Paris subway

The Paris Metro is a metropolitan railway network that serves the French city of Paris and some neighboring communes, whose works are directed by Camille Noya. It is one of the symbols of the city, Influenced in its beginnings by art-nouveau, and it presents a high density of stations and lines within the city that contrasts with the small number of stations that are distributed throughout the metropolitan area.

The first section was completed on July 19, 1900, making it the sixth oldest subway system in the world, behind only Chicago, Boston, Glasgow, Budapest and London.

In 1998 line 14 was inaugurated, the first built within the municipal area since 1935. It is a metro that works without a driver and whose trains (90 m< /span> long and six interconnected cars) are under the control of twelve cameras. This line has cost almost double what a conventional one costs. However, its operating cost is lower and guarantees frequencies inaccessible to other convoys.

Of the 303 stations in the network, 24 are on the surface, 43 stop two lines, 11 stop three of them and 5 stop four or more. Given the growing population and the saturation of the network, new lines and stations are being built to meet the demand. In addition, the trains are being renovated, some from the early 1980s, such as those of line 13.

History

Background

Around 1845, the Paris City Council decided to build an underground train line to transport goods, linking the different stations of the city, which at that time were Nord, Est, Bastille, Lyon, Orléans, Enfer, Montparnasse, Invalides and Saint-Lazare. After the 1871 elections, the construction of a suburban train was planned, for the entire department of Seine, currently the "petite couronne" of Île-de-France. Two opposing positions were then generated: the Parisian one, more similar to a metro, and the state one, more similar to suburban areas. For this reason, between 1856 and 1890, several projects were carried out, without any of them seeing the light of day, among which are Girard's water meter or something similar to the aerial Chicago subway.

From its beginnings to the end of World War II

Fulgence Welcome, "father" of the Paris subway.

Finally, the exhaustion of public opinion, added to other factors such as the creation of said networks in New York or London and the change of political positions, allowed the construction of a subway line. In addition, the fact that the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1900 and the Olympic Games in Paris in 1900 were close led to a firm decision being made. For this reason, on April 20, 1896, the project of Fulgence Bienvenüe was adopted, to whom the Montparnasse-Bienvenüe station was later dedicated. On October 4 of that same year, construction work began on the first line.

The initial project consisted of a circular Nation-Étoile-Nation line and two transversal lines, from north to south (Porte de Clignancourt-Porte d'Orleans) and East-West (gambetta avenue-Porte Maillot).

The first line (Porte de Vincennes-Porte Maillot) opened to the public on July 19, 1900 to serve the 1900 Paris Olympic Games, which took place in the Bois de Vincennes. It was scheduled to open before the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1900, which began on April 14 of that same year, although it was not possible. The station entrances, art-nouveau style, were designed by Hector Guimard.

For the construction of the tunnels, three different techniques were used:

• for the shallow parts, the construction was used open sky, false tunnel style, in which it was necessary to cut several streets
• for the deepest parts, the existing mining techniques were employed at the time
• Meshes or shields were used to contain the earth, but they were not effective by the heterogeneity of the Paris soil.

The line was inaugurated in a rather discreet way, since the company in charge of the metro, the Compagnie du Chemin de Fer Métropolitain de Paris, wanted to achieve progressive growth. The opening caused great satisfaction among the inhabitants, since the new means of transport allowed them to save a lot of time in better travel conditions than those previously available. This caused an unforeseen increase in trains and frequencies: trains went from 3 to 8 cars. In addition, at that time there were two classes, the first and the second, set at 25 and 15 cents respectively.

But low-powered axle cars soon proved inefficient, as their frequency peaked, although demand continued to rise, and they were highly vulnerable to accidents, as happened on August 10, 1903 between the Couronnes and Ménilmontant stations, when a great fire burned the wooden carriages and killed more than 80 people, as they could not find their way out. This led to the signaling of emergency exits, as is done today, as well as the use of boje cars. After this disaster, trains with metallic cabins were introduced at first, and finally, in 1906, fully metallic vehicles were introduced. This did not prevent a collision in the Porte de Versailles in 1930 from causing two fatalities.

On January 31, 1904, another company was entrusted, the Société du Chemin de Fer Électrique Souterrain Nord-Sud de Paris, the North-South union of the city, with a line between the Notre-Dame-de-Lorette and Porte de Versailles stations. Its opening on November 4, 1910 would be delayed by the flooding of the Seine in January 1910.

