“Pire ligne de m\u00e9tro” or worst metro line. That’s the unofficial title often bestowed upon Ligne 13 : Ch\u00e2tillon-Montrouge \u2192 Saint-Denis-Universit\u00e9.
Known as one of the worst metro lines in Paris, Ligne 13 is about to get even more crowded. The Palais de Justice is moving. This will add even more passengers to the already overburdened line. Journeys risk being even more nightmarish.
In Parisian lore Ligne 13 often gets the unofficial title of worst metro line. The reputation is not likely to improve. The relocation of the Palais de Justice to the Clichy-Batignolles area in the 17th arrondissement may add over 9000 new users to this already packed line.
To avoid a massive increase in riders on Ligne 13 work began in 2013 to extend the efficient Ligne 14. The goal was to finish by 2017. However the project has faced delays. The necessary stations may not be ready until 2020. Currently Ligne 13 is already operating at over 110% capacity. Some decisions have been made to improve things. More buses and the T3 tramway should serve the Palais de Justice by year’s end. These may not be enough.
Every day nearly 650000 people use Ligne 13. It stretches for approximately 25 kilometers. That makes it the longest line in the Parisian network. It connects Ch\u00e2tillon-Montrouge in the south of Paris to Saint-Denis-Universit\u00e9 and Asni\u00e8res-Gennevilliers in the north. At La Fourche station the line splits into two distinct routes. It serves the Saint-Lazare and Montparnasse stations as well as the Stade de France.
Rapha\u00eblle is 22. She lives at the end of the line in Ch\u00e2tillon-Montrouge. She says that the line is packed at any time on any day from Saint-Lazare. The line often stops. It is rare to have a smooth journey.
Floriane goes to Saint-Lazare every day from Marie de Clichy. Sometimes she travels from Invalides to Montparnasse. Ligne 13 is an ordeal for her. The trains are packed in the morning and evening. This causes daily incidents. She is often late for work because of it. Problems start very early in the morning. The line is already unpleasant. When it is crowded it is unbearable.
Sometimes delays force Floriane to find other solutions. She has had to take an Uber to work because of problems on the line. She has also had to walk home. The line is always saturated.
Victor used to take Ligne 13 at Les Agnettes station near Asni\u00e8res-Gennevilliers. At 8 AM it is very crowded. Sometimes there are homeless people and everyone moves to another car. Strollers take up a lot of space. It is a struggle.
Victor thinks that the line could improve with better logistics. Some stations are ghost stations like Li\u00e8ge and Saint-Fran\u00e7ois-Xavier. Not many people get on or off there. Big stations like Saint-Lazare and Montparnasse Bienven\u00fce are the opposite.
Every day the same scenes of collective annoyance repeat. This happens despite the orange-vested RATP agents who try to keep traffic flowing. They are as overwhelmed as the metro users.
There is one positive point. On Red Star match nights the historic north suburb football club provides some joy. People sing in the metro after the match. It is the only time to see happy people on Ligne 13.