metrotro

Metro: the traffic on the fastest line in Paris will soon be interrupted

undefined undefined undefined 08h30

The Editor

Hugo Dominguez

The RATP has just announced a new closure of line 14 due to construction work, with several complete traffic shutdowns expected this autumn. In other words, the fastest line in the Paris metro will take a break on certain Sundays, which could make many journeys a bit trickier.

Yes, even the line 14, usually impeccable and always on time, is getting a little check-up. And no, this won't be the perfect time to catch an early morning flight or make a quick round trip to Châtelet. Some closures of line 14 will last the entire morning, turning a simple trip from Gare de Lyon to Saint-Lazare into quite a hassle.

Sunday Mornings Without Trains

First date to remember: on Sunday, October 26, line 14 will be completely closed until 10 AM. The same scenario will happen on Sunday, December 7, when no metro will run before the end of the morning. Two more dates could disrupt travelers even further: on Sundays, November 9 and 23, the closure of line 14 will last until 2 PM. 

What are the alternatives?

During the closures of line 14, RATP recommends taking the tram T7 to Villejuif – Louis Aragon, and then continuing with metro line 7. It’s a bit longer, but reliable! Taxis and rideshare services remain a good alternative, as long as you're okay with a slight extra cost. Finally, if you can, the best option is to adjust your travel plans and wait until the work is done.

The most high-performing line in the world!

These closures are meant to further increase the capacity of line 14 and improve train frequency. Yet it remains the best line in the world in terms of performance! Today, on average,  on a platform of line 14 during rush hour, the average wait time is 85 seconds. That’s less than one minute and thirty seconds. And, most importantly,10 seconds less than in March (just under two weeks ago), and 20 seconds less than a year ago, just before the line was extended to Orly Airport shortly before the start of the Olympic Games. Since April 1st, RATP has increased the frequency of trains during the most popular times of the day.

An increase that allows line 14 to position itself as one of the lines.

the most efficient in the world, thus breaking the frequency records of the Singapore metro, a country renowned for the excellence of its transport. As a result, the line currently carries 800,000 passengers daily and is expected to surpass one million within two years. A true "global achievement", according to Jean Castex, president of RATP. Valérie Pécresse, who manages the Île-de-France Mobilités (IDFM), has also asked her teams to take inspiration from it, particularly for the RER E. Fingers crossed!

 In the meantime, better...It's worth planning your trips and checking traffic information before taking the purple line of the RATP network. Good luck!