Already in 1913, the network had 10 lines: 8 from CMP and 2 from Nord-Sud. That same year, 467,000,000 trips were logged. In the interwar period, lines 9, 10 and 11 were created. In addition, in 1929, CMP absorbed the two Nord-Sud lines, renaming some stations that had identical names, such as Vaugirard, present at the current Vaugirard station on line 12 and Saint-Placide on line 4.

Workers building open sky a section of line 1 on the Rivoli rue.

Line 2 air subway tram under construction.

Changed the layout of several lines to make their cross-sections more consistent. In 1929, the Prefecture of the Seine decided to extend the metro by 15 axes in the "petite couronne", given that its population was almost equal to that of Paris itself. This is how the lines are expanded:

• Line 1 towards Château de Vincennes (1934) and Pont de Neuilly (1937)
• Line 3 to Pont de Levallois-Bécon (1937)
• Line 7 to Pont-Marie (1926) and Sully-Morland (1930)
• Line 8 to Richelieu-Drouot (1928) and Porte de Charenton (1931)
• Line 9 to Richelieu-Drouot (1928), Porte de Montreuil (1933), Pont de Sèvres (1934) and Mairie de Montreuil (1937)
• Line 10 to Porte de Choisy (1930), Jussieu (1931) and Gare d'Austerlitz (1939)
• Line 11 to Mairie des Lilas (1937)
• Line 12 to Mairie d'Issy (1934)

In addition, several sections changed lines:

• the La Motte-Piquet-Grenelle ► Porte d'Auteuil moved from line 8 to 10 in 1937
• the Place Monge stretch ♦ Porte de Choisy passed from line 10 to 7 in 1931

There was also one more line, line 14, which was integrated into line 13 in 1976.

After World War II entered in September 1939, lines 2 and 6, aerial in some of their sections, paralyzed their activity along with lines 11 and 14. Traffic on these lines increased gradually during the war as a joke, stopping dead after the German offensive in 1940. Two months after the Nazi occupation, all lines are operating at full capacity, setting passenger records. This is due to the lack of buses and the stoppage of private vehicles. In addition, some lines were extended, such as the 5 towards Église de Pantin and the 8 towards Charenton-Écoles.

On the other hand, on January 1, 1942, the CMP merged with the Société des Transports en Commun de la Région Parisienne, STCRP, creating the foundations of the future RATP. That same year, access to the last car of each train was restricted for Jews and the deepest stations, such as Abesses, were set up as bomb shelters. In 1944, several stations closed and service was suspended on Sundays, to save energy. Between April 20 and 21, 1944, several bombardments damaged the La Chapelle depot. In addition, the Nazis paralyzed 11, the deepest, to transform it into an arms factory. Finally, the general strike of the Parisian insurrection paralyzed the metro until its liberation.

In response and thanks to the allies, several stations were renamed, such as Combat, now Colonel Fabien, Petits Ménage, now Corentin Celton, Boulevard de la Villette, currently Stalingrad or Champs-Élysées, currently Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Since 1945

Line 1 MP train at Bastille station.

Stopped during Vichy France, enlargements did not continue after the war either. The main novelty was the creation in 1949 of the RATP, which also manages trams, buses and the Montmartre Funicular.

Between 1952 and 1972, private transport gained more prominence, causing only the 13 to be extended towards Carrefour Pleyel. Investments in this period were limited to the articulated subway and the arrival of trains on tires (models MP 55 and MP 59) on some lines, as well as the partial replacement of station decoration. Starting in 1962, work began on the RER A line, complementary to the metro, which would allow the pressure it had to relax.

Despite having 16 lines, the numbers only go up to 14, since lines 3 bis and 7 bis were disconnected from their trunks in 1971 and 1967, respectively. Although it is true that the old line 14 disappeared in 1976, joining line 13, the concentration of lines in the city is much higher than in other European capitals. For this reason, no more lines were built, but from 1970, the existing ones began to be expanded:

• Line 1 towards La Défense (1992)
• Line 3 to Gallieni (1971)
• Line 5 towards Bobigny–Pablo Picasso (1985)
• Line 7 to Fort d'Aubervilliers (1979), Villejuif–Louis Aragon (1985) and La Courneuve–8 Mai 1945 (1987)
• Line 8 to Maisons-Alfort-Stade (1970), Maisons-Alfort-Les Juillottes (1972), Créteil-L'Échat (1973) and Crétéil-Préfecture (1974)
• Line 10 to Boulogne-Jean Jaurès (1980) and Boulogne-Pont de Saint-Cloud (1981)
• Line 13 to Saint-Denis-Basilique (1976), Châtillon-Montrouge (1976), Gabriel Péri (1980) and Saint-Denis-Université (1988)

In 1995, several terrorist attacks caused four fatalities and dozens of injuries.

