Paris Métro Line 1 Explained

Box Width:350px
Text Color:black
Line Name:Line 1
Network:Paris Métro
Locale:Puteaux, Courbevoie, Paris, Vincennes
Terminus:La Défense
Château de Vincennes
Operator Org:RATP
Conducting System:Automated (SAET)
Rolling Stock:MP 05 (54 trains as of 11 February 2023)
Number Stations:25
Length:16.6
Dist Between Stations:692
Electrification:750 V DC on guide bars
Passengers Per Year:181.2 million
Traffic Rank:1st/16 (2017)

Paris Métro Line 1 (French: Ligne 1 du métro de Paris) is one of the sixteen lines of the Paris Métro. It connects in the northwest and in the southeast. With a length of 16.5km (10.3miles), it constitutes an important east–west transportation route within the City of Paris. Excluding Réseau Express Régional (RER) commuter lines, it is the busiest line on the network with 181.2 million travellers in 2017 or 496,000 people per day on average.

The line was the network's first to open, with its inaugural section entering service in 1900. It is also the network's first line to be converted from manually driven operation to fully automated operation. Conversion, which commenced in 2007 and was completed in 2011, included new rolling stock (MP 05) and laying of platform edge doors in all stations. The first eight MP 05 trains (501 through 508) went into passenger service on 3 November 2011,[1] [2] allowing the accelerated transfer of the existing MP 89 CC stock to Line 4; however, as of 2019, Line 4 is also being converted to automated operations.[3] The conversion allowed Line 1 to operate as the system's second fully automated line, after Line 14.

A transition to fully automated services was done without major interruption to passenger traffic. The new MP 05 rolling stock was able to operate efficiently alongside the manually-driven MP 89 CC rolling stock until there were enough MP 05 to no longer facilitate the need of the MP 89. Full automation was achieved for evening services in May 2012, with an increase to weekend services by August 2012. As of 15 December 2012, Line 1 is fully automated. The remaining five MP 89 CC trains remained stored on Line 1 near the Fontenay workshops until a new garage for Line 4 was opened south of the new Mairie de Montrouge station in February 2013. Line 1 is currently being extended to Val de Fontenay to make a link with Paris Metro Line 15, RER A, RER E and an extension of Tram 1.

History

The Parisian metropolitan network has its origins in several decades of debate, more or less bizarre projects and tug of war between the State (which was favourable to the interconnection of large rail networks with large undergrounds) and the City Hall of Paris (which wanted a small-scale network, serving only the inner city with very close stations, effectively prohibiting access to the equipment of the large railway companies). The deterioration of traffic conditions in Paris, the example of foreign capitals and the approach of the 1900 Universal Exhibition convinced the authorities to start construction of the metro. The solution proposed by the Mayor of Paris was finally adopted; the State conceded the design and construction of the work to the City of Paris. After the adoption by the municipal council on 20 April 1896 of the network project of Fulgence Bienvenüe and Edmond Huet, the "metropolitan railway" was declared a public utility by a law that became effective 30 March 1898.

In November 1898, the City of Paris decided to undertake preliminary work of the metro network with the construction of the first line of the Parisian subway system. Work lasted twenty months under the leadership of engineers Fulgence Bienvenüe and was financed by the municipality of Paris. The line was divided into eight parts distributed among several companies. On 19 July 1900, the line was opened between Porte Maillot and Porte de Vincennes to connect the various sites of the World Fair. Only eight stations were finalised and opened with the inauguration; ten more were gradually opened between 6 August and 1 September 1900. The line followed the east–west monument axis in Paris. These eighteen stations were entirely built under the control of engineer Fulgence Bienvenüe, the majority of them 75m (246feet) long and 4.1m (13.5feet) wide. In March 1934, the first extension into the suburbs brought service to Château of Vincennes towards the east.

Chronology

Rolling stock

Line 1 has had five different types of rolling stock throughout the years:

1913–1964

1963–1998

1997–2012

2011–present

Automation

After successfully opening Line 14 as a fully automated line, the RATP began to explore the possibility of automating existing lines on the system. The agency first focused on Line 1, since it is the busiest of all of the Paris subway lines, and also the line most frequented by tourists. Automation not only allowed Paris to remain as a model for technological innovations in the railway industry but also increases the number of lines in normal service when RATP workers are striking (MP 05 rolling stock). This was shown when the transport union engaged in industrial action in September 2019 without affecting service on Line 1.[4]

Work began in 2007 and was largely carried out without interrupting passenger traffic. Preliminary work involved electrical and signaling upgrades throughout the entire line. Work also commenced on converting the original Porte Maillot station (also known as "Espace Maillot") into a light maintenance facility for the MP 05 rolling stock. In 2009, work commenced on installing platform screen doors; with Bérault and Porte Maillot being the first stations to be equipped. Due to its curved platform, Bastille (in 2011) was among the last stations to be equipped. During this time, individual stations were intermittently closed to allow platforms to be leveled with the height of the train floors (from).

Although most of the stations remain the same as they were prior to automation (with the exception of the platform screen doors), many stations like St. Paul, received brand new signage. Franklin D. Roosevelt received a complete overhaul from its post World War II facade to a more contemporary & modern look.

