At present, the Paris metro has 26 overhead stations. While these stations are popular with passengers, enabling them to admire the capital from a different perspective, RATP points out that the construction of the aerial metro is " linked to the difficulties of passing under the Seine, but also to the constraints of crossing the tracks of Paris stations ".
Of the 6 Paris metro lines with overhead stations (lines 1, 2, 5, 6, 8 and 13), only three are equipped with viaducts, the most emblematic of which are on lines 2 and 6. In the future, two additional viaduct-equipped lines will be added, namely lines 17 and 18 of the Grand Paris Express, as well as line 11, which is to be extended to Rosny-Bois-Perrier in Seine-Saint-Denis.
Metro line 11: extension inaugurated this Thursday, June 13
Line 11 of the Paris metro will be extended eastwards to Rosny-sous-Bois. The 6 new stations, including the new terminus in Seine-Saint-Denis, are due to welcome their first passengers from this Thursday, June 13, 2024. [Read more]
The famous brown metro line will soon unveil a 600-meter-long viaduct with a minimum width of 8 meters. By way of comparison, the Passy viaduct on line 6 is 237 metres long.
In the middle of the viaduct is the famous Côteaux-Beauclair overhead station. Located on the border of the communes of Rosny-sous-Bois and Noisy-le-Sec, this station will serve the Domus shopping center, as well as the Parc des Guillaumes.
As RATP explains in a press release, the viaduct for the line 11 extension is being built " to overcome the difficult terrain between the plateau of Montreuil and the plain of Rosny ". In detail, this future viaduct will run alongside the Parc des Guillaumes, " ending its journey at the A3/A86 slip roads, where the extension route goes back underground ".
Designed by architects Marc Mimram, the viaduct is intended to be a " symbol of modernity ". By reinterpreting the architectural codes of early 20th-century metro viaducts, the line 11 viaduct will feature " a fluid, uncluttered and elegant design ", says the Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens.
As for the Coteaux-Beauclair station, the platforms - built overhead with " glass walls forming a canopy over the platforms " - will reach a height of around 8 meters.
For the record, it will be possible to reach Coteaux-Beauclair station from Châtelet in just 23 minutes, compared with 55 minutes at present.
Official website
prolongementligne11est.fr
Metro line 11: extension inaugurated this Thursday, June 13
