Fantastic walkthrough of an area of Paris I would have never thought of discovering. The construction of the line between the Pont du Nord and Ivry (the Rive Gauche Orléans company freight yard), as it undercut the hills of Montmartre and Belleville, was more problematic: several landslides delayed the work there, but it was delivered in one track from December 1853,[15] freight service began from 25 March,[16] and was fully functional after its second rail was delivered in May 1854.[15]. From its completion, the Nord company, in exchange for giving 40% of profits made to the Ceinture Syndicate, added its trains to the Ceinture schedule with a new full-circle Nord-Station-Nord-Station service. [85] Discussions about re-opening a Petite Ceinture passenger service beginning the same year ended fruitlessly two years later, with the only change being a "Courcelles-Ceinture à Auteuil-Boulogne" renaming.[86]. I would say YES but I also recommend not to walk alone and only during daylight. But pssst, this part is super cool! [77], When the City began demolishing its fortifications from 1919, the Ceinture saw an opportunity to relieve their over-encumbered Charonne-Marchandises freight station by expanding it yet further onto the land freed, but the City refused their request,[78] a setback that may have been behind the Syndicate decision to return all its from-main-line freight traffic to the Grande Ceinture the same year. As you can see in the pictures, la Petite Ceinture is also a playground for graffiti artists. Quirky Parisian explorers with a preference for the less known sights, we are continuously looking for new ideas and tips to bring you the best of the City of Light. The Ceinture syndicate, most likely because of its 1907-1908 loss of 3 million passengers (from 28 million),[72] refused to fill the void, and instead reorganised its then Ceinture-Syndicate-only Courcelles-Ceinture/Courcelles-Ceinture passenger service to two trains an hour in evenings, three an hour in 'daytime' periods, and six an hour during rush-hour periods. La Petite Ceinture. [citation needed]`, The Syndicate Ceinture passenger cars then were largely unheated, oil-lit 'impèriale ouverte' (bilevel cars with an open top deck) cars, but from 1884 they had ordered 16 new 'impèriale fermée' (covered bilevel cars) gas-lit cars, and heated all wagons from winter of 1891. There are no buildings but 32 km of railway tracks. Along 500 meters, these abandoned train tracks are the common thread of an unusual landscape formed by flora and fauna typical of industrial wastelands. La Petite Ceinture In Parijs lopen verschillende oude spoorbaantjes die in de 19e eeuw gebruikt werden voor goederen transport binnen de stad. Unfortunately, it is not possible walking on railroad tracks without any interruption. Definitely sounds like an off the beaten path way of exploring the area! A kind of illicit pedestrian counterpart to the boulevard périphérique, the Petite Ceinture is one of Paris’s least well-guarded secrets, in both senses. The Association pour la Sauvegarde de la Petite Ceinture et de son Réseau Ferré (ASPCRF) is the pivotal organisation behind the preservation of the railroad, primarily seeking the restoration of the passenger service. The Petite Ceinture largely maintains a path parallel with the Paris Périphérique (inner ring road) and is mainly separated from street level, i.e. We also enjoy out of use historic areas that have been converted to green space. In addition, the development carried out by the City Council consisted in keeping the historic installations while preserving the flora and fauna (more than 220 species of plants and animals) installed spontaneously on the site. amzn_assoc_size = "autox600"; The last abandoned train station in this district has some cool graffiti around. The morning of our discovery there were several locals jogging along the path or young mothers out pushing prams. It was built in 1852 to connect the Gares of Paris, became one of the world's first suburban transit systems, and fell into disuse during the 1930's as the Paris Metro succeeded it in efficiency. Dit keer was dat 1 gedeelte van de kleine riem (la Petite Ceinture) te bezoeken. La Petite Ceinture In 1852 -1869 a 'belt' railway ran around Paris connecting it to the main train stations, known as La Petite Ceinture, now-a-days it is abandoned but sections of it have be urbanised and transformed into a pedestrian way. France was far behind many of its western European counterparts when it came to railways in the 19th century but that was to change when the Legrand Star was created. Furthermore, in this section we are in Paris off the beaten track, walking on train tracks and enjoying some street art and a little bit of nature. [41] The Ceinture Rive Gauche's first dedicated-freight station, 'Grenelle-Marchandises', also opened in 1879. Everything was silent asides from the occasional drip, drip of overhead water and the crunch, crunch of gravel beneath our boots. To accommodate this change, the Ceinture Syndicate modified their ticketing, signage and colour-coding to more easily differentiate trains and their destinations. Any flat surface is completely covered with colorful paintings. [52], Correspondence with transport to the city centre improved as well, with, from 1893, a twin junction to the Nord lines and additional quays to the Chapelle-Saint-Denis station that not only allowed passengers a shorter transfer time, but eased