Humans aren't the only ones to use a washing machine - subways are too! Just as cars pass under rollers to be cleaned from top to bottom, Parisian trains undergo an automatic wash once a week, to combat the pollution and particles released in the metro tunnels. Once a month, they are manually cleaned to strip seats and floors. But where is this washing machine hidden?
Many secrets lie beneath our feet, and this life-size washing machine is located on a side track linking the terminus of metro line 2 between Nation and the train maintenance workshops on rue de Lagny. It's rare to gain access, but exceptionally, it's possible to visit it during the Journées du Patrimoine (Heritage Days). The latest arrival is the most modern, but there are others at the termini of 10 of the network's lines. Every year, 15,000 metro and RER trains pass between their rollers.
It takes 1 minute 30 to wash a complete five-car train and 750 liters of water, which is obviously unfit for consumption as it comes from rainwater. Three new washing machines will soon be deployed on lines 11, 12 and 14.
All you need to know about the Paris metro: history, anecdotes, news and rules for users
Millions of Parisians and tourists use public transport and the Paris metro system every day. But do you know the rules of the metro and its history? Discover our many anecdotes! [Read more]
All you need to know about the Paris metro: history, anecdotes, news and rules for users
