Editing Paris Métro (section)

== History ==
[[File:Paris Metro construction 03300288-3.jpg|thumb|left|230px|During the initial construction of the Métro, the tunnels were [[Tunnel#Cut-and-cover|excavated in open sites and then covered]].]]
[[File:Gare de la Bastille 1.jpg|thumb|left|230px|[[Bastille station (Paris Métro)|Bastille station]] at the beginning of the 20th century]]
By 1845, Paris and the railway companies were already thinking about an urban railway system to link inner districts of the city. The railway companies and the French government wanted to extend mainline railways into a new underground network, whereas the Parisians favoured a new and independent network and feared national takeover of any system it built.{{sfnp|Bobrick|1981|p=135}} The disagreement lasted from 1856 to 1890. Meanwhile, the population became denser and traffic congestion grew massively. The deadlock put pressure on the authorities and gave the city the green light.

Prior to 1845, the urban transport network consisted primarily of a large number of omnibus lines, consolidated by the French government into a regulated system with fixed and unconflicting routes and schedules.{{sfnp|Bobrick|1981|pp=138–140}} The first concrete proposal for an urban rail system in Paris was put forward by civil engineer Florence de Kérizouet. This plan called for a surface [[cable railway|cable car]] system.{{sfnp|Bobrick|1981|p=141}} In 1855, civil engineers Edouard Brame and [[Eugène Flachat]] proposed an underground freight urban railway, due to the high rate of accidents on surface rail lines.{{sfnp|Bobrick|1981|p=141}} On 19 November 1871 the General Council of the Seine commissioned a team of 40 engineers to plan an urban rail network.{{sfnp|Bobrick|1981|p=142}} This team proposed a network with a pattern of routes "resembling a cross enclosed in a circle" with axial routes following large boulevards. On 11 May 1872 the Council endorsed the plan, but the French government turned down the plan.{{sfnp|Bobrick|1981|p=142}} After this point, a serious debate occurred over whether the new system should consist of elevated lines or of mostly underground lines; this debate involved numerous parties in France, including [[Victor Hugo]], [[Guy de Maupassant]], and the Eiffel Society of [[Gustave Eiffel]], and continued until 1892.{{sfnp|Bobrick|1981|pp=142–148}} Eventually the underground option emerged as the preferred solution because of the high cost of buying land for rights-of-way in central Paris required for elevated lines, estimated at 70,000 francs per metre of line for a {{Convert|20|meter|ftin|abbr=out}}-wide railway.{{sfnp|Bobrick|1981|p=148}}

The last remaining hurdle was the city's concern about national interference in its urban rail system. The city commissioned renowned engineer [[Jean-Baptiste Berlier]], who designed Paris' postal network of pneumatic tubes, to design and plan its rail system in the early 1890s.{{sfnp|Bobrick|1981|p=148}} Berlier recommended a special [[track gauge]] of {{Track gauge|1300mm}} (versus the [[standard gauge]] of {{Track gauge|1435mm|disp=or}}) to protect the system from national takeover, which inflamed the issue substantially.{{sfnp|Bobrick|1981|pp=148–149}} The issue was finally settled when the Minister of Public Works begrudgingly recognised the city's right to build a local system on 22 November 1895, and by the city's secret designing of the trains and tunnels to be too narrow for mainline trains, while adopting standard gauge as a compromise with the state.{{sfnp|Bobrick|1981|pp=148–149}}

=== Fulgence Bienvenüe project ===
[[File:1903-06, Station Chevaleret Métro aérien rive gauche (1).jpg|thumb|Construction of [[Chevaleret station]], 1903]]
[[File:Station Métro Jaurès Ligne 2 - Paris X (FR75) - 2022-04-28 - 8.jpg|thumb|Line 2 at [[Jaurès station]]]]
On 20 April 1896, Paris adopted the [[Fulgence Bienvenüe]] project, which was to serve only the city proper of Paris. Many Parisians worried that extending lines to industrial suburbs would reduce the safety of the city. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Railways and Stations – Sembleue – Memories of France |url=https://sembleue.com/category/infrastructure/railways-and-stations/#:~:text=On%2020%20April%201896,%20Paris,initially%2039-year%20leases). |access-date=2025-04-10 |language=en-GB}}</ref> Paris forbade lines to the inner suburbs and, as a guarantee, Métro trains were to run on the right, as opposed to existing suburban lines, which ran on the left.

