metro-station-fantome-carrelage-blanc-metro-paris-

Here is the list of all the ghost stations of the Paris metro

undefined undefined 10 décembre 2024 undefined 08h30

undefined undefined 10 décembre 2024 undefined 10h53

The Editor

© RATP / René Minoli

As a true Parisian, you probably think you know the metro map of the city by heart. And in a way, you might be right! But what you may not know as well are the other mysterious stations with legendary names that you've never seen the tiles of. Let’s dive into the discovery of these ghost stations!

If you're like us and have a strong passion for Parisian history, enjoy sharing fun facts at gatherings to entertain friends, and love a few quirky anecdotes, then it won’t be a surprise for you to learn that the capital has a number of ghost stations, closed off many years ago, or even never opened at all. But did you know there are exactly 13? A symbolic number that already hints at the mystery surrounding these unusual places in the capital. 


Victims of World War II

So why is it that more than 10 stations are denied, or rather, don’t have the honor of welcoming hurried and weary Parisians every morning? Well, for the vast majority of them, there's no need to look for a complicated explanation; it's simply due to the repercussions of the war.

cute; à l’Histoire. Just that. In 1939, as the Second World War erupts and men are sent to the front, staff become scarce in the corridors of the metro. 173 stations are then closed, and unfortunately, some of them will not get the chance to reopen later.

What's going on? We have some stations that are a bit "unnecessary," meaning they're either too underused or simply too close to their neighbors. Take Saint-Martin (lines 8 and 9), for example—it sits between Grands Boulevards and République, but it's just too near to the latter. It only opened its doors once to host an exhibition during Nuit Blanche 2010. The same goes for Champ-de-Mars on line 8, which has been deemed way too close to La Motte-Picquet Grenelle and, honestly, way too underutilized. Then there's Arsenal on line 5, nestled between Bastille and Quai de la Rapée.

Croix-Rouge (10), which was positioned between Mabillon and Sèvres-Babylone and once served as the end of the line, also shut down in '39. However, it continued to thrive through filming, and there were even plans to reopen it to host a restaurant.the Terminus. An exceptional project that was ultimately abandoned a few years ago. Finally, there's the Porte des Lilas, probably the most famous of the ghost stations thanks to its filming locations, which was the last victim of the war.


Inaccessible Stations

While some stops have sadly had to close their doors over the years, others, on the contrary, have never even opened theirs. But before we dive into these abandoned stations that never got to see a train, let's take a moment to look at another type of mysterious stations, the ones that have been moved. This includes Porte Maillot (line 1), Victor Hugo (line 2), Les Halles (line 4), Gare du Nord (line 5), and Porte de Versailles (line 12), which still exist today, but not at their original locations. In a similar vein, we also have Martin Nadaud, which simply merged with Gambetta on line 3, now forming just one single stop.

Finally, the last scenario is the built stations that have never welcomed any public. This is the case of Hoxa, located in the 19th arrondissement. It’s quite a mysterious place since, while the platforms and tracks are there, the external access points were never created. This means the station is only accessible underground, making it a hotspot for explorers, taggers, and other Parisian adventurers. Last on this list is the Porte Molitor station (9 and 10). It also missed out on its traditional Art Nouveau green arch, and today the station mainly serves as a metro garage.