the passing of between-main-station trains that had to use the off-Ceinture La Chapelle freight-yard junction until then. Once completed, it would be placed at the disposal of a 'Compagnie de Chemin de fer de Ceinture de Paris' (not yet Rive Droite), a syndicate comprising two members of each company, for a period of 99 years, during which they would provide a service 'for freight and passengers' using rolling stock from each company. [45], Although it was isolated in the suburban countryside in the year of its inauguration, the now-named 'Petite Ceinture' that year was an integral part of the city. For the moment, we are only interested in their food and we order their generous brunch (there is also a vegetarian option). It was an extensive project: the Paris-Auteuil ravine between Courcelles-Levallois and Passy was widened into a straight-walled trench wide enough to accommodate two additional sets of rails to either side of the existing line: below the 'Avenue Henri Martin' station, the new lines entered curving tunnels to pass below the Paris-Auteuil lines to emerge at a new entrenched 'Boulanvilliers' station before, after passing through another tunnel, emerging on the river-crossing viaduct that curved left to meet the path of the Moulineaux line rails towards the Champ de Mars and Invalides terminus. We can even walk above the Canal de la Villette and enjoy this area from another point of view. [citation needed] Meanwhile, the Syndicate Petite Ceinture's passenger traffic was losing about one million passengers every two years, and had dropped below 8 million by 1926. Only those tunnels shown on the pictures were a little bit scary. I love that you included the history behind the area as well as books to get more information. With the introduction of the Metro in the early 1900s, the service gradually became redundant, and was officially closed in 1934. [citation needed] Replacing the Nord company engines, the Ceinture Syndicate bought and ran its own 040 T locomotives from 1869, which were stored and maintained in new hangars near the Chapelle-Saint-Denis freight yards. Hands up if you’d like an outdoor underground adventure within Paris! [83] The future of the Paris-Auteuil passenger line, now owned by the État (state) company, had been a subject of debate since the State (as the État company) bought the line ten years before: first proposed as an addition to the still-growing Métropolitan underground railway network, the state also imagined extending its electrified service along the former Ceinture Rive Gauche line, but in the end service continued as before with the only change being, from 1935, a tarification modification to a single-class 'Metro type' ticket and fee. Paris Tourism; Paris Hotels; Paris Bed and Breakfast; Paris Holiday Rentals; Paris Packages; Flights to Paris; Paris Restaurants; Paris Attractions; Paris Shopping Since then, sections of the Petite Ceinture's trenches and infrastructure have been recuperated and renovated for the inter-urban RER C passenger transport service, some of its former stations have been sold to local commerce and services. [33] Extra trains were added on holidays, and from 1866, to serve local factories, reduced-price morning and evening 'worker trains' as well. | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Contact | Work with Us |, PETITE CEINTURE PARIS 18: LUNCHTIME AT LA RECYCLERIE PARIS. What happened? A train every fifteen minutes in both directions was the absolute minimum cadence, and, after the exposition's end, the service to the gare St-Lazare was re-established, with two of those trains travelling between St-Lazare and Courcelles-Ceinture, and the other two travelling in a full Courcelles-Ceinture/Courcelles-Ceinture circle, a 1h30 trip. In an effort to avoid blocking traffic (like the Ceinture Rive Droite did), it was built below ground level for most of its 9.5 km length, an endeavour that required the construction of 14 bridges across its entrenched path. I love it! What an exciting twist on travel, love it! [29] Service at first was only during daytime hours, but from 1857, after a telegraph service was installed, ran at night as well. Finally, some information panels located here and there help us to appreciate the existent flora better: grassland, coppice, wastelands, and afforestation. A history of the Secret Paris Railway. The state, intent in their aims, had begun procuring the funds necessary to purchase the lands and lay rail for the line even before Napoleon III's declaration, and had from 1863 begun the landscaping and bridge work needed for a Chemin de fer de Ceinture Rive Gauche:[23] bridges because, unlike the Rive Droite Ceinture line, the Rive Gauche wouldn't block traffic, but pass over and under streets over bridges, below underpasses and through tunnels.