Unlike many other subway systems (such as that of London), this system was designed from the outset as a unified system, initially of nine lines.{{sfnp|Bobrick|1981|p=149}} Such a large project required a private-public arrangement right from the outset – the city would build most of the permanent way, while a private concessionaire company would supply the trains and power stations, and lease the system (each line separately, for initially 39-year leases).{{elucidate|date=May 2016}}{{sfnp|Bobrick|1981|p=149}} In July 1897, six bidders competed, and The Compagnie Generale de Traction, owned by the Belgian [[Baron Empain|Baron Édouard Empain]],
won the contract; this company was then immediately reorganised as the [[Compagnie du chemin de fer métropolitain de Paris|Compagnie du chemin de fer métropolitain]].{{sfnp|Bobrick|1981|p=149}}

Construction began in November 1898.{{sfnp|Bobrick|1981|p=149}} The first line, [[Porte Maillot (Paris Métro)|Porte Maillot]]–[[Porte de Vincennes (Paris Métro)|Porte de Vincennes]], was inaugurated on 19 July 1900 during the [[Exposition Universelle (1900)|Paris World's Fair]]. Entrances to stations were designed in [[Art Nouveau]] style by [[Hector Guimard]]. Eighty-six of his entrances are still in existence.

Bienvenüe's project consisted of 10 lines, which correspond to current Lines 1 to&nbsp;9. Construction was so intense that by 1920, despite a few changes from schedule, most lines had been completed. The shield method of construction was rejected in favor of the cut-and-cover method in order to speed up work.{{sfnp|Bobrick|1981|p=151}} Bienvenüe, a highly regarded engineer, designed a special procedure of building the tunnels to allow the swift repaving of roads, and is credited with a largely swift and relatively uneventful construction through the difficult and heterogeneous soils and rocks.{{sfnp|Bobrick|1981|pp=150–151, 162}}

[[Paris Métro Line 1|Line 1]] and [[Paris Métro Line 4|Line 4]] were conceived as central east–west and north–south lines. Two lines, ''ligne 2 Nord'' (Line 2 North) and ''ligne 2 Sud'' (Line 2 South), were also planned but Line 2 South was merged with [[Paris Métro Line 5|Line&nbsp;5]] in 1906. [[Paris Métro Line 3|Line&nbsp;3]] was an additional east–west line to the north of line 1 and line 5 an additional north to south line to the east of Line&nbsp;4. [[Paris Métro Line 6|Line&nbsp;6]] would run from [[Nation (Paris Metro and RER)|Nation]] to [[Place d'Italie (Paris Métro)|Place d'Italie]]. Lines&nbsp;[[Paris Métro Line 7|7]], [[Paris Métro Line 8|8]] and [[Paris Métro Line 9|9]] would connect commercial and office districts around the [[Palais Garnier|Opéra]] to residential areas in the north-east and the south-west. Bienvenüe also planned a circular line, the ''ligne circulaire intérieure'', to connect the six mainline stations. A section opened in 1923 between [[Invalides (Paris Metro and RER)|Invalides]] and the [[Boulevard Saint-Germain]] before the plan was abandoned.

=== Nord-Sud competing network ===
{{Main|Nord-Sud Company}}
[[File:Entrée métro de Paris Compagnie Nord-Sud.jpg|thumb|upright|A ''Nord-Sud'' station sign]]
On 31 January 1904, a second concession was granted to the ''Société du chemin de fer électrique souterrain Nord-Sud de Paris'' (Paris North-South underground electrical railway company), abbreviated to the ''Nord-Sud'' (North-South) company. It was responsible for building three proposed lines:
* Line A would join [[Montmartre]] to [[Montparnasse]] as an additional north–south line to the west of Line 4.
* Line B would serve the north-west of Paris by connecting [[Gare Saint-Lazare|Saint-Lazare station]] to Porte de Clichy and Porte de Saint-Ouen.
* Line C would serve the south-west by connecting [[Gare Montparnasse|Montparnasse station]] to [[Porte de Vanves (Paris Métro)|Porte de Vanves]]. The aim was to connect Line B with Line C, but the CMP renamed Line B as Line 13 and Line C as Line 14. Both were connected by the RATP as the current Line&nbsp;13.

