Gare du NordGare du Nord (Paris Nord)The Gare du Nord, or in English: North Station, officially Paris Nord, is one of the seven large mainline railway station termini in Paris, France. The station is served by trains that run between the capital and northern France via the Paris–Lille railway, as well as to international destinations in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Located in the northern part of Paris near the Gare de l'Est in the 10th arrondissement, the Gare du Nord offers connections with several urban transport lines, including Paris Métro, RER and buses. It is the busiest railway station in Europe by total passenger numbers, and the busiest outside Japan. In 2015, the Gare du Nord saw more than 700,000 passengers per day. The current Gare du Nord was designed by French architect Jacques Ignace Hittorff, while the original complex was constructed between 1861 and 1864 on behalf of the Chemin de Fer du Nord company. The station replaced an earlier and much smaller terminal sharing the same name, which was operational between 1846 and 1860. A substantial refurbishment programme during the late 2010s and early 2020s will greatly redesign the station. The plans for this include a significant expansion of the station's footprint and ability to handle passengers, expanding onsite amenities and establishing a new departure terminal in preparation for the 2024 Summer Olympics. As a consequence of this redevelopment, the Gare du Nord will become the largest railway station in Europe. Gare du Nord Early History Gare du Nord Predecessor The first Gare du Nord was constructed on behalf of the Chemins de fer du Nord company, which was managed by Léonce Reynaud, professor of architecture at the École Polytechnique. During 1843, the engineer Onfroy de Bréville, having been placed in charge of the first section of the company's proposed line between Paris and Amiens, produced a report that considered two different options for the terminal station. Management opted to construct the less spacious of the two options, despite the occurrence of stations serving capital city becoming overwhelmed already being a known phenomenon in both London and Brussels. For his part, de Bréville promoted the smaller option as being more than adequate to meet demand and reducing its impact on the existing neighbourhood of Clos Saint-Lazare, it was also considerably cheaper than the larger alternative option. The engineer and architect Francois-Leonce Reynaud was appointed to design the station itself. In terms of its basic configuration, the station accommodated a total of six tracks and two large platforms underneath a single shed. This shed, which was divided into two naves, was supported by a series of cast iron columns and wooden trusses, the structure featured a relatively distinctive drainage system that used the hollow columns as drain pipes directly into the city's sewers. Road traffic was directed to a large courtyard set to the side of the station. On 14 June 1846, the first Gare du Nord station was inaugurated, that same year, the Paris–Lille railway was also declared to be operational. During the following decade, not only was there a major boom in railway traffic as the French network rapidly expanded, Napoleon III himself heavily advocated for grand investments in infrastructure to be made, with the railways being a prime recipient of the French state's attention. During the late 1850s, it had become clear that the original Gare du Nord would be far too small to accommodate the demands of a major terminal station, thus it was decided to replace it entirely. The decision to redevelop the station was considerably eased by the expense of doing so being shared between the company and the city. Accordingly, the station building was partially demolished in 1860 to provide space for the current station, the original station's façade was removed and transferred to Lille station (now Lille-Flandres). Gare du Nord Current Station The chairman of the Chemin de Fer du Nord railway company, James Mayer de Rothschild, chose the French architect Jacques Ignace Hittorff to design the current station. Construction of the new complex was carried out between May 1861 to December 1865, the new station actually opened for service while still under construction during 1864. The façade was designed around a triumphal arch and used many slabs of stone. The building has the usual U-shape of a terminus station. The main support beam is made out of cast iron. The support pillars inside the station were made at Alston & Gourley's ironworks in Glasgow in the United Kingdom, the only country with a foundry large enough for the task. The sculptural display represents the principal cities served by the company. Eight of the nine most majestic statues, crowning the building along the cornice line, illustrate destinations outside France, with the ninth figure of Paris in the centre. Fourteen more modest statues representing northern European cities are lower on the façade. The sculptors represented are:
Gare du Nord Train Services The following services currently call at Paris Nord: Gare du Nord High Speed Services (Eurostar)
The RER station is directly connected to Magenta station, served by the RER E line. The underground connecting tunnel can be accessed from levels -1 or -2. The RER E offers a link between the Gare du Nord and Saint-Lazare/Gare Saint-Lazare and to eastern Paris, to Bondy, Chelles and Tournan-en-Brie. Gare du Nord Paris Métro The Gare du Nord station of the Paris Metro is served by lines 4 and 5 and can be reached through underground connecting tunnels can be accessed from levels -1 or -2. Both stations offer a connection between Gare du Nord and Gare de l'Est. There is also a connection to La Chapelle station on Line 2 of the Paris Metro. An underground connecting tunnel can be accessed on level -2. Gare du Nord Overview Gare du Nord Location: 112 Rue de Maubeuge Paris France Gare du Nord Coordinates: 48°52′52″N 02°21′19″E Gare du Nord Operated By: SNCF Gare du Nord Line(s): Paris–Lille railway Gare du Nord Tracks: 32 Gare du Nord Connections: Paris Métro Line 4 Paris Métro Line 5 at Métro station Paris Métro Line 2 at La Chapelle RER RER E at Magenta Gare du Nord Construction Structure Type: At-grade Gare du Nord Platform Levels: 2 Gare du Nord Accessible: Yes Gare du Nord Architect: Jacques Ignace Hittorff Gare du Nord Station Code: 87271031 Gare du Nord IATA Code: XPG Gare du Nord Fare Zone: 1 Gare du Nord Opened: 20 June 1846 Gare du Nord Rebuilt: 1891, 1930s, 1960s Gare du Nord Passengers: 2022 211,698,470 Gare du Nord Rank: Busiest in Europe Gare du Nord Services: Connections to other stations Gare du Nord Location Coordinates: 48°52′52″N 02°21′19″E | |||||
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