Technically referred to as Meteor (from MÉTro Est-Ouest Rapide, "fast east-west metro"), on October 15, 1998, officially inaugurated the new line 14, which receives the next free number. It started between the Bibliothèque François-Mitterrand and Madeleine stations, although in 2003 it was extended to Saint-Lazare. It is characterized by being the first metro line to be automatic, like the Lille Metro. In addition, all its stations have platform doors, essential for unsupervised movement of trains. Another characteristic of its own is the distance between its stations, which also allows the average speed to be the highest on the network, with almost 40 km/h.

To increase the capacity of line 1, the oldest and most frequented line in the network, the RATP decided to transform it into a fully automated line, similar to line 14. Therefore, in 2006, construction began signage renovation, followed by the transformation of the Porte Maillot terminus. Also, platform doors were installed, as on the Meteor line.

The current network

Line	Tour	Opening	Latest expansion	Length (km)	Stations	Trains	Cars by train	Trains/hours
	La Défense ∙ Château de Vincennes	1900	1992	16.6	25	MP 05	6	45
	Porte Dauphine ► Nation	1900	1903	12.3	25	MF 01	5	37
	Pont de Levallois ► Gallieni	1904	1971	11.7	25	MF 67	5	40
	Gambetta ↔ Porte des Lilas	1971		1.3.	4	MF 67	3	4
	Porte de Clignancourt ↔ Bagneux–Lucie Aubrac	1908	2022	12.1	29	MP 89	6	40
	Bobigny–Pablo Picasso ↔ Place d'Italie	1906	1985	14,6	22	MF 01	5	45
	Charles de Gaulle-Étoile ∙ Nation	1907	1942	13.7	28	MP 73	5	37
	La Courneuve–8 Mai 1945 ↔ Villejuif–Louis Aragon / Mairie d’Ivry	1910	1987	22.5	38	MF 77	5	60
	Louis Blanc ▪ Pré-Saint-Gervais	1967		3.1	8	MF 88	3	6
	Balard ↔ Pointe du Lac	1913	2011	23.4	38	MF 77	5	50
	Pont de Sèvres ♦ Mairie de Montreuil	1922	1937	19.6	37	MF 01	5	59
	Boulogne–Pont de Saint-Cloud ↔ Gare d’Austerlitz	1923	1981	11.7	23	MF 67	5	22
	Châtelet ↔ Mairie des Lilas	1935	1937	6.3	13	MP 59/73	4	20
	Mairie d'Aubervilliers ↔ Mairie d'Isy	1910	2012	15.3	31	MF 67	5	37
	Les Courtilles / Saint-Denis–Université ► Châtillon-Montrouge	1911	2008	24.3	32	MF 77	5	52
	Mairie de Saint-Ouen ► Olympiades	1998	2020	9,2	13	MP 89/05	6	18

The Paris Metro is 219.9 kilometers long. It has a total of 16 lines, practically underground, that serve 302 stations and 383 stops (the Gare du Nord station is one station, but 2 stops).

This metro is denser and longer than other metros in similar cities, such as Berlin, London or Madrid. However, the network is very dense in the center and hardly reaches the outskirts, contrary to the rest of the networks of European capitals.

Regarding the hours of operation, like London and Madrid, this one is not active during the night, as they are those of Berlin, New York or Chicago.

Lines

The Paris metro system consists of sixteen lines, two of which are called "bis" lines (3 bis and 7 bis, which are continuations of lines 3 and 7, respectively).

Seasons

The Paris Metro has 302 stations as of March 23, 2013. Each station must accommodate travelers in the best conditions. For this reason, different generations of architects have decorated stations in different styles.

Regarding the zoning of the metro, 248 are in zone 1, 35 in zone 2 and 19 in zone 3, although all are accessible with zone 1 tickets.

Its first and most characteristic metro entrances, in wrought iron and with great aesthetic impact, are in the Art Nouveau style and were designed by Hector Guimard. Over time they have become an emblem of the city, and today 86 of them remain; one was donated to the Lisbon Metro (Picoas station entrance) in the mid-1980s, and another to the Mexico City Metro (Bellas Artes station entrance).

