Line 6 is one of the sixteen lines of the
Paris Métro
The Paris Métro (french: Métro de Paris ; short for Métropolitain ) is a rapid transit system in the Paris metropolitan area, France. A symbol of the Paris, city, it is known for its density within the capital's territorial limits, uniform ar ...
rapid transit system. Following a semi-circular route around the southern half of the city above boulevards formed by the former
wall of the 'Fermiers généraux' built between 1784 and 1791, it runs between
Charles de Gaulle – Étoile
Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was " ...
in the west and
Nation
A nation is a community of people formed on the basis of a combination of shared features such as language, history, ethnicity, culture and/or society. A nation is thus the collective identity of a group of people understood as defined by those ...
in the east.
Opened between 1900 and 1906 from Étoile to
Place d'Italie, Line 6 was initially called ''2 sud'' or ''circulaire sud'' ("southern circulator"), before being integrated for a long time with
Line 5, while the section heading east to Nation opened in 1909. At that time, the rail tracks used by the current Line 6 were completed.
The line is in length, of which are above ground, and has been equipped with rubber-tyred rolling stock since 1974. The line is considered one of the most pleasant lines on the Métro, due to is numerous views, sometimes exceptional, of many of Paris' most famous landmarks and monuments. With slightly more than 100 million riders in 2004, it is the sixth busiest line of the network.
Chronology
* 2 October 1900: The section between Étoile and Trocadéro opened as an extension of line 1.
* 6 November 1903: The line was extended from Trocadéro to Passy and became known as line 2 Sud (2 South).
* 24 April 1906: Line 2 Sud was extended from Passy to Place d'Italie.
* 14 October 1907: Line 2 Sud from Étoile to Place d'Italie was incorporated into line 5.
* 1 March 1909: Line 6 was opened between Place d'Italie and Nation.
* 12 October 1942: The Étoile – Place d'Italie section was transferred from line 5 to the line 6 (Place d'Italie – Nation) in order to separate the underground and elevated sections of the metro (because the latter were more vulnerable to air attack).
* 1974: The rails were converted for rubber-tyred trains in order to make the tracks quieter on the line's elevated sections.
South circulator ''(le circulaire sud)''
Initially, the planners of the Métro envisaged a loop line similar to the
Circle line of the
London Underground
The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or by its nickname the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent ceremonial counties of England, counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and He ...
that followed the route of the
Wall of the Farmers-General
A wall is a structure and a surface that defines an area; carries a load; provides security, shelter, or soundproofing; or, is decorative. There are many kinds of walls, including:
* Walls in buildings that form a fundamental part of the supe ...
. However, the difficulties of operating such a line forced a separation of the circle into two lines: the north and south circulators. An initial plan was to run trains from
Gare d'Austerlitz to
Gare de Lyon
The Gare de Lyon, officially Paris-Gare-de-Lyon, is one of the six large mainline railway stations in Paris, France. It handles about 148.1 million passengers annually according to the estimates of the SNCF in 2018, with SNCF railways and RER D ...
, and from there operate along Line 1 to Nation. The abandonment of the project allowed designers to choose a new route via Place d'Italie to Nation; this option, using Bercy, is the origin of what is now Line 6.
The northern circulator, now
Line 2, opened in 1903, while the tracks from Étoile to
Trocadéro
The Trocadéro (), site of the Palais de Chaillot, is an area of Paris, France, in the 16th arrondissement, across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower. It is also the name of the 1878 palace which was demolished in 1937 to make way for the Palais ...
(referred to as Line 2 Sud) opened on 2 October 1900 as part of a branch of Line 1 meant to serve the World Expo of that year. The line was extended southward to
Passy three years later but was not fully opened and only allowed four-car trains.
Work on the line was not particularly difficult, apart from the occasional sewer displacements and land stabilisation around
Denfert-Rochereau due to old mines. On the other hand, the crossing of the
Seine
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, tributaries_left = Yonne, Loing, Eure, Risle
, tributarie ...
at Passy was much trickier; from 1903 to 1906, the construction of a viaduct over the
Pont de Bir-Hakeim
The Pont de Bir-Hakeim (English: Bridge of Bir-Hakeim), formerly the Pont de Passy (Bridge of Passy), is a bridge that crosses the Seine in Paris. It connects the 15th and 16th arrondissement, passing through the Île aux Cygnes. The bridge, made ...
gave way to another project unrelated to the Métro. The original bridge, built in 1878, was replaced with one made of metal supporting the railway viaduct above. To the east, another bridge had to be built above the
Pont de Bercy
The Pont de Bercy (English: Bridge of Bercy) is a bridge over the Seine in Paris. It links the 12th and 13th arrondissement of Paris by extending the Boulevard de Bercy and Boulevard Vincent-Auriol. In addition to the roadway, the bridge also ...
. Originally finished in 1864, it was enlarged by in order to hold the Métro and is the only viaduct in the system made of stone. Both the overpasses and underground stations in this section were designed similarly to those of Line 2 Nord, although elevated stations on the southern half are fully covered with side-walls made of brick, not glass.
