,000 per weekday. Annual traffic grew by about ten million passengers after the opening of two new stations on the Asnières branch on 14 June 2008. According to data from December 2009, there are 610,050 riders per day.
Line 13's use of two northern branches serving highly populated areas, its long length, extension into the suburbs, and rapid development of areas that it serves have culminated in the line's saturation, further highlighted by associations representing passengers. It is the most crowded line in the system, especially the tracks closest to Saint-Lazare.
Chronology
- 26 February 1911: Line B of the Nord-Sud company was opened from Saint-Lazare to Porte de Saint-Ouen.
- 20 January 1912: A second branch of Line B was opened between La Fourche and Porte de Clichy.
- 1930: The Nord-Sud company was bought by the CMP company. Line B became Line 13, and the Nord-Sud's planned future Line C was assigned the number 14.
- 21 January 1937: The original Line 14 was opened between Bienvenüe and Porte de Vanves.
- 27 July 1937: Line 14 was extended north from Bienvenüe to Duroc and took over the section between Duroc and Invalides from Line 10Paris Metro Line 10Paris Métro Line 10 is one of 16 metro lines in Paris, France. The line links the Boulogne – Pont de Saint Cloud metro station in Boulogne in the west with the Gare d'Austerlitz, travelling under the neighborhoods situated on the Rive Gauche in the southern half of Paris and the commune of...
. - 30 June 1952: Line 13 was extended north from Porte de Saint-Ouen to Carrefour Pleyel.
- 27 June 1973: The line was extended south from Saint-Lazare to Miromesnil.
- 18 February 1975: The line was extended south from Miromesnil to Champs-Elysées – Clémenceau.
- 26 May 1976: The line was extended north from Carrefour Pleyel to Saint-Denis – Basilique.
- 9 November 1976: The line was extended from Champs-Elysées to Invalides. Line 14 was eliminated as a separate line (leaving its number available to be reused in 1998Paris Metro Line 14Line 14 of the Paris Métro system connects the stations Saint Lazare and Olympiades on a north-west south-east diagonal across the centre of Paris. It is the twelfth busiest of sixteen lines on the network, and as of 2011, the only one to be operated completely automatically; the second such line...
) and incorporated into Line 13. The line was extended south from Porte de Vanves to Châtillon – Montrouge. - 9 May 1980: The northwestern branch of the line was extended from Porte de Clichy to Gabriel Péri.
- 25 May 1998: The northern branch was extended from Basilique de Saint-Denis to Saint-Denis – Université.
- 14 June 2008: The northwestern branch was extended from Gabriel Péri to Les Courtilles.
Line B of the Nord-Sud Company
On 28 December 1901, the Société du chemin de fer éléctrique souterrain Nord-Sud de Paris, or Nord-Sud CompanyNord-Sud Company
The Nord-Sud Company was an operator of underground trains in Paris established in 1904, which built two lines and had a concession to build a third...
, obtained a concession from the City of Paris to build a rapid transit network of two lines concurrent with the more prominent CMP
CMP
- Medicine :* Cardiomyopathy, a heart muscle disease* Chondromalacia Patellae, a degenerative condition of the knee cap * Chronic myofascial pain, also known as Myofascial pain syndrome, a condition associated with hypersensitive muscular trigger points...
, which had already opened the first lines of the Métro.
Connecting Porte de Saint-Ouen (Paris Métro)
Porte de Saint-Ouen (Paris Metro)
Porte de Saint-Ouen is a station on line 13 of the Paris Métro on the border of the 17th and 18th arrondissements. Unusually it has an escalator directly linking the platform to the street at the exit to the Rue Leibniz....
and Saint-Lazare (Paris Métro)
Saint-Lazare (Paris Metro)
Saint-Lazare is a station on lines 3, 12, 13 and 14 of the Paris Métro on the border of the 8th and 9th arrondissements. It is the second busiest station of the metro system and is the western terminus of line 14....
, the construction of Line B began on 19 June 1905 with 2.8 km (1.7 mi) of track. Four years later, building commenced on the branch to Porte de Clichy. The line ran under Rue d'Amsterdam until its split at La Fourche
La Fourche (Paris Metro)
La Fourche is a station of the Paris Métro, serving Line 13.The station opened on 26 February 1911 as part of the Nord-Sud Company's line B from Saint-Lazare to Porte de Saint-Ouen. On 20 January 1912 it became a junction with the opening of the northwesterly branch to Porte de Clichy...
