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The Paris metro in 10 record numbers!

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The Editor

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It was inaugurated on July 19, 1900. And for nearly 125 years, it has allowed thousands and thousands of travelers to move around the capital and its suburbs every day. The Paris Metro today is an institution, just like Notre-Dame, the Eiffel Tower, or Sacré-Cœur. Plus, with over a century of existence, it has had the time to set a number of records and reach some pretty significant milestones. Let's take a look at these figures that make the Paris Metro what it is.

We all know that taking the metro to get to work, head back home, or visit that slightly annoying person you've been putting off for months is not always very exciting. Luckily, we have a fantastic idea to lift your spirits: the next time you hop on the metro, why not share a bit of good mood and general knowledge with your neighbors by discussing the numbers below? Jokes aside (talking to that grumpy seatmate who looks like they just bit into a lemon, is quite the challenge), it's always nice to fill your head with little bits of information and anecdotes about our beautiful City of Light.


8

Let's kick things off with the smallest number on this list, which is nonetheless one of the most important. 8 represents the number of lines that cross paths every day at the Châtelet-Les Halles station, with 5 metro lines and 3 RER trains. It's a unique situation in the capital, and it’s simply fascinating!

also beyond, which makes this station unlike any other the largest underground station in the world. With that, we understand better why panic sets in in the eyes of some as soon as it’s a matter of making a change there.


24.3

That's, in kilometers, the length of line 8, which is currently the longest in the capital. It’s not such great news, especially knowing that it’s undoubtedly among the worst in Paris. And for good reason, it’s one of the noisiest, most crowded, and especially the least punctual of the 16 lines currently operating in Paris. However, it shouldn’t hold onto this title for much longer, as it’s set to be dethroned, not by one, but by 4 lines: line 17 (27 km), line 16 (29 km), line 18 (35 km), and especially line 15, with its future 75 km in length!


40

We know that on the Paris transport network, some lines are famous for being faster than others. At the top of the list is line 14, the first line to be fully automated, which runs at an impressive average speed of 40 km/h, compared to 30 for the rest of the network. And, contrary to what one might think, the slowest line is actually line 4, also automated, which operates at an average of just 21 km/h. What's the reason for this sluggish pace? A very winding route, which doesn't let the driver step on the gas as much as they'd like.


52

In addition to being the number of weeks in a year (and there you go, a little piece of trivia), it’s also the depth in meters of the future metro station Saint-Maur - Créteil. An abyssal chasm that will make it the deepest station in the RATP network. And for now, much to the chagrin of proud Parisians who claim that the record is held by Abbesses at 32 meters below sea level, not so! Recently, we grant you, the record belongs to the station Gustave Roussy - Villejuif, served by line 14 and soon line 15, which descends all the way to -50 meters.


60

You probably all know this (we won't insult you by repeating the joke about the number of weeks in a year), but 60 is the number of minutes in an hour, and it’s quite fitting since that’s also, during the same duration, the number of trains during peak hours you can spot on line 7, which is one of the best equipped in the capital! Not to mention the naysayers who often like to criticize it, due to its split end and thus its double source of carriages, but during peak hours, it runs pretty impressively!


98

Ah, 1998… The arrival of the euro, France's victory in the World Cup, the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in short, what a wonderful year, also marked by the opening of the last metro line of that time, the 14th line, bringing the total number of lines to 16. It took 98 years to reach where we are today. A pretty remarkable speed for the time, especially considering that, clearly, with the delays that are piling up, it will take at least just as long to add the next 4 lines…


321

So, as of January 1, 2025, that’s the number of stations included in the Paris métro network. Okay, we’re still a bit far from the records of over 500 held by Shanghai and Beijing, but 1) we’re not evolving on the same scale either, and 2) we think that’s already quite respectable, especially when you try to name them all by heart in Paris. Especially since with the opening of the 4 lines of the Grand Paris Express, there will be 65 new ones added to the list, which isn’t going to make things any easier for us.


4,000

4,000, that could be the number of rats you spot in your lifetime while wandering through the subway corridors. Or the number of awkward smiles exchanged with neighbors when you find yourself witnessing an embarrassing situation. Or maybe the times each week when you think, this place really does not smell good at all. But here, it's simply about the minimum number of signs placed in the stations and on the trains to help you find your way. Rumor has it that nearly 99% of them are scattered between Châtelet and the connection from hell Auber/Opéra/Saint-Lazare/...


500,000

500,000, you’ll agree, is a very, very big number. And to put it in perspective, that’s over 12 times around the Earth. Which gives you an idea of just how very, very big that number really is. Well, believe it or not, that’s also the distance covered every day by the Paris metro trains. That's quite a substantial distance!


50,793,790

On average, since we’re not just 2 or 3 tourists around, that’s the number of people who pass through the Gare du Nord station every day, making it the busiest station in Paris and also, most importantly, in Europe. It’s easy to see why it gets really chaotic whenever something happens there. Anyway, it’s the same struggle as Châtelet, not so sure it’s the best spot in Paris for switching trains or meeting up with a friend. Just a friendly tip…


Bonus: 47.5

For this last number, we're straying a bit from the metro to venture into the distant and mysterious realms of the RER D. Indeed, 47.5 corresponds to the highest temperature ever recorded in a train on the RATP and SNCF lines. So the next time you're feeling a little too warm on line 13, while we can't ease your suffering, we suggest you take a step back and think of the poor souls who have no choice but to crowd into those carriages that surely offer a glimpse of hell.