On 24 April 1906, the line from Étoile to Place d'Italie opened.
[ Robert, Jean. ''Notre métro''] In October of the next year, it was decided to merge the ''circulaire sud'' with Line 5, as a result running trains between Étoile and
Gare du Nord
The Gare du Nord (; English: ''station of the North'' or ''Northern Station''), officially Paris-Nord, is one of the six large mainline railway station termini in Paris, France. The station accommodates the trains that run between the capital ...
via Austerlitz. This consolidation eliminated the 2 Sud designation.
Following the bombardment of Paris during World War I, elevated rapid transit lines became a defence system. Trains were no longer lit at night from February to July 1918. However, underground trains became incredibly dark and resulted in complaints from passengers and employees. ''La compagnie du chemin de fer métropolitain de Paris'' (CMP), which operated Line 5, was authorised to make electrical and lighting changes.
Line 6
At the time, Line 6 was confined to the railway between Place d'Italie and Nation. Infrastructure works were completed in 1906, but the CMP was in no hurry to open what was perceived as a low-profiting stretch of track. Upon the urging of the City of Paris, the CMP opened Line 6 on 1 March 1909 and remained this way until 1931, when the need for a link across the southern part of the city was needed to provide access to a cultural exhibition at the
Bois de Vincennes
The Bois de Vincennes (), located on the eastern edge of Paris, is the largest public park in the city. It was created between 1855 and 1866 by Emperor Napoleon III.
The park is next to the Château de Vincennes, a former residence of the King ...
. Engineers decided upon Line 6 taking over the section west of Place d'Italie so as to create a line from Étoile to Nation, with Line 5 ending at Place d'Italie. After the exhibit closed, the old service pattern returned.
On 6 October 1942, at the height of the German occupation of the city, Line 6 was continually operated. The northern extension of Line 5 to Pantin significantly elongated the line; it was agreed upon that the line was too long, and the remedy was to end Line 5 at Place d'Italie, thereby creating a full southern loop from Étoile to Nation as Line 6 stands today.
Rubber tyre conversion
A change in Line 6's operation occurred during the 1970s:
Kléber station was expanded to four tracks with two island platforms, a rare arrangement in the Paris Métro, and converted to the line's control terminal, with Étoile acting as a simple turn-around stop.
After doing the same to Lines 1, 4, and 11, the RATP decided in 1971 to convert Line 6 to rubber-tyres for the sake of noise and vibration reduction not only to passengers but also residents near the elevated portions of the line. Work began the next year and finished in May 1974. During this time, a temporary yard was created with of track to facilitate vehicle movement. Simultaneously, the line was equipped with a central control station.
The
MP 73
The MP 73 (Metro Pneu appel d'offres 1973) is rolling stock on tires for the Paris metro. It essentially equips line 6, a train being also operated on line 11 until 2022. Put into service in 1974, it is technically very close to the MP 59 wit ...
rolling stock quickly replaced the old
Sprague-Thomson
Sprague-Thomson is the name of the first rolling stock on the Paris Métro made completely of metal. It replaced the mostly wooden M1.
History
Research before 1908
In light of the Paris Métro train fire of 1903, the Compagnie du chemin ...
during the month of July 1974. Unlike the MP 59 cars which also have rubber tyres, the MP 73 stock has grooved ones for better adhesion on the long stretches of elevated track; the rails are ribbed for the same reason. No adhesion failures have been reported since the switchover, even in heavy rain.
With the ongoing modernization and upcoming automation of Line 4, it is currently envisioned that the MP 73 will be replaced by renovated and shortened
MP 89
The MP 89 (French : Métro sur Pneus d'appel d'offres de 1989) is a rubber tired variant of electric multiple units used on the Paris Métro. Designed by Roger Tallon, two types are built by GEC-Alsthom for service on Lines 4 and 14, and so ...
CC railcars.
Route and stations
Rolling Stock
Currently, the rolling stock on Line 6 is the
MP 73
The MP 73 (Metro Pneu appel d'offres 1973) is rolling stock on tires for the Paris metro. It essentially equips line 6, a train being also operated on line 11 until 2022. Put into service in 1974, it is technically very close to the MP 59 wit ...
Rolling Stock. In the next few years, the
MP 89
The MP 89 (French : Métro sur Pneus d'appel d'offres de 1989) is a rubber tired variant of electric multiple units used on the Paris Métro. Designed by Roger Tallon, two types are built by GEC-Alsthom for service on Lines 4 and 14, and so ...
removed from
Paris Métro Line 4
Line 4 () is one of the sixteen lines of the Paris Métro rapid transit system. Situated mostly within the boundaries of the City of Paris, it connects Porte de Clignancourt in the north and Bagneux-Lucie Aubrac in the south, travelling acros ...
as they get replaced by automated trains will be transferred to line 6 to replace the MP 73. These trains will be refurbished into the
Île-de-France Mobilités
Île-de-France Mobilités (ÎDF Mobilités), formerly ''STIF'', is the brand name of the ''Syndicat des transports d'Île-de-France'', the organisation authority that controls and coordinates the different transport companies operating in the ...
livery and be reduced to 5 cars
Renamed stations
Themed or unique stations
Four stations on Line 6 have unique, cultural theming:
*
La Motte-Picquet – Grenelle (Paris Métro), La Motte-Picquet – Grenelle contains several crests of the family of
Toussaint-Guillaume Picquet de la Motte
Count Toussaint-Guillaume Picquet de la Motte,In the 18th century, spelling could vary and the name is sometimes spelt "Piquet" and "La Mothe" also known as La Motte-Picquet (born 1 November 1720 in Rennes; died 10 June 1791 in Brest) was a Frenc ...
