Subway route in the French capital
Paris Métro Line 10 is one of 16 metro lines in Paris, France. The line links Boulogne–Pont de Saint-Cloud in Boulogne-Billancourt in the west with , traveling under the neighborhoods situated on the Rive Gauche in the southern half of Paris and the commune of Boulogne-Billancourt. Its two termini are and Boulogne–Pont de Saint-Cloud.
The line is entirely underground and stretches across 23 stations. It has the least traffic of any of the 14 main metro lines (excluding lines 3bis and 7bis).
Initially, the MA 51 model trains, which had previously been used on Line 13 until it joined Line 14, circulated on the tracks of Line 10. These trains were first constructed with three cars on four bogies per train, and two trains permanently connected to make six cars per train, having an equivalent capacity to five cars on the classic metro trains. Because of the ineffectiveness of the MA 51 model, it was eventually completely replaced by the MF 67 model between 1988 and 1994.
The line's history is closely tied to that of lines 7, 8, and 13. A section of Line 10's route was replaced by Line 13, and Line 10 replaced part of Line 7 for more than a year, until eventually replacing the western section of Line 8 where its terminus was replaced by . There is a ghost station named Croix-Rouge between Sèvres–Babylone and Mabillon. It was closed in 1939. Consequently, Line 10 has changed the most of any other métro line during its lifetime. Unlike those of other lines, the walls of Line 10's tunnels are painted white, creating a brightness that is not found on any other métro line.
Route and stations.
Line 10 measures across 23 stations and one ghost station, "Croix-Rouge", closed in 1939. The route is entirely underground.
List of stations.
Beginning at the western terminus of Line 10, the first train that leaves the station "Porte d'Auteuil" heads towards the terminus of "gare d'Austerlitz". At this time, passengers may ride on the turn-around track, which is closed to passengers for the rest of the day. SIEL, "système d'information en ligne", gives passengers on the platforms the time-to-arrival of the next two trains, and has been operational since 1 July 2008.
At the terminus "Boulogne – Pont de Saint-Cloud (Rhin et Danube)", because of the proximity to the Seine, there are no tracks behind the station to allow the train to reverse directions. Instead, trains are received alternately on each side of the platform and leave directly in the opposite direction. Due to the narrowness of the "rue du Château", under which line 10 passes, the stations "Boulogne – Pont de Saint-Cloud (Rhin et Danube)" and "Boulogne – Jean Jaurès" have only one central platform used for both directions. After this last station, tracks run for to reconnect trains to "Auteuil". Tracks 1 (towards "Austerlitz") must successively pass under the Boulevard Périphérique, followed by the platforms for the connections to "Auteuil" and "Murat" before ascending to service the station "Michel – Ange – Molitor". In order to achieve this, ramps reaching a descent of up to a 40‰ grade are used. Tracks 2 (towards Boulogne) are separated by the loop on the level of the avenue du Général-Sarrail with a bend and a slope of 40‰.
The loop to "Auteuil" is situated in the neighborhood of Auteuil: tracks 1 and 3 of the loop border the central platform of "Miche-Ange – Molitor". Afterwards, they pass under the rails of line 9, until combining at the arrival to "Chardon-Lagache" with a unique platform. Finally, tracks 1 reach the station "Mirabeau" and then go towards "Austerlitz".
Tracks 2, coming from "Austerlitz", follow a very peculiar profile and do not service the station "Mirabeau", instead crossing behind it with a sharp ramp due to the great depth of the line after traversing the Seine. Furthermore, in order to reach the station "Église d'Auteuil", the tracks must climb even higher very close to the station's foundation. Following this, tracks 2 of the line pass behind tracks of line 9 and arrive at the station "Michel-Ange – Auteuil", which has a central platform surrounded by tracks 2 and tracks H coming from a connection with line 9. Arriving at "Porte d'Auteuil", the tracks separate to form the complexity of tracks that head towards Boulougne, a maintenance station, "Murat", or towards "Michel-Ange – Molitor".
After the station "Mirabeau", the line crosses the Seine via an underwater tunnel and reaches the station "Javel – André Citroën" by way of a 40‰ ramp after passing under tracks of line C of the RER. Following this, the line follows "avenue Émile-Zola" to arrive at the stations "Charles Michels" and "Avenue Émile Zola" before joining the "rue du Commerce". When the line reaches the station "La Motte-Picquet – Grenelle", the two tracks separate: tracks 1 are situated in a half-station with platform 1 of line 8 and tracks 2 service a half station but without tracks 2 of line 8 which are situated below. Before arriving at the station "Ségur", the line passes under the Rapp intake. It then services the stations "Duroc", "Vaneau" and "Sèvres – Babylone". The line continues eastward and passes through the vacant station "Croix-Rouge", which was closed on 2 September 1939. Finally, the line arrives at "Mabillon".
Beginning at "Odéon" the route of line 10 becomes complixed as it must pass an intersection with line 4. The two tracks part in order to yield passage to the connection tracks that arrive in the middle of the circulation tracks and level off at the station "Cluny – La Sorbonne". The connection tracks rejoin the other tracks of line 10 before the station "Maubert – Mutualité". The same principle is in effect with the connection to line 7 but these double tracks pass under the tracks of line 10 before the station "Cardinal Lemoine". When the route reaches the station "Jussieu", lines 7 and 10 follow parallel routes which allows for the platforms of the two lines to be side by side. Finally, the line follows bends in both direction under the "Jardin des plantes" to arrive at the terminus, "Gare d'Austerlitz". The arrival is situated under the arrivals hall of the train station, and the turn-around loop is under the railroad tracks. This cul-de-sac is peculiar in the sense that it is configured to receive an underwater passing coming from the "gare de Paris-Lyon".