Line A was inaugurated on 4 November 1910, after being postponed because of floods in January that year. Line B was inaugurated on 26 February 1911. Because of the high construction costs, the construction of line C was postponed. Nord-Sud and CMP used compatible trains that could be used on both networks, but CMP trains used 600 volts third rail, and NS −600 volts overhead wire and +600 volts third rail. This was necessary because of steep gradients on NS lines. NS distinguished itself from its competitor with the high-quality decoration of its stations, the trains' extreme comfort and pretty lighting.

Nord-Sud did not become profitable and bankruptcy became unavoidable. By the end of 1930, the CMP bought Nord-Sud. Line A became [[Paris Métro Line 12|Line 12]] and Line B [[Paris Métro Line 13|Line&nbsp;13]]. Line C was built and renamed [[Paris Métro Line 14 (1937–76)|Line&nbsp;14]]; that line was reorganised in 1937 with Lines 8 and 10. This partial line is now the south part of Line&nbsp;13.

The last Nord-Sud train set was decommissioned on 15 May 1972.<ref>{{Cite web |language=fr |url=http://www.amtuir.org/04_htu_metro_paris/cmp_1968_1983/cmp_1968_1983.htm |title=1968–1983 : le RER et la modernisation du réseau parisien |trans-title=1968–1983: The RER and the modernisation of the parisian network |work=Musée des Transports – Histoire du Métropolitain de Paris |access-date=6 February 2011 |archive-date=18 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718154659/http://www.amtuir.org/04_htu_metro_paris/cmp_1968_1983/cmp_1968_1983.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== 1930–1950: first inner suburbs are reached ===
[[File:Métro parisien état du réseau en 1939.jpeg|thumb|240px|left|Paris Métro network in 1939]]
Bienvenüe's project was nearly completed during the 1920s. Paris planned three new lines and extensions of most lines to the inner suburbs, despite the reluctance of Parisians. Bienvenüe's inner circular line having been abandoned, the already-built portion between Duroc and Odéon for the creation of a new east–west line that became [[Paris Métro Line 10|Line 10]], extended west to Porte de Saint-Cloud and the inner suburbs of [[Boulogne-Billancourt|Boulogne]].

The line C planned by Nord-Sud between Montparnasse station and [[Porte de Vanves (Paris Métro)|Porte de Vanves]] was built as [[Paris Métro Line 14 before 1976|Line 14]] (different from [[Paris Métro Line 14|present Line&nbsp;14]]). It extended north in encompassing the already-built portion between Invalides and Duroc, initially planned as part of the inner circular. The over-busy [[Belleville funicular tramway]] would be replaced by a new line, [[Paris Métro Line 11|Line 11]], extended to [[Châtelet (Paris Métro)|Châtelet]]. Lines 10, 11 and 14 were thus the three new lines envisaged under this plan.

Most lines would be extended to the inner suburbs. The first to leave the city proper was Line 9, extended in 1934 to [[Boulogne-Billancourt]]; more followed in the 1930s. World War II forced authorities to abandon projects such as the extension of Line 4 and Line 12 to the northern suburbs. By 1949, eight lines had been extended: Line 1 to [[Neuilly-sur-Seine]] and [[Vincennes]], Line 3 to [[Levallois-Perret]], Line 5 to [[Pantin]], Line 7 to [[Ivry-sur-Seine]], Line 8 to [[Charenton-le-Pont|Charenton]], Line 9 to Boulogne-Billancourt, Line 11 to [[Les Lilas]] and Line 12 to [[Issy-les-Moulineaux]].

