Magenta station is a station of the Île-de-France Réseau Express Régional (RER), in the 10th arrondissement of Paris, France. Built on the site of the Gare du Nord, the original name of Magenta station was Nord-Est with the possibility of a connection to both Paris-Nord and Paris-Est. In 2020 it was ranked the worst railway station in Europe by the Consumer Choice Centre.[3]

Magenta
Station platforms
General information
LocationParis
France
Coordinates48°52′48″N 2°21′30″E / 48.88009497942813°N 2.3582571744918823°E / 48.88009497942813; 2.3582571744918823
Owned bySNCF
Platforms2
Tracks4
Bus routes
Connections
Construction
AccessibleYes, by prior reservation[1]
Other information
Station code87281873
Fare zone1
History
Opened14 July 1999 (1999-07-14)
Passengers
202233 045 860[2]
Services
Preceding station RER RER Following station
Haussmann–Saint-Lazare
Terminus
RER E Rosa Parks
Location
Map

Location edit

The station is located on the underground section of the RER line E, immediately east of the Gare du Nord station. It follows the Haussmann-Saint-Lazare station (in the 9th arrondissement) and precedes the Rosa Parks station (in the 19th arrondissement).

History edit

The station, which should have been called the Gare Nord-Est Station, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Lionel Jospin on 12 July 1999, before the opening to the public of RER line E on 14 July 1999.[4] Its name comes from its proximity to the Boulevard de Magenta. In 2022, the SNCF estimated the annual use of the station at 33 million passengers.[5]

Passenger services edit

Access edit

Magenta station is directly connected to the Gare du Nord, with two of the three exits leading to this station. The third exit is located at 5-7 Rue de l'Aqueduc, facing Rue d'Alsace, which is the main pedestrian route between the Gare de l'Est and Gare du Nord.

Gare du Nord – Gare de l'Est link edit

It is planned to extend the Château-Landon transfer corridor to connect the Gare du Nord, the Magenta station and the Gare de l'Est by 2028. In the meantime, it is only possible to reach the Gare de l'Est from Magenta via the Rue d'Alsace.

Station edit

There are four tracks that flank two island platforms. They are numbered as tracks 51, 52, 53, and 54. Track 51 is used for trains to Chelles-Gournay station. Track 53 serves Tournan station. Tracks 52 and 54 are always used for service to Haussmann–Saint-Lazare.

The station was built at a depth of 30 m, under the foundations of the existing old building. Large, spacious, with high and airey ceilings, a complete change from the usual train and metro stations. Its upper access corridors are a mix of polished raw concrete and exotic wood. The building has nine levels and a ground floor. The ninth level is used by SNCF.

The vast volumes of the station as well as the ventilation of the tunnel required the creation of ventilation shafts within the block of buildings built on the surface: for example, at 174 Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Denis, is a fake building, the façade with trompe-l'oeil windows hiding a ventilation duct of the underground station. In the same street, 162 bis, at the corner of Rue La Fayette, conceals a large ventilation duct emerging behind the building built on the street. The station, built close to groundwater, has suffered leaks since its opening.

Other connections edit

Gallery edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Plan pour les voyageurs en fauteuil roulant" [Map for travelers in wheelchairs] (PDF). Île-de-France Mobilités. 2023. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  2. ^ "Fréquentation en gares" [Attendance at stations]. SNCF (in French). Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  3. ^ "London St Pancras tops list of Europe's best train stations". City A.M. 20 February 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  4. ^ Inauguration d'Eole | INA (in French), retrieved 22 January 2024
  5. ^ "Fréquentation en gares". ressources.data.sncf.com (in French). Retrieved 22 January 2024.

External links edit