The Paris Metro and train disruptions to look out for this summer

The SNCF and RATP networks usually benefit from the summer slump in the number of daily commuters improve rail lines before September.

That means that, over the course of July and August, some Metro and RER lines will reduce their services and some stations will be partially or completely closed.

 

An up-to-date schedule showing its transport interruptions on the RATP website, link here, but here's a quick overview of this summer's planned works.

RER

The RER B line, which connects Paris’ two airports, will be running on limited services this summer, reducing the total number of trains departing from Gare du Nord by a third and stopping its service from Gare du Nord to Charles de Gaulle at 10pm. On the southern line of the RER B the stops Laplace, Croix de Berny and Robinson will shut completely from August 12th to August 16th.

On RER A, trains will stop running between Auber (centre of Paris) and Vincennes (east of Paris) in the evenings and on weekends and will not run at all between August 8th and 14th. The line will see disruptions on the western part too, with no trains running between Auber and Nanterre-Université or Cergy et Poissy from August 17th to 21th.

 

As for the RER C, its services will be severely halted this summer (again). As of July 15th, there are no trains running between Gare d'Austerlitz (centre east of the capital)  and Javel (western edge of the capital). This includes the much-frequented station St Michel Notre Dame, which is the station just next to the Notre Dame cathedral.

As an alternative to the RER C, Metro line 10 will be running an increased service and together with buses 63 and 30.

RER D will see only minor disruptions, with some stations on the southern part of the line (the branch between Corbeil-Essonnes and Juvisy) closing down during off-peak hours between July 27th and August 14th. 

Metro

The Paris Metro will also be subject to works, but there will be fewer interruptions than on the RER lines.

Stations on Line 6 will close down between Trocadéro and Charles-de-Gaulle-Etoile from July 25th to August 14th. There will be additional buses on routes 22 and 30. 

Line 4, which is in the process of becoming automated, will be closed on Sundays and in the evenings, all through the summer.

On Line 11, the station Belleville closed down on July 7th and reopens on August 30th (although line 2 will keep its services on that stop).

 

Trams

Tram services will run largely as normal, although a couple of stops on the T1, T3b and T6 will be closed for a few days in July and August.

The disruption to T2 however will be more severe, with the line shut completely between Puteaux and Charlebourg between July 25th and August 12th. That includes the busy La Défense stop. 

Cycling

If you’re looking for a quick way to get from A to B, don’t forget about the bicycle. Cycling in Paris is getting increasingly easy as the City of Paris has spent the last months extending cycling lanes and even closing down some streets to make them car-free.

 

Turning Paris into a bicycle-friendly city was the core of Mayor Anne Hidalgo’s (Socialist Party) political project from the outset, but her team massively ramped up their efforts over the past six months - first when the mass-strikes brought public transportation to a virtual standstill in December and January, and now with the coronavirus pandemic making crammed Metro lines a potential health risk.

The City has also improved its public cycle service Vélib' to ensure that as many as possible in the capital have access to a bicycle.

This has lead to a surge in the number of new cyclists in Paris.