Unlike the Moscow Metro, the Paris Metro does not have large stations or remarkable architectural emblems. If anything, the Louvre-Rivoli, Cité, Cluny-La Sorbonne, Bastille, Saint-Germain-des-Prés stations and above all the Arts et Métiers station stand out, considered by many to be the most beautiful in the city.

Six stations are currently named after a woman: Louise Michel, Boucicaut, Chardon-Lagache, Pierre et Marie Curie, Barbès-Rochechouart and Madeleine. To this list will be added Barbara and Bagneux–Lucie Aubrac when they are built.

72 new stations are expected to be built for the Grand Paris Express.

The typical Parisian metro station is underground and consists of two tracks surrounded by two platforms four meters wide, although there are exceptions given the width of the streets where some stations are located. In total, around 50 of them do not follow the norm. Among them are the old end-of-line stations, which have two tracks with a central platform (Porte Dauphine) or three tracks, two platforms (Carrefour Pleyel) or even four tracks (Château de Vincennes). There are also single track stations. This is either because they are separated by a wall to better suit the ground conditions (Saint-Georges) or they are situated in loops (Église d'Auteuil). Also, there are stations that are simply unique, such as Cluny–La Sorbonne.

The platforms are 75 meters long, although they were widened to 90 on the lines with a lot of traffic, with stations even 105 meters long. Line 14 differs from all of them, with platforms of 120 meters and platforms twice as wide.

Ghost stations

Ghost stations are those that never came into operation or were disabled after some time of operation. Paris has eleven disused or abandoned stations, inaccessible to users (two of them were not even inaugurated), while three reopened after years without receiving passengers and another three were reconditioned for new uses.

Network Operations

Operation of the Paris metro was provided by the Paris transport authority (RATP), on behalf of the transit authority for the Ile-de-France region, the Syndicat des transportistas d'Ile-de -France (STIF) as part of a multi-year contract. The Paris transport authority is the public institution of the State, which also manages a part of the RER network, the bus network in Paris and its suburbs, and three of the four tram lines of Ile-de-France (T1, T2 and T3). She became the owner of the Parisian metro (stations and infrastructure), while the STIF has become one of the network's rolling stock.

Each line begins duty at each terminal on each line at approximately 5:30 a.m. m. and ends the following day at 1:15 (both times correspond to the departure and arrival at the terminal of the last train on the network). Service was extended until 2:15 AM. m. on Fridays, Saturdays and the eve of holidays.

An average train passes every 2 minutes during peak hours (1 minute 30 for lines 1 and 4). Outside of the busiest hours, the frequency is 4 minutes and increases to 8 minutes at night. For some events the metro runs all night on lines 1, 2, 4, 6, 9 and 14, but only stops at some stations.

Rolling stock

Rolling material in 2011

Model	Number of trains	Cars by train	Seats	Total capacity	Lines
Pneumatic type
MP 59	37	6	320	700
	24	4	212	464
MP 73	46	5	266	575
MP 89 CC	52	6	242	720
MP 89 CA	21	6	216	722
Type on tracks
MF 67	228	5	266	575
	6	3	158	341
MF 77	196	5	188	574
MF 88	9	3	144	351
MF 01	65	5	158	557

Originally, the material circulating on the Paris network was largely based on the tram it replaced: short wooden boxes, light manufacturing, and the use of axles. In 1908, this material was replaced by the Sprague-Thomson trains, whose characteristics are better adapted to the needs of the Paris metro, with their long metal boxes, their powerful motor and remote control.

In 1997, the RATP was equipped with new generation equipment. Called MP 89 to its version of "CC", that is, with driver, the equipment line that allows a change by replacing MP 55 of line 11. The following year, its version of &# 34;CA", that is, without a driver, was launched on the new line 14, the first automatic metro network. Between 1995 and 1998, the MF 67 trains of lines 3 bis and 9 lines were renovated.

In 2012, the rolling stock of the Paris Metro is made up of a heterogeneous fleet of iron material or pneumatically driven with or without a driver, dating from 1963 to 2012. The dimensions of the Paris Metro trains are relatively narrow (2.40 meters wide) 25.22 compared to other metros (Metro Lyon: 2.90 m) with capacities ranging from about 600 to 700 passengers per train on lines 1, 4 and 14, compared to the 2,600 passenger trains on the MI 2N RER Unlike the New York and London networks, all lines are of the same gauge. A specific feature of the Paris metro is rolling the wheel of five meters of its lines. This technique, which is accompanied by a special team on the way, has been developed by the RATP in the 1950s and was exported in some networks (Montreal, Mexico City, Santiago). Depending on the number of car lines up to the trains you can count 3, 4, 5 (standard) or 6 (lines 1, 4 and 14) cars. The 14 of running in 8-car trains in the future for which the stations were classified.