World War II had a massive impact on the Métro. Services were limited and many stations closed. The risk of bombing meant the service between [[Place d'Italie (Paris Métro)|Place d'Italie]] and [[Charles de Gaulle – Étoile (Paris Métro and RER)|Étoile]] was transferred from Line 5 to Line&nbsp;6, so that most of the elevated portions of the Métro would be on Line 6.{{Clarify|date=November 2024}} As a result, Lines 2 and 6 now form a circle. Most stations were too shallow to be used as bomb shelters. The [[French Resistance]] used the tunnels to conduct swift assaults throughout Paris.{{sfnp|Bobrick|1981|p=286}}

It took a long time to recover after liberation in 1944. Many stations had not reopened by the 1960s and some closed for good.{{cn|date=January 2024}} On 23 March 1948, the CMP (the underground) and the STCRP (bus and tramways) merged to form the [[RATP Group|RATP]], which still operates the Métro.

=== 1960–1990: development of the RER ===
[[File:Viaduc Austerlitz Paris 18.jpg|thumb|The [[Viaduc d'Austerlitz]], crossing the [[Seine]], is used by Line 5]]
The network grew saturated during the 1950s. Outdated technology limited the number of trains, which led the RATP to stop extending lines and concentrate on modernisation. The [[MP 51|MP&nbsp;51]] prototype was built, testing both [[rubber-tyred metro]] and basic automatic driving on the ''[[Voie des Fêtes and the voie navette of the Paris Métro|voie navette]]''. The first replacements of the older Sprague trains began with experimental articulated trains and then with mainstream rubber-tyred Métro [[MP 55|MP&nbsp;55]] and [[MP 59|MP&nbsp;59]], some of the latter still in service (Line 11). Thanks to newer trains and better signalling, trains ran more frequently.

The population boomed from 1950 to 1980. Car ownership became more common and suburbs grew further from the centre of Paris. The main railway stations, termini of the suburban rail lines, were overcrowded during rush hour.{{cn|date=February 2024}} The short distance between Métro stations slowed the network and made it unprofitable to build extensions. The solution in the 1960s was to revive a project abandoned at the end of the 19th century{{cn|date=February 2024}}: joining suburban lines to new underground portions in the city centre as the [[Réseau Express Régional]] (regional express network; RER).

[[File:Saint-Lazare-9-Salle-echang.jpg|thumb|[[Saint-Lazare (Paris Métro)|Saint-Lazare station]]]]
The RER plan initially included one east–west line and two north–south lines. RATP bought two unprofitable SNCF lines—the Ligne de Saint-Germain (westbound) and the Ligne de Vincennes (eastbound) with the intention of joining them and to serve multiple districts of central Paris with new underground stations. The new line created by this merger became Line&nbsp;A. The Ligne de Sceaux, which served the southern suburbs and was bought by the CMP in the 1930s, would be extended north to merge with a line of the [[SNCF]] and reach the new [[Charles de Gaulle Airport]] in Roissy. This became [[RER B|Line&nbsp;B]]. These new lines were inaugurated in 1977 and their wild success outperformed all the most optimistic forecasts to the extent that line A is the most used urban rail line in Europe with nearly 300&nbsp;million journeys a year.{{cn|date=January 2024}}

Because of the enormous cost of these two lines, the third planned line was abandoned and the authorities decided that later developments of the RER network would be more cheaply developed by the SNCF, alongside its continued management of other suburban lines. However, the RER developed by the SNCF would never match the success of the RATP's two RER lines. In 1979, the SNCF developed [[RER C|Line C]] by joining the suburban lines of the [[Gare d'Austerlitz]] and [[Gare d'Orsay]], the latter being converted into a museum dedicated to impressionist paintings. During the 1980s, it developed [[RER D|Line&nbsp;D]], which was the second line planned by the initial RER schedule, but serving Châtelet instead of [[République (Paris Métro)|République]] to reduce costs. A huge Métro-RER hub was created at [[Châtelet–Les Halles]], becoming one of the world's largest underground stations.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Aplin|first1=Richard|last2=Montchamp|first2=Joseph|title=Dictionary of Contemporary France|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DGS2AgAAQBAJ&pg=PT109|year=2014|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-135-93646-4|page=109}}</ref>

The same project of the 1960s also decided to merge Line 13 and Line 14 to create a quick connection between Saint-Lazare and Montparnasse as a new north–south line. Distances between stations on the lengthened line 13 differ from that on other lines in order to make it more "express" and hence to extend it farther in the suburbs. The new [[Paris Métro Line 13|Line&nbsp;13]] was inaugurated on 9 November 1976.