On 3 November 2011, the first eight trains of the new MP 05 rolling stock were put into service on Line 1. These trains ran alongside the MP 89 CC rolling stock until enough automated stock was available for passenger service. This cascading was achieved thanks to the SAET (French: Système d'automatisation de l'exploitation des trains) system, which is the first version of Siemens Transportation Systems' Trainguard MT CBTC. The arrival of the new stock allowed the RATP to accelerate transfer of the MP 89 from Line 1 to Line 4 at a rate of about 2 to 3 trains per month between November 2011 and November 2012. That rate increased to 4 trains per month during November and December 2012.

Major milestones were reached in May and July 2012 as full automation reached sufficient levels by which the MP 89 were no longer needed during late evenings and weekends respectively. For the Nuit Blanche during October 2012, Line 1 also operated in full automation. The final milestone was reached on 15 December 2012, as full automation of Line 1 approached 100%, allowing the remaining MP 89 trains to be pulled from regular service on 21 December 2012. Due to insufficient storage space on Line 4, the remaining 6 to 7 MP 89 trains remained stored on the Line 1 tracks near Fontenay until a new garage in the Montrouge area opened. That opening was tentatively set for February/March 2013 and will coincide with the opening of the new Mairie de Montrouge station opening on Line 4. Since 16 February 2013, a year later than what was planned in 2010, the line has been fully automated. The final adjustments were completed on Sunday, 28 July 2013. It thus became one of the first lines in the world transformed into a full automatic line and not designed as such from the start.

On 22 January 2016, at around 5 p.m., all of the trains on Line 1 came to a standstill due to a computer malfunction. Most of them were in the stations, but sixteen of them, stuck in the tunnel, had to be evacuated with the help of agents who have come to “free” the travelers. Traffic resumed only in the next morning. This breakdown, described as historic by the RATP, is the consequence of a bug that occurred in the automatic pilot system which has been fitted in line 1 since 2013.

Future

A western extension of Line 1 from La Défense station to the center of Nanterre is being considered. Another proposal being investigated would have a new station constructed at Fontenay – Rigollots, just before the line climbs to the surface to enter Fontenay shops, and then continue eastward to Val de Fontenay to connect with RER lines A and E.

Stations

StationImageCommunedata-sort-type="date"OpenedInterchangesDistance (in km)

Puteaux1 April 1992

0.0
Courbevoie, Puteaux1 April 19920.90.9
Neuilly-sur-Seine29 April 19370.81.7

Neuilly-sur-Seine29 April 19371.02.7

Paris (16th, 17th)19 July 1900
1.03.7
Paris (16th, 17th)1 September 19000.54.2
Paris (8th, 16th, 17th)1 September 1900
0.54.7
Paris (8th)13 August 19000.55.2
Paris (8th)19 July 19000.75.9

Paris (8th)1 September 19000.36.2
Paris (1st, 8th)13 August 19000.66.8
Paris (1st)19 July 19000.77.5
Paris (1st)19 July 19000.58.0
Paris (1st)13 August 19000.38.3
Paris (1st, 4th)6 August 1900
0.58.8
Paris (4th)19 July 19000.39.1

Paris (4th)6 August 19000.79.8
Paris (4th, 11th, 12th)19 July 19000.710.5
Paris (12th)19 July 1900

0.811.3
Paris (12th)20 August 19001.112.4
Paris (11th, 12th)19 July 1900
0.713.1
Paris (12th, 20th)19 July 19001.114.2
Saint-Mandé24 March 19340.614.8
Saint-Mandé, Vincennes24 March 19340.715.5
Vincennes24 March 19340.716.2

Renamed stations

Date Old name New name
27 May 1920 Alma station George V
5 May 1931 Reuilly station Reuilly-Diderot
20 May 1931 Champs-Élysées Champs-Élysées–Clemenceau
26 April 1937 Tourelle Tourelle–Saint-Mandé
6 October 1942 Marbeuf Marbeuf–Rond-Point des Champs-Élysées
30 October 1946 Marbeuf–Rond-Point des Champs-Élysées Franklin D. Roosevelt
25 May 1948 Obligado Argentine
1970 Étoile Charles de Gaulle–Étoile
1989 Palais Royal Palais Royal–Musée du Louvre
1989 Louvre Louvre–Rivoli
1997 Grande Arche de la Défense La Défense
26 July 2002 Tourelle—Saint-MandéSaint-Mandé

Tourism

Line 1 passes near several places of interest:

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Local - Oldest Paris metro line gets driverless trains. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20111107094716/http://www.thelocal.fr/1648/20111103/. 2011-11-07.
  2. News: Les premières rames automatiques roulent sur la ligne 1 . fr . 3 November 2011 . Le Parisien . 16 May 2019 . 1 January 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170101091053/http://www.leparisien.fr/paris-75/les-premieres-rames-automatiques-roulent-sur-la-ligne-1-03-11-2011-1699463.php . dead .
  3. https://www.ratp.fr/en/automatisationdela4 Metro line 4 heading for automation
  4. News: Massive public transit strike over pension reforms paralyses Paris. France 24. 12 September 2019. 15 September 2019. 15 September 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190915061958/https://www.france24.com/en/20190912-paris-braces-major-strike-public-transport-system-friday-ratp-metro-france. live.