Rennes () is a station on line 12 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 city, it is known for its density within the capital's territorial limits, uniform architec ...

in the 6th arrondissement. Located in the 6th arrondissement, part of the

Left Bank In geography, a bank is the land alongside a body of water. Different structures are referred to as ''banks'' in different fields of geography, as follows. In limnology (the study of inland waters), a stream bank or river bank is the terra ...

of the city, ''Rennes'' is one stations on line 12 that lie beneath Boulevard Raspail, in this case, at its intersection with ''rue de Rennes''. It is from this street that it takes its name, which in turn is named after the city of Rennes.

History

The station opened on 5 November 1910 as part of the original section of the Nord-Sud Company's line A between Porte de Versailles and Notre-Dame-de-Lorette. On 27 March 1931, line A became line 12 when It was taken over by its competitor, the

Compagnie du chemin de fer métropolitain de Paris The Compagnie du chemin de fer métropolitain de Paris S.A. (Paris Metropolitan Railway Company Ltd.), or CMP, was the forerunner of the RATP, the company managing the Paris Métro. Origin So as not to be dependent on the Chemin de fer de l ...

(CMP), incorporating it into the Paris Métro. On 2 September 1939, the station was closed as part of the government's plan that reduced service on the métro network as a cost-saving measure in light of the onset of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, with all but 85 stations closed. Most reopened after the war, although some of them, including ''Rennes'', remained closed due to their light traffic, hence, becoming a

ghost station A ghost station is a disused train station through which revenue-service passenger trains (especially rapid transit trains) pass but at which they do not stop. The term is also sometimes used for any unused underground station or any unused ...

. For a period of time while it was closed, it was used to experiment with advertising schemes which could be viewed from passing trains. On 20 May 1968, after 29 years of closure, the station was finally reopened, albeit with limited operating hours as a cost saving measure. It was closed after 8pm from Monday to Saturday, and was closed all day on Sundays and public holidays. The walls of the station were coated with a white layer of paint due to the lack of maintenance causing the tiles on the walls to deteriorate. In 2002, it was reported that the station had 4400 "incoming" commuters per day. This arrangement lasted until 7 September 2004, when it was adjusted to the standard operating hours of most other stations at the local residents' request. This was due to changes in commuting patterns, where more commuters returned home later in the evening in addition to high traffic to ''Marché Raspail'', a traditional market nearby, on Sundays. Only Liège on line 13 retained limited operating hours, until 4 December 2006. As part of the "Un métro + beau" programme by the RATP, the station was renovated and modernised on 7 October 2008. In 2019, the station was used by 1,181,641 passengers, making it the 287th busiest of the Métro network out of 302 stations. In 2020, the station was used by 506,779 passengers amidst the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

, making it the 291st busiest of the Métro network out of 304 stations. In 2021, the station was used by 861,334 passengers, making it the 287th busiest of the Métro network out of 304 stations.

Passenger services

Access

The station has two accesses: * Access 1: rue de Renne * Access 2: Boulevard Raspail (exit only)

Station layout

Platforms

The station has a standard configuration with 2 tracks surrounded by 2 side platforms. The lower portion of the side walls are vertical instead of elliptical, as were the other stations constructed by the

Nord-Sud company The Nord-Sud Company (English: North-South; french: Société du chemin de fer électrique souterrain Nord-Sud de Paris) was an operator of underground trains in Paris established in 1904, which built two lines (now Line 12 and part of Line ...

(today on lines 12 and 13).

Other connections

The station is also served by lines 39, 68, 89, 94, 95, and 96 of the

RATP bus network The RATP bus network covers the entire territory of the city of Paris and the vast majority of its near suburbs. Operated by the Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens (RATP), this constitutes a dense bus network complementary to other public ...

, and at night, by lines N01, N02, N12, and N13 of the

Noctilien Noctilien is the night bus service in Paris and its agglomeration. It is managed by the Île-de-France Mobilités (formerly the STIF), the Île-de-France regional public transit authority, and operated by RATP (with 32 lines) and Transilien SNC ...

bus network.

Gallery

File:Metro Rennes.jpg, Signage File:Entrée Métro Rennes Paris 6.jpg, Access 1 File:Accès Station Métro Rennes Allée Sonia Rykiel - Paris VI (FR75) - 2022-01-15 - 3.jpg, Access 2

Nearby

* Marché Raspail

References

*Roland, Gérard (2003). ''Stations de métro. D’Abbesses à Wagram.'' Éditions Bonneton. Paris Métro stations in the 6th arrondissement of Paris Railway stations in France opened in 1910 {{Paris-metro-stub Paris Métro line 12