, with each branch following either the Avenue de Clichy or the Avenue de Saint-Ouen. No connection was provided to the CMP.
On 26 February 1911, Line B opened between Saint-Lazare and Porte de Saint-Ouen, with the northwestern branch to Porte de Clichy opening a year later. Due to the narrow width of Rue d'Amsterdam, Berlin (renamed to Liège) station was built unusually with non-aligned platforms. The Nord-Sud Company operated Line B with 368 trains per day, a minimum of 2.5 minute headways.
On 1 January 1930, the CMP absorbed the Nord-Sud Company and re-named Line B to Line 13 in accordance with its numerical naming policy. The electrical supply also needed to be changed; the Nord-Sud Company used overhead power, while the CMP relied on third rail technology. In order to allow interoperability, Line 13 was switched to third rail power.
Saturation
Line 13 is perhaps the least-appreciated line of the Métro by riders and is the object of a number of criticisms on part of its constant overcrowding, especially north of Saint-Lazare where the line splits in two, leading to reduced frequencies. It is not rare for passengers to wait for several trains to load before being able to board due to the sheer volume of users. Within trains, there may be up to 4.5 people per square metre, while the cars on Line 13 can only hold four people per square metre.In December 2003, the extension of Line 14 to Saint-Lazare resulted in a large increase of passengers using the station; within a year, the number of people using Saint-Lazare rose from 40.8m to 64.1m. However, this has only worsened the chronic congestion of Line 13.
Important economic development at Plaine Saint-Denis around a vast urban project since the construction of the Stade de France
Stade de France
The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for...
has also worsened conditions on the line since a number have companies have moved there, forcing more employees to use the line for their commutes.
In 2007, the delay of the automatic control system named Ouragan led the RATP to propose to STIF the establishment of "pushers" (poussers, control assistants), responsible for smoother boarding and detraining at the busiest stations on Line 13.
Intermediate measures
Since December 2006, more than eighty additional trains have been added to provide supplemental service, a nearly 10% increase including additional Asnières branch service. Two years later, an automatic reversal at Châtillon-Montrouge went into effect, which reduces the turn-back time by ten seconds so as to circulate trains every 95 seconds. This has in turn required the installation of platform screen doorsPlatform screen doors
Platform screen doors and platform edge doors at train or subway stations screen the platform from the train. They are a relatively new addition to many metro systems around the world, with some platform doors retrofitted rather than installed with the metro system itself. They are widely used in...
to prevent passengers from falling onto the tracks when no train operator is onboard.
On 17 December 2006, Line 13 has had its own command post and centralised control (poste de commande et de contrôle centralisé, PCC) managed from Châtillon. It involves the coordination of a number of officials to reduce the number of delays and incidents on the line. Since 29 July 2008, the PCC integrates the manoeuvre and start functions that were previously operated at each terminal.
At the end of 2010, it was revealed that ten stations would receive platform screen door installation in an attempt to increase the average speed of trains and reduce track-related incidents. After a test a few years earlier, the RATP decided that such doors must be built as crowding increases so that passengers cannot fall off the platform; to do this, the agency recruited the Kaba Group
Kaba Group
Kaba Holding AG is a global security group based in Rümlang, Switzerland, and employing around 8,000 staff in over 60 countries. They are a publicly-traded company listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange.- History :...
to perform automation and installation on Lines 1 and 13. The company uses the ClearSy security system to control door opening and closing. However, the new platform screen doors are not the same as the prototypes installed at Invalides
Invalides (Paris Metro and RER)
Invalides is a station on lines 8 and 13 of the Paris Métro and RER in the 7th arrondissement, located near and named after les Invalides.The station was opened on 13 July 1913 as part of the original section of Line 8 between Beaugrenelle and Opéra...
.
On 29 December 2009, the RATP announced that Miromesnil
Miromesnil (Paris Metro)
Miromesnil is a station on lines 9 and on and 13 of the Paris Métro in the 8th arrondissement.The station opened on 27 May 1923 with the extension of line 9 from Trocadéro to Saint-Augustin. The line 13 platforms opened on 27 June 1973 with the extension of the line from Saint-Lazare...
would be the first of twelve stations to be equipped with these doors and that work would begin in June 2010, finishing three months later. After that, the following stations will receive platform screen doors: Saint-Lazare, Champs-Élysées – Clemenceau, Basilique de Saint-Denis, Saint-Denis – Port de Paris, Invalides (replacement), Varenne, Saint-François-Xavier, Duroc, Liège, Montparnasse – Bienvenüe, and Place de Clichy.