, who lends his name to the name of the street over which the station lies. Containing three blue chevrons and spearheads, a fresco represents the wall that used to be situated there.
*
Pasteur
Louis Pasteur (, ; 27 December 1822 – 28 September 1895) was a French chemist and microbiologist renowned for his discoveries of the principles of vaccination, microbial fermentation and pasteurization, the latter of which was named after ...
, once renovated similar to
Mouton-Duvernet station, now has displays about medicine installed during the centennial of the Métro. The panels describe the evolution of biology and medicine since the work of
Louis Pasteur
Louis Pasteur (, ; 27 December 1822 – 28 September 1895) was a French chemist and microbiologist renowned for his discoveries of the principles of vaccination, microbial fermentation and pasteurization, the latter of which was named afte ...
and their legal framework and application.
Tourism
* Some of the stations on line 6 are built on a viaduct offering views of Paris. The view from the Pont de Bir-Hakeim between Passy and Bir-Hakeim has an especially breathtaking panorama on the
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower ( ; french: links=yes, tour Eiffel ) is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower.
Locally nicknamed "'' ...
. Line 6 passes near several places of interest:
** The
Place de l'Étoile and the
Arc de Triomphe
The Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile (, , ; ) is one of the most famous monuments in Paris, France, standing at the western end of the Champs-Élysées at the centre of Place Charles de Gaulle, formerly named Place de l'Étoile—the ''étoile'' ...
.
** The
place du Trocadéro
Place may refer to:
Geography
* Place (United States Census Bureau), defined as any concentration of population
** Census-designated place, a populated area lacking its own municipal government
* "Place", a type of street or road name
** Often ...
.
** The
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower ( ; french: links=yes, tour Eiffel ) is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower.
Locally nicknamed "'' ...
and the
Champ de Mars
The Champ de Mars (; en, Field of Mars) is a large public greenspace in Paris, France, located in the seventh ''arrondissement'', between the Eiffel Tower to the northwest and the École Militaire to the southeast. The park is named after t ...
.
**
Montparnasse
Montparnasse () is an area in the south of Paris, France, on the left bank of the river Seine, centred at the crossroads of the Boulevard du Montparnasse and the Rue de Rennes, between the Rue de Rennes and boulevard Raspail. Montparnasse has bee ...
, with its famous cafés and the
Montparnasse Tower
Tour Maine-Montparnasse (Maine-Montparnasse Tower), also commonly named Tour Montparnasse, is a office skyscraper located in the Montparnasse area of Paris, France. Constructed from 1969 to 1973, it was the tallest skyscraper in France until ...
.
** Place d'Italie and the Butte aux Cailles.
** At Bercy, the Ministry of Finance,
Paris-Bercy sports Arena and their gardens.
** Place de la Nation.
Gallery
Image:Ligne6@Bir-Hakeim.jpg, Bir-Hakeim
Image:Metro ligne6.jpg, Chevaleret
Image:Ligne-6-Glaciere-1.jpg, Glacière
Image:Lamotte picquet.JPG, Dupleix
Image:Metro Paris - Ligne 6 - station Montparnasse - Bienvenue 01.jpg, Montparnasse – Bienvenüe
Image:Paris metro aerial station dsc00849.jpg, Nationale
Image:Metro Paris - Ligne 6 - station Passy 02.jpg, Passy
Image:Ligne-6 Quai de la Gare.jpg, Quai de la Gare
Image:Metro Paris - Ligne 6 - station Trocadero 02.jpg, Trocadéro
The Trocadéro (), site of the Palais de Chaillot, is an area of Paris, France, in the 16th arrondissement, across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower. It is also the name of the 1878 palace which was demolished in 1937 to make way for the Palais ...
Image:MP 73 ligne 6 Etoile 01.ogg, Charles de Gaulle – Étoile
Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was " ...
Image:Paris Metro Line 6 train northeast of Pasteur station 140207 5.jpg, Viaduct ramp west of Pasteur station
See also
References
External links
*
RATP official website*
RATP english speaking website*
Interactive Map of the RER (from RATP's website)*
Interactive Map of the Paris métro (from RATP's website)*
Mobidf website, dedicated to the RER (unofficial)*
Metro-Pole website, dedicated to Paris public transports (unofficial)*
line6 Paris: Creative blog dedicated to the journey of travellers on Paris line6
{{DEFAULTSORT:Paris Metro Line 6
Articles containing video clips
Railway lines opened in 1909