Tired of wasting time trudging through the corridors of Châtelet? It’s far from over... The escalators at Châtelet station in Paris are still out of action, and the outage isn’t ending anytime soon. Located in the 1st arrondissement, these three pieces of equipment that connect the metro lines to the RER have been out since early October 2025.
If you were hoping to soon regain those 160 meters of comfort to navigate the transfer corridors, bad news: the outage will last far longer than expected. What was supposed to be a routine maintenance job has turned into a full-blown, months-long project, with restoration not expected for several months.
The RATP shut down the moving walkways in early October as a safety measure after detecting anomalies in mechanical parts. Initially announced for the end of November, the resumption of service was quickly postponed to the end of December on the information boards. But now, the expert assessments carried out in November have turned everything upside down.
Analyses have revealed a manufacturing defect in the pallets, the metal steps on which passengers place their feet. This anomaly could weaken the entire structure of the equipment. This is no small repair job: the RATP and the manufacturer will have to completely replace 2,400 parts on the three moving walkways, or 800 steps per machine. This is a colossal undertaking that requires all these new parts to be manufactured before work can even begin.
Yet the sidewalks had already undergone maintenance in August. At the time, the work focused on the handrail. Issues with the steps were only spotted afterward, prompting the transit authority to order this drastic, full shutdown for safety reasons.
The RATP estimates that full reopening will require at least six months, after manufacturing delays and the work to replace the parts. Up to now, a mid-June 2026 reopening was being discussed, but it will be pushed back to September next year, according to Le Parisien! Why? The necessary parts no longer exist on the market and they have to be manufactured anew!
Michel Babut, vice president of FNAUT Île-de-France, points out that such long malfunctions affecting three side-by-side moving walkways are extremely rare. For years, the user association has been calling for a reduction in excessive delays in the event of renovation work or breakdowns on metro escalators and moving walkways.
In the meantime, there is no other solution than to stretch your legs by walking through the 160-meter-long tunnel that connects the RER to the metro lines. The connecting corridor remains accessible to travelers, but for those with suitcases, strollers, or difficulty walking, it's quite a daily trek. Châtelet-Les Halles station, one of the busiest in the network during rush hour, sees thousands of users pass through every day, who now have to be patient.
In short, if you're looking for an alternative route to avoid this endless tunnel, consider surface connections between the district's various stations, even if it adds a little to your journey.
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