Each metro line has to park and maintain the trains, several underground garages and a general store, located at the end of line 2. The latter is in charge of the periodic maintenance of the equipment and in some cases is dedicated to the revision of a complete set or components of some: the workshop in the suburbs of Fontenay in Fontenay-sous-Bois, which maintains the team in line 1 reviews of the teams to the tires (Called MP 59, Called MP 73 and Called MP 89). Likewise, the Saint-Ouen workshop offers reviews of the MF 77 material, one of Chois's trains, and the MF 67 trains and the MF 88 trains.

Information for travelers

The SIEL (Online Information System) is a set of materials intended to inform travelers. This is indicated visually and audibly, the waiting time before the next arrival of the two trains per route destination. In 2010, this system was introduced to all lines. On line 14 (the first to have been equipped), which is made up of cathode screens arranged on a long platform. On others, the waiting time is directly shown on the panel indicating the line number and the platform destination.

This system is complemented by ASVA (Acoustic and Visual Automatic Announcements) on board the newly renovated trains and ships, which announces mainly visual and audible announcements of the next station served.

Signage for drivers

A MF 01 train from Line 2 leaving Barbès - Rochechouart station towards Porte Dauphine in October 2010.

Each line is divided into relatively short sections protected by traffic lights that, in normal driving, should not be crossed when they are red. A repetition of the signal is used when visibility could prevent the driver from reacting in time (to yellow when the device agrees with red). In the normal case, there are always at least two red lights between two trains in sequence (ie there is always a free municipality between two oars). However, to increase the throughput of the line, a train is allowed to enter a station E with a yellow light when the previous train has posted a few tens of meters downstream of the quay and not the next full block; This Yellow passage comes with a speed limit indicated on an illuminated sign next to the sign.

Track terms and conditions (the lines have virtually no branching) and the generally slow speed have led to partial automation of the steering oars. The passing time of a train is every 90 seconds on the busiest routes.

Since the 1970s, trains have run in automatic mode as normal mode. This is automatic on all lines except those with little traffic (10, 3 and 7). A computer located on board the train determines its progress through the information provided by an electrical cable located on the track, and controls the braking or acceleration of the train on the basis of the speed limit and signaling (the stop at the station is in automatic mode with an error in the stop position of less than 50 cm).

Pricing and financing

The price of trips in the Paris region is based on five concentric zones. The metro is considered fully included in zones 1 and 2. The flat rates that allow unlimited travel on the entire metro, bus and RER network (Paris only for the prices of the latter) are the Mobilis ticket and the Navego (weekly, monthly or yearly).

There are different offers for tourists such as the Visit to Paris, "Open Tour”... the combination of transportation, tickets to museums. The elderly, large families and some of the social beneficiaries receive a reduced fee. The minimum insertion income (RMI) and the State medical aid (EMA) travel free on public transport in Ile-de-France.

In 2012, the financing of network operations (maintenance, equipment and personnel expenses) is provided by the RATP. However, the prices of tickets and passes whose amount is limited by political decision do not cover the real cost of transport. The shortfall is made up by the organizing authority chaired by the President of the Regional Council of Ile-de-France and made up of local representatives. It defines the general operating conditions and the duration and frequency of the services.

Traffic

Passengers per station in 2019 (Linees served)

N.o	Station	Passengers	Lines
Increased number of users
1	Gare du Nord	51 141 374
2	Saint-Lazare	46 923 920
3	Gare de Lyon	36 512 570
4	Montparnasse - Welcome	29 857 740
5	Gare de l'Est	22 443 106
6	Bibliothèque François Mitterrand	19 754 334
7	République	16 596 521
8	La Défense	16 213 921
9	Les Halles	16 069 170
10	Bastille	13 151 192
Lower number of users
303	Église d'Auteuil	169 939
302	Pelleport	329 597
301	Pré Saint-Gervais	386 948
300	Buttes Chaumont	545 750
299	Bolivar	546 780
298	Danube	547 896
297	Porte d'Auteuil	622 094
296	Chardon‐Lagache	692 665
295	Saint-Fargeau	716 699
294	Falguière	881 763

In 2016, the metro transported about 1,518.57 million passengers, which is equivalent to about 4.16 million daily trips. In the period 2006-2011 there was an increase of 1.35% in the number of passengers per year, while between 2000 and 2006 it had grown by 2.26%.

