Châtelet–Les Halles

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

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 (0.49 mile).^[3] It is named after the nearby Place du Châtelet public square and the Forum des Halles, a shopping mall.

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. Exits numbered 1 through 9 are located in the sector.

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. Exits numbered 10 through 14 are located in the sector.

Seine sector[]

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

RER station layout[]

The tracks of the three RER lines are all oriented parallel in 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	Exit/Entrance
B1	Mezzanine	to Exits/Entrances, 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[]

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