Future
After the northwestern branch was extended by 1.88 km with two more stations, Les Agnettes and Les Courtilles, a further extension with a third station (Port de Gennevilliers) will be added later.Line 13 is one of the most crowded of the Parisian network. Various solutions have been investigated to enhance capacity:
- making a branch independent (a 13bis line),
- extending line 14Paris Metro Line 14Line 14 of the Paris Métro system connects the stations Saint Lazare and Olympiades on a north-west south-east diagonal across the centre of Paris. It is the twelfth busiest of sixteen lines on the network, and as of 2011, the only one to be operated completely automatically; the second such line...
to La Fourche station and have it take over a branch from Line 13, or - extending line 14 to Porte de Clichy and Mairie de Saint-OuenMairie de Saint-Ouen (Paris Métro)Mairie de Saint-Ouen is a station on line 13 of the Paris Métro in the commune of Saint-Ouen. The station opened on 30 June 1952 when the line was extended from Porte de Saint-Ouen to Carrefour Pleyel. It is named after the nearby town hall of Saint-Ouen....
providing an express link to Saint-LazareSaint-Lazare (Paris Metro)Saint-Lazare is a station on lines 3, 12, 13 and 14 of the Paris Métro on the border of the 8th and 9th arrondissements. It is the second busiest station of the metro system and is the western terminus of line 14....
and downtown as well as a direct connection the between the suburbs Clichy and Saint-Ouen.
It is the latter solution which has been adopted.
Enhancements
The trains on Line 13 are currently being refurbished, and the first refitted train entered service in January 2007. These refitted trains have new features such as automatic displays and announcements, which are now added to all new or refitted rolling stock, but also a reduced number of seats to allow for more standing passengers. The capacity of each train is increased by 26.Stations renamed
- 20 January 1912: Marcadet renamed as Marcadet – Balagny.
- 1 August 1914: Berlin renamed as Liège.
- 27 January 1946: Marcadet – Balagny renamed as Guy Môquet.
- 25 May 1998: Saint-Denis – Basilique renamed as Basilique de Saint-Denis.
- 14 June 2008: Gabriel Péri – Asnières – Gennevilliers renamed as Gabriel Péri.
Tourism
Line 13 passes near several places of interest:- Saint-Denis and its medieval basilicaSaint Denis BasilicaThe Cathedral Basilica of Saint Denis is a large medieval abbey church in the commune of Saint-Denis, now a northern suburb of Paris. The abbey church was created a cathedral in 1966 and is the seat of the Bishop of Saint-Denis, Pascal Michel Ghislain Delannoy...
, which contains the tombs of the kings of France. - Saint-OuenSaint-Ouen, Seine-Saint-DenisSaint-Ouen is a commune in the Seine-Saint-Denis department. It is located in the northern suburbs of Paris, France 6.6 km from the centre of Paris....
and its famous flea market. - The lower Champs-ÉlyséesChamps-ÉlyséesThe Avenue des Champs-Élysées is a prestigious avenue in Paris, France. With its cinemas, cafés, luxury specialty shops and clipped horse-chestnut trees, the Avenue des Champs-Élysées is one of the most famous streets and one of the most expensive strip of real estate in the world. The name is...
near the Grand PalaisGrand PalaisThis article contains material abridged and translated from the French and Spanish Wikipedia.The Grand Palais des Champs-Elysées, commonly known as the Grand Palais , is a large historic site, exhibition hall and museum complex located at the Champs-Élysées in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France...
and the Petit PalaisPetit PalaisThe Petit Palais is a museum in Paris, France. Built for the Universal Exhibition in 1900 to Charles Girault's designs, it now houses the City of Paris Museum of Fine Arts ....
. - The Invalides, which contains the tomb of Napoléon Bonaparte.
- MontparnasseMontparnasseMontparnasse is an area of Paris, France, on the left bank of the river Seine, centred at the crossroads of the Boulevard du Montparnasse and the Rue de Rennes, between the Rue de Rennes and boulevard Raspail...
, its famous cafés and the Montparnasse TowerTour MontparnasseTour Maine-Montparnasse , also commonly named Tour Montparnasse, is a tall office skyscraper located in Paris, France, in the area of Montparnasse. Constructed from 1969 to 1972, it was the tallest skyscraper in France until 2011, when it was surpassed in height by the Tour First...
.