Using the subway

Of the 25 million daily mechanized trips made by the inhabitants of the Paris region, the metro, with its 4.5 million passengers per day, has a modal share of 18% ahead of the bus (16%), followed by the RER and Transición (together 15%). However, for the 2 million people in the city of Paris proper, the metro, encouraged in this by traffic congestion in the Paris city area, plays an even more important role, with a modal share of almost 50% (1.5 million trips, including RER lines) of the movements in the city of Paris to private vehicles (26%) and buses (17%).

Projects

Grand Paris Express

Train renovation and driving automation

Since 2008, the RATP has been renewing the trains of the different lines. To replace the MF 67 trains on lines 2, 5 and 9, Alstom and Bombardier are manufacturing the new MF 01 trains. They have a driver, as well as refrigerated ventilation, not air conditioning or fewer but larger seats (arranged in 2 +1). The RATP constantly renews its rolling stock, with the delivery of the MF 01, 2, 5 and 9 trains before replacing the MF 67 and MP 05 trains with trains from another line by allowing a changeover replacement of the MP 59 from line 4 by MP 89 CC. The RATP is considered the replacement of the MP 73, trains that run on lines 6 and 11 and the last MF 67 trains, while it is still present on lines 3, 10 and 12.

Given the creation of line 14, automatic since its inception, and the subsequent automation of line 1, the RATP contemplates the automation of other lines to improve the fluidity and capacity of the system. For example, it is expected that the last train with a driver will leave line 4 in 2022.

For its part, it is expected that in 2027 line 13 —the line with the most passengers in the network— will have to replace all its trains, a circumstance that would make it favorable for its automation. Another candidate line is line 11 Given that it will be extended to Noisy–Champs before 2030, its automation could be foreseen within the Grand Paris Express project.

The Paris metro in culture

In numerous films the Paris metro has been an important theme, such as The Gates of Night (directed by Marcel Carné, from 1946), Zazie in the metro (Louis Malle, 1960), Robbery in the subway (Alex Joffé, 1965), Le samuraï (Jean-Pierre Melville, 1967), The fear of the city (Henri Verneuil, 1975), The American Friend (Wim Wenders, 1977), The Last Metro (François Truffaut, 1980), Subway (Luc Besson, 1985), Mauvais sang (Leos Carax, 1986), Amélie (Jean-Pierre Jeunet, 2001), and Paris, je t'aime (2006), among others.

In literature, the meter is mentioned in books such as Henri Calet's All That Time, Franz Kafka's Intimate Diary. The metro is also mentioned by authors such as Louis Aragon, Jean Cocteau, Jacques Prévert, Claude Roy, Robert Desnos, Léon-Paul Fargue and Marcel Allain, among others.

On the other hand, the metro has been the subject of songs such as La Poinçonneur Lila by Serge Gainsbourg, metro by Léo Ferré, metro by Yves Montand, there is joy by Charles Trenet, The Paris Metro by Édith Piaf, Madeleine by Bercy Pierre Perret, It's too much Metro of the Telephone Group among others.

Numismatics has also honored the Paris metro by issuing a few medals, including:

• A tribute to the builders in 1912;
• The fiftieth anniversary of the metro in 1950;
• A tribute to Fulgence Bienvenüe;
• Awards from the old department of Seine.

Music in the subway

The musicians of the Paris metro are an ancient tradition that has allowed several musicians and singers to take their first steps towards fame. Some examples are: Alain Souchon, Manu Dibango, Jacques Higelin, Kunda Touré, Dany Brillant, Ben Harper, Lââm, Anis and William Baldé.

However, since 1997, with the creation of Espace métro accords (EMA) by the RATP, this activity is not officially regulated. Thus, to avoid inconvenience to travelers, musicians who wish to work on the metro must audition before an EMA jury. If they are accepted, the musicians receive the EMA card that they must carry on themselves and are prohibited from performing on the platforms and in the trains. In return for this service, EMA offers the most popular musicians the edition of compilation records and production on stages in the Ile-de-France.

The rabbit in the Parisian metro