European Railroad Discussion > Paris Metro Line 14

Metro Line 14 is one of the latest Metro lines in Paris and it has a number of novel features that are, as far as I know, not seen elsewhere on the Paris system. The line is relatively short with no branches, running SE to NW from Olympiades to Gare St. Lazare, entirely within Zone 1. The line connects Gare de Lyon and the hub of the Metro/RER, Chatelet-Les Halles along the way. The stations are: Olympiades - Bibliotheque - Cour St. Emilion - Bercy (also a station) - Gare de Lyon - Chatelet - Pyramides - Madeilene - Saint Lazare.

The most obvious feature on entering a station is that this line is not only new, but it has glass partitions along the platform edge with doors that coincide with the doors on the train. This system is well established elsewhere in the world (London, Singapore to name two) but is a first in Paris except for the terminal E link at Aeroport Charles de Gaulle.

The second is not quite so obvious unless you watch the train enter the station. The trains have no drivers! The line is fully automated.

And the third is that the train consists of one flexible compartment. Standing at one end of the train you can see no partitions between cars.

And it is fast and relatively quiet. €1.20 buys a single journey.

Even the old stuff on the Metro is fast. Although I was a bit surprised to note that the Metro and the NYC Subway smell very similar! But NYC is old old and it shows....

NH2006 Wrote:
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> Even the old stuff on the Metro is fast. Although
> I was a bit surprised to note that the Metro and
> the NYC Subway smell very similar! But NYC is old
> old and it shows....

Yes, but the new trains with "automatic pilots" slow down without creating the domino effect among passengers!

As to the smell - Paris is riper than usual at the moment due to a lack of rain!