Châtelet–Les Halles station

For the album by Florent Pagny, see Châtelet Les Halles (album).

Châtelet–Les Halles (French: [ʃɑtlɛ le al]) is a major train hub in Paris and one of the largest underground stations in the world. Opened in 1977, it is the central transit hub for the Paris metropolitan area, connecting three of five RER commuter-rail lines and five of sixteen Métro lines.^[2] The hub hosts 750,000 travellers per weekday (493,000 for the RER alone) and platforms separated by up to 800 metres (0.5 mi).^[3] It is named after the nearby Place du Châtelet public square and Les Halles, the former wholesale food market of Paris, now a shopping mall.

Châtelet–Les Halles
Place Marguerite de Navarre entrance
General information
Location	1st arrondissement of Paris Île-de-France France
Coordinates	48°51′41″N 2°20′47″E / 48.8615°N 2.3465°E / 48.8615; 2.3465
Owned by	RATP
Platforms	4
Tracks	7
Connections
Construction
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Station code	87758607
Fare zone	1
History
Opened	9 December 1977; 45 years ago (1977-12-09)
Passengers
2019	33,581,162 (RER A & B)^[1]
Services
Preceding station RER Following station Auber towards Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Cergy-le-Haut or Poissy RER A Gare de Lyon towards Boissy-Saint-Léger or Marne-la-Vallée–Chessy Gare du Nord towards Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2 TGV or Mitry–Claye RER B Saint-Michel–Notre-Dame towards Robinson or Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse Gare du Nord towards Creil RER D Gare de Lyon towards Melun or Malesherbes Connections to other stations Preceding station Paris Métro Following station Louvre–Rivoli towards La Défense Line 1 transfer at Châtelet Hôtel de Ville towards Château de Vincennes Cité towards Bagneux–Lucie Aubrac Line 4 Transfer at: Châtelet or Les Halles Étienne Marcel towards Porte de Clignancourt Pont Marie towards Villejuif–Louis Aragon or Mairie d'Ivry Line 7 transfer at Châtelet Pont Neuf towards La Courneuve–8 mai 1945 Terminus Line 11 transfer at Châtelet Hôtel de Ville towards Mairie des Lilas Pyramides towards Mairie de Saint-Ouen Line 14 transfer at Châtelet Gare de Lyon towards Olympiades

Terminology

 

Station layout showing both RER and Métro lines

Formally, the name Châtelet–Les Halles designates the RER station alone. Informally, it refers to the hub comprising the eponymous RER station (served by RER A, RER B and RER D) plus the contiguous Paris Métro stations Châtelet (served by Line 1, Line 4, Line 7, Line 11 and Line 14) and Les Halles (served by Line 4).

For purposes of wayfinding, the massive three station complex is broken up into three sectors: Forum, Rivoli and Seine.^[4]

Forum sector

The Forum sector is named after the adjoining Forum des Halles shopping mall, which is accessible from this part of the station. The sector includes the RER platforms and the Les Halles station on Paris Métro Line 4. The exits located in the sector are numbered 1 through 9.

Rivoli sector

The Rivoli sector is below and named after the Rue de Rivoli, a major road known for its shopping and includes the Châtelet station of Line 1, Line 4 and Line 14 of the Paris Métro. The exits located in the sector are numbered 10 through 14.

Seine sector

The Seine sector is named after the nearby Seine River and includes the Châtelet station of Line 7 and Line 11 of the Paris Métro. The exits located in the sector are numbered 15 through 19.

RER station layout

The tracks of all three RER lines are oriented parallel along an east–west direction. The seven tracks are grouped on four platforms, with the outer platforms reserved for RER A and RER B and the central ones for RER D. This enables easy cross-platform connections between RER A and RER B trains traveling in the same direction, and a solution for those RER D trains which use the station as a terminus.

G	Street Level	Entrance/Exit
B1	Mezzanine	to Entrances/Exits, connections to
Platforms (B2)	Track 1A	→     toward Boissy-Saint-Léger or Marne-la-Vallée–Chessy (Gare de Lyon) →
	Island platform, doors will open on the left, right
	Track 1B	→     toward Robinson or Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse (Saint-Michel–Notre-Dame) →
	Track 3	→     toward Melun or Malesherbes (Gare de Lyon) →
	Island platform, doors will open on the left, right
	Track Z	→     Terminating trains
	Island platform, doors will open on the left, right
	Track 4	←     toward Creil (Gare du Nord)
	Track 2B	←     toward Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2 TGV or Mitry–Claye (Gare du Nord)
	Island platform, doors will open on the left, right
	Track 2A	←     toward Saint Germain-en-Laye, Cergy-le-Haut or Poissy (Auber)

Renovation

A major renovation of the station complex and adjoining Forum des Halles shopping mall was completed in 2018, with the main aim of improving safety in the event of an emergency evacuation at peak traffic time.^[5] The renovation included the construction of a major new entrance at Place Marguerite de Navarre, with direct access to the RER station hall; the complete renovation and enlargement of the RER station hall; and extension of key escalators to lower levels of the station.

See also

• List of Paris Métro stations
• List of RER stations

References

1. "Trafic annuel entrant par station du réseau ferré 2019". data.ratp.fr (in French). Retrieved 22 January 2021.
2. Roland, Gérard (2003). Stations de métro. D'Abbesses à Wagram (in French). Éditions Bonneton.
3. (PDF) (in French). Syndicat des Transports d'Île-de-France. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 February 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2008.
4. Châtelet–Les Halles station (Map). Retrieved 20 October 2020.
5. (PDF) (in French). Syndicat des Transports d'Île-de-France. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 July 2011. (4.04 MB)

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gare de Châtelet - Les Halles.