=== 1990–2010: Eole and Météor ===
[[File:Metro stop Franklin D. Roosevelt, Paris 2013.jpg|left|thumb|230px|[[Franklin D. Roosevelt (Paris Métro)|Franklin D. Roosevelt station]] on Line 1, refurbished in the late 2000s]]
In October 1998, [[Paris Métro Line 14|Line 14]] was inaugurated. It was the first fully new Métro line in 63 years. Known during its conception as ''Météor'' (Métro Est-Ouest Rapide), it was the first of the now three fully automatic lines within the network, along with Line 1 and Line 4. It was the first with [[platform screen doors]] to prevent suicides and accidents. It was conceived with extensions to the suburbs in mind, similar to the extensions of the line 13 built during the 1970s. As a result, most of the stations are at least a kilometre apart. Like the RER lines designed by the RATP, nearly all stations offer connections with multiple Métro lines. The line initially ran between [[Saint-Lazare (Paris Métro)|Saint-Lazare]] and [[Olympiades (Paris Métro)|Olympiades]] and was subsequently extended north to [[Mairie de Saint-Ouen (Paris Métro)|Mairie de St.Ouen]] in 2020.

Lines 13 and 7 are the only two on the network to be split in branches. The RATP would like to get rid of those saturated branches in order to improve the network's efficiency.{{Citation needed|date=November 2023}} A project existed to attribute to line 14 one branch of each line, and to extend them further into the suburbs. This project was abandoned. In 1999, the [[RER E|RER Line E]] was inaugurated. Known during its conception as Eole (Est-Ouest Liaison Express), it is the fifth RER line. It terminates at {{stn|Haussmann–Saint-Lazare}}, but a new project, financed by EPAD, the public authority managing the [[La Défense]] business district, should extend it west to [[La Défense station|La Défense–Grande Arche]] and the suburbs beyond.

=== 2010 and beyond: automation ===
[[File:Station métro Créteil-Pointe-du-Lac - 20130627 170810.jpg|thumb|[[Pointe du Lac (Paris Métro)|Pointe du Lac station]], opened in 2011]]
Between 2007 and November 2011, Line 1 was converted to driverless operation. The line was operated with a combination of driver-operated trains and driverless trains until the delivery of the last of its driverless [[MP 05]] trains in February 2013. The same conversion for Line 4 was completed on 13 January 2022, with the last non-automatic train removed from that line on 17 December 2023, and RATP would now like to automate Line 13.<ref name="LeP 2022 Lenhardt">{{Cite web|last=Lenhardt|first=Marjorie|date=13 January 2022|title=Après 45 ans d'attente, la ligne 4 du métro arrive "enfin" à Bagneux !|url=https://www.leparisien.fr/info-paris-ile-de-france-oise/transports/apres-45-ans-dattente-la-ligne-4-du-metro-arrive-enfin-a-bagneux-13-01-2022-3YL2PTI7Y5A3RANWCQJ4W3UB7M.php|access-date=13 January 2022|website=[[Le Parisien]]|language=fr-FR|archive-date=13 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220113050819/https://www.leparisien.fr/info-paris-ile-de-france-oise/transports/apres-45-ans-dattente-la-ligne-4-du-metro-arrive-enfin-a-bagneux-13-01-2022-3YL2PTI7Y5A3RANWCQJ4W3UB7M.php|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="LeMondeJan2024">{{Cite web|date=19 January 2024|title=Vers l'automatisation de la ligne 13 du métro parisien, d'ici 2030 ? La RATP veut reproduire celles des lignes 4 et 1|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/smart-cities/article/2024/01/19/apres-l-automatisation-exceptionnelle-de-la-ligne-4-la-ratp-vise-la-ligne-13_6211821_4811534.html|access-date=7 February 2024|website=[[Le Monde]]|language=fr-FR|archive-date=7 February 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240207205808/https://www.lemonde.fr/smart-cities/article/2024/01/19/apres-l-automatisation-exceptionnelle-de-la-ligne-4-la-ratp-vise-la-ligne-13_6211821_4811534.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Paris Métro Line 14|Line 14]] was automated from Day 1,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Line 14 Automatic Metro, Paris|url=https://www.railway-technology.com/projects/meteor/|access-date=18 January 2023|website=[[Railway Technology]]|language=fr-FR|archive-date=27 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127141703/https://www.railway-technology.com/projects/meteor/|url-status=live}}</ref> as will the lines 15 to 18 which are being built as part of the [[Grand Paris Express]].

