Is it possible that the Voie E/9 plays a part in the story of the Paris Métro. The story of the Paris Métro is quite interesting. Let’s uncover some facts about line 9.
Line 9 is one of the sixteen lines of the Paris Métro network. It links Pont de Sèvres in Boulogne-Billancourt to Mairie de Montreuil. Boulogne-Billancourt is west of Paris. Montreuil is east of the capital.
The line is one of the network’s longest and busiest. In 2018, 143 million passengers used it. This makes it the third busiest line. Only lines 1 and 4 carry more passengers.
Its route crosses the southwest, north-central, and east of the French capital. It has a parabolic path. Part of its route is shared with line 8. It connects two very different social areas. These are the wealthy areas of western Paris and the working-class areas of the east. The eastern areas are undergoing gentrification. Line 9 was first put into service in 1922.
It was the first line to serve the Parisian suburbs. It began with the west in 1934. Then the east in 1937. It has changed little since then.
In 1903, the Paris City Council decided to study a network to complement the Métro. Fulgence Bienvenüe submitted the additional project in 1905. Public utility was declared in 1908. Work began in 1911.
The Trocadéro-Exelmans section opened in 1922. The line extended northeast to Saint-Augustin in 1923. It then reached Chaussée d’Antin-La Fayette. In 1928, it stretched southwest to Porte de Saint-Cloud. The line reached Richelieu-Drouot in 1931. In 1933, it extended to Porte de Montreuil. The line reached Pont de Sèvres in 1937 and Mairie de Montreuil.
Delivery of MF 01 trains to the Bobigny workshop began in 2013. These trains featured RATP-STIF livery. Four MF 01 trains with RATP-STIF livery entered commercial service.
The final MF 67 train ran on the line in 2013. The City Council wanted no location in the city more than 400 meters from a station. Fulgence Bienvenüe studied the project. He submitted it to the City Council.
Line 9 was initially planned as a branch of line 2. This is now line 6. It would run from Trocadéro to Porte de Saint-Cloud. This section was 4.530 kilometers long. The City granted this branch to the CMP. The law allowed the City to launch a third loan of 45 million francs. This would finance the branch’s construction and extensions of lines 3 and 7.
The section was declared of public utility. In 1910, the City of Paris granted a concession for a complementary network. This included a 3.995-kilometer section from Trocadéro to Opéra. This led to combining the two sections into one line.
The main goal of line 9 was to connect the 16th arrondissement. It would connect it to the commercial districts on the Right Bank. It would follow the Seine’s course and various communication routes.
In 1911, the City began work on the Trocadéro-Porte de Saint-Cloud section and its extension to Opéra. By 1914, the infrastructure was nearly complete. This excluded the Porte de Saint-Cloud terminus. World War I slowed the work.
The northern terminus at Chaussée d’Antin was planned as a standard two-track station. This considered the line’s extension toward the Grands Boulevards. In contrast, the Porte de Saint-Cloud terminus faced numerous challenges. Initially, a terminus with a turning loop was planned. It would be located under the fortifications. It would connect to line 8 at Porte d’Auteuil. The military authority rejected this project. Other projects were also rejected by the same authority. The CMP then proposed extending the line toward the Pont de Saint-Cloud in Boulogne-Billancourt.
In 1918, an agreement was reached. A terminal was planned under the Porte de Saint-Cloud. It would include storage tracks under the Avenue Édouard-Vaillant in Boulogne-Billancourt.
From Porte de Saint-Cloud to Chaussée d’Antin-La Fayette, the line has seventeen stations. All are vaulted except La Muette and Porte de Saint-Cloud.
Construction proved difficult in the 8th arrondissement. The ground was made of inconsistent alluvium. Under Place de l’Alma, the tunnel had to descend fourteen meters. This was to pass under the Marceau collector. It was entirely within the water table. The tunnel’s side walls were sunk from the surface. Then the vault was built. When the base began to be poured. The tunnel’s side walls moved closer. The vault collapsed after a landslide. The construction was restarted with a reinforced profile.
The success of the first Métro lines encouraged the Paris City Council. During its meeting, it planned a complementary network.
Today, Line 9 not only facilitates daily commutes. It also provides access to the city’s cultural treasures. The line serves several tourist sites and hubs. These include the Parc des Princes.