Split section of line 10.
Line 10 has separate eastbound and westbound sections between the stations of Boulogne – Jean Jaurès (west) and Javel – André Citroën. Both sections run side by side between Javel – André Citroën and Mirabeau, but the Mirabeau station is only served by eastbound trains. Westbound trains pass through Mirabeau on an inclined ramp behind the eastbound tracks.
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The separate sections were once part of a loop that returned westgoing trains to Javel – André Citroën. After Porte d'Auteuil (last station on the westbound section) the trains turned round to Michel-Ange – Molitor (first station on the eastbound section). When the line was extended with Jean Jaurès and Boulogne the section was no longer operated as a loop.
Porte d'Auteuil is also connected with Porte de Saint-Cloud of line 9. This connection is called "voie Murat" and it passes the ghost station Porte Molitor. The station was meant for spectators leaving the Parc des Princes football stadium, but plans were changed and access to the station from the streets was never constructed.
Westbound trains on line 10 (terminating at Porte d'Auteuil) can be re-routed to line 9, starting eastbound at Porte de Saint-Cloud via the "voie Murat" connection. This option is used after events at Parc des Princes when Line 9 is used by unusually many people.
Renamed stations.
Five stations on line 10 have changed names of the course of the years:
Themed and otherwise unique stations.
Some stations on the line are decorated with a particular cultural theme in mind:
The station "Javel – André Citroën" presents the life and enterprise of André Citroën with the use of placards and photographs. The seats of the station use the colors of the celebrated logo composed of chevrons, inspired by gears constructed in 1905. These decorations, however, were removed during the 2000s in light the renovation project "Renouveau du Métro".
The halls used for connections in the station "La Motte-Picquet – Grenelle" are decorated with various coats of arms of the Toussaint-Guillaume Picquet de la Motte family (blue with three golden chevrons, accompanied by three silver arrowheads). A fresco represents the "barrière de la Cunette", one of the doors of the Wall of the Farmers-General that was one situated where the station is now.
The station "Sèvres – Babylone" contains an exposition of ecology, with showcases on recycling, renewable energy or water consumption and electricity consumption in the world. In 2008, these windows were renovated with signs giving specific information on the initiatives of Grenelle Environnement.
The ceiling of the station "Cluny – La Sorbonne" is decorated with mosaics and signatures of famous writers such as Racine, Molière, Michelet, Victor Hugo, and Rimbaud.
Junctions.
The line contains six junctions with other lines of the network:
Depots.
Trains on line 10 are serviced by the depots at Auteuil, which are connected to the tracks of the terminus "Porte d'Auteuil". These depots are entirely underground; other than tunnels, an escalator located on the sidewalk of the "avenue du Géneral-Sarrail" provides access. The depots are connected to line 9 as well; however, line 9 has not used these depots since the opening of those at "Boulogne" connected to "Pont de Sèvres".
Both heavy and regular (batteries, tune-ups, and repainting) maintenance of the trains of line 10, as with all other trains on the rail network, takes place at the depot at "Choisy". Opened in 1931, it is situated in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, close to the Boulevard Périphérique and accessible via a junction on line 7. It is composed of two distinct sections: a maintenance workshop for the trains of line 7 (AMT), and a workshop for changing the composition of the trains on the network. The depot occupies a total of . 330 agents were employed at this depot in 2007.
Usage.
Service.
In 2008, one complete trip across the line took twenty-eight minutes in the west–east direction and twenty-nine minutes in the opposite direction. As with all lines of the Paris métro (with the exception of the "bis" lines), the first departure of the day leaves the station at 5:30 am. A train leaves from "Boulogne – Pont de Saint-Cloud" at 5:35 am, preceded by the first departure on the line from "Porte d'Auteuil" at 5:30 am, which is also the only train that will take passengers on the turn-around loop at "Auteuil".
The last train leaves "Boulogne – Pont de Saint Cloud" at 12:47 am destined for "Gare d'Austerlitz". From "Gare d'Austerlitz", the last train leaves at 12:35 am for "Boulogne – Pont de Saint-Cloud" and another for "Porte d'Auteuil" at 12:51 am. From Friday night to Sunday and during holidays, the last departure from "Boulogne – Pont de Saint-Cloud" leaves at 1:47 am for "Gare d'Austerlitz". From this terminus, the last departure takes place at 1:35 am for "Boulogne – Pont de Saint-Cloud" and at 1:46 am for "Porte d'Auteuil".
Trains on line 10 are less frequent than those on other lines: the average time between trains is between three and five minutes during the day and between eight and nine minutes late night. On Sunday mornings, the time between trains is between six and seven minutes, and about ten minutes Friday night, and all of Saturday, Sunday, and holidays after 12:30 am (after 1:15 am on Friday and Saturday nights).
Train sets.
Line 10 has always been unique with respect to its train sets. Before World War II, it was unusual in that it was circulated by Sprague model trains with two cars circulating alone as passenger traffic was very light. Until 1976, old Spragues circulated the line with four cars each (two motor cars with four motors).
Line 13 transformed in the middle of the 1970s as a result of its junction with the old line 14, and a more modern and better performing train set, MF 67, was put in service. Beginning 28 April 1975, the old MA 51 train sets of line 13, numbering 52 in total, were progressively transferred to line 10 and drastically modernized. The cars were repainted, their outer bodies and seats replaced, and modern