Several extensions to the suburbs opened in the last years. Line 8 was extended to [[Pointe du Lac (Paris Métro)|Pointe du Lac]] in 2011, line 12 was extended to [[Front Populaire (Paris Métro)|Aubervilliers]] in 2012, line 4 was extended to [[Mairie de Montrouge (Paris Métro)|Mairie de Montrouge]] in 2013, Line 14 was extended by {{convert|5.8|km|mi|abbr=on}} to [[Mairie de Saint-Ouen (Paris Métro)|Mairie de Saint-Ouen]] in December 2020, and Line 4 was extended to Bagneux in January 2022.

=== Accidents and incidents ===
* 10 August 1903: [[Paris Métro train fire|Couronnes Disaster]] (fire), 84 killed.
* 8 February 1962: [[Charonne subway massacre]], a case of [[police brutality]] committed by the [[National Police (France)|French police]], 9 killed.
* July – October 1995: [[1995 France bombings|Paris Métro bombings]] (terror attack), committed by [[Armed Islamic Group of Algeria|Algerian extremists]] – 8 killed and more than 100 injured.
* 30 August 2000: an [[MF 67]] train derailed due to excessive speed and unavailable automatic cruising at [[Notre-Dame-de-Lorette (Paris Métro)|Notre-Dame-de-Lorette]], 24 slightly injured.{{cn|date=January 2024}}
* 6 August 2005: fire broke out on a train at [[Simplon (Paris Métro)|Simplon]], injuring at least 19 people. Early reports blamed an electrical [[short circuit]] as the cause.{{cn|date=January 2024}}
* 29 July 2007: a fire started on a train between [[Varenne (Paris Métro)|Varenne]] and [[Invalides (Paris Métro and RER)|Invalides]]. Fifteen people were injured.{{cn|date=January 2024}}
* 2 December 2016: an MF01 train derailed outside of [[Barbès-Rochechouart station|Barbès-Rochechouart]] station. No casualties were reported.<ref>https://www.lepoint.fr/societe/paris-un-metro-deraille-a-la-station-barbes-02-12-2016-2087509_23.php#11</ref>
* 17 September 2019: an [[MP 05]] train skipped three stations from [[Concorde station|Concorde]] to [[Franklin D. Roosevelt station|Franklin D. Roosevelt]]. It finally came to a stop at [[George V station|George V]] station. Even though nobody was hurt, several passengers were terrified. A bang was also reported to be heard at [[Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre station|Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre]] station.<ref>https://www.ouest-france.fr/economie/transports/ratp/paris-le-metro-ne-s-arrete-plus-grosse-frayeur-pour-les-passagers-de-la-ligne-1-6525564</ref>
* 14 June 2023: five trains on [[Paris Metro Line 4|Line 4]] were shut down. An operational incident on one train is believed to be the cause. Passengers opened the doors and walked along the rails to the nearest station. The evacuation of the blocked trains ended at 9:30 p.m.  This incident sparked numerous reactions on social networks, particularly Twitter , where several stranded users expressed their dissatisfaction due to the lack of rapid intervention by the RATP agents and the temperature approaching 35  °C . Traffic resumed around  10:15 p.m.  , very disrupted. The RATP announced the opening of an internal investigation.<ref>https://www.lepoint.fr/societe/incident-exceptionnel-sur-la-ligne-4-du-metro-parisien-ce-que-l-on-sait-15-06-2023-2524577_23.php</ref>