[23]. Ik ga heel vaak naar Parijs en probeer iedere keer iets nieuws te doen. [1] In the years following, new railways appeared in many regions across the country, but in all, its early 19th-century rail technology expansion was far behind that of its western European rivals. Today La Gare de Charonne (1867-1934) is a modern concert hall called La Flèche d’Or (102 bis rue de Bagnolet). [75], The Auteuil line's 1854 'Batignolles' station was destroyed during the renovation and enlargement of the Batignolles tunnels to the Gare St. Lazare from 1911, and the temporary station that replaced it took the name 'Pont Cardinet' from 1919; that same station would become the line's terminus in 1922 when, after a rail-traffic interrupting collapse of those same tunnels in 1921, it was moved there when the station's definite construction was complete. La Petite Ceinture is a disused railway line that once looped the whole of the city, hence its name “the Little Belt”. The post-1848-revolution government was not in an any better position to negotiate and all the Second Republic government's coercive manoeuvring managed to achieve was the rail companies making freight-exchange deals and mergers amongst themselves. When you think of the Paris you learned about in high school, “hub of urban art and decay” isn’t … It is uncovered in many places, but as it is below street level, it is not obvious. And a history of Paris’ Abandoned Railway. Along this section, there are three long tunnels to cross so take a pair of good shoes and a torch. X, Accès Petite Ceinture Paris 12: 21 rue Rottembourg, 75012 Paris; M. Michel Bizot, L 8; Velib Station #12.010. Re-opening the negotiations based on a pre-Second Empire project to connect all of Paris' railway stations through an arc of rail between the Rouen-Versailles Rive Droite (Gare-St-Lazare) and Orléans (Gare d'Austerlitz) lines, with the Versailles Rive Gauche lines (leading to today's Gare Montparnasse) joined to its Versailles-Rive Droite counterpart through a junction at Viroflay (in the suburbs to the southwest of Paris), the Rouen, Nord, Strasbourg, Orléans (then bankrupt, but state-sponsored) and Lyon companies signed participation, and the project was transformed into a decree-proposition that the Prince-President signed into law on 10 December 1851. After the conflict's end, at first only in sections with trains every hour, Ceinture service returned to its half-hour cadence, begun just before the war, from 16 July 1871.[40]. A remnant from the era of Napoléon III, the Petite Ceinture was a circular connection for the whole of Paris in a time when its neighborhoods were distinct villages without transportation between the main stations. , I am sure that you would like La Petite Ceinture, Punita . Het betekend letterlijk vertaald : De kleine ronde. [77] In another effort to ease its freight-traffic overload, the Ceinture Syndicate purchased its first and only Diesel engine in 1932: an 800-horsepower 'Sulzer' machine numbered 'D1', it would aid the composition of freight wagons before they were attached to a steam engine for Ceinture transit. We reach Porte de Clignancourt (Paris 18) at lunchtime. Anastasia Bow-Bertrand explores the past, present and future of the near-forgotten railroad La Petite Ceinture, Paris.Dating from the nineteenth century, its original commercial transportation uses were abandoned, and an underground culture and environmental treasure took their place. In that year, Paris had five major rail stations, all located just inside the city tax walls, each run by separate companies: Paris-Rouen (later Ouest, near today's gare Saint-Lazare, Nord (at today's gare du Nord), Paris-Strasbourg (later Est, at today's gare de l'Est), Paris-Lyon (at today's gare de Lyon) and Paris-Orléans (at today's gare d'Austerlitz). [84], The Nord company alone ran the Petite Ceinture (Rive Gauche, Rive Droite, Courcelles) from 1935, which meant the closing of the Ceinture Syndicate-owned La Chapelle-Saint-Denis engine hangars. Check out this cool list by Beer and Croissants, Click here to explore other Paris Hidden Gems. [69] Just to the west of there the same year, the Ceinture opened a 'Paris-Brancion' livestock station below the still-expanding 'Vaugirard' slaughterhouses,[70] and the Charonne-Marchandises freight-station expanded in 1904. Take the time to read the information panels about the incredible diversity of this ecosystem: grassland, wetland, limestone slopes, afforestation. Interactive mapping; External links ; March 2017. Linda Mak — July 19, 2017 @ Photography by Linda Mak 190. Hopefully more kilometres will be opened to the public in the near future . La Petite Ceinture’s decline started with the construction of the Parisian Metro in 1900. The Ceinture Syndicate, pleased with its Exposition-passenger service results, after a period of experimentation after the Est company withdrew its trains at the Exposition's end, decided to make the fifteen-minute passenger service permanent from 1881,[43] and from the following year, the Paris-Auteuil section topped its service as well; in all, the Ceinture had a passenger-service frequency of 4-8 trains an hour in each direction, but this cadence required a total suppression of freight traffic at certain times at certain points along the Ceinture Rive Droite line. The Petite Ceinture is a haven for wildlife in Paris. La Petite Ceinture du 12th arrondissement, Paris: Address, La Petite Ceinture du 12th arrondissement Reviews: 4/5 Hotels near La Petite Ceinture du 12th arrondissement, Paris on Tripadvisor: Find 9,080 traveller reviews, 50,151 candid photos, and prices for 2,839 hotels near La Petite Ceinture du 12th arrondissement in Paris, France. As a result, the passenger service stopped in 1934, when the metro reached its maturity. It’s truly amazing especially given the history there. This railway was abandoned by the government roughly 20 years ago and, in many places, vegetation has taken over. amzn_assoc_linkid = "3d1a61ec99f162fed63e91abd99397ce"; I love the picture with the arch and blue clearing, how fabulous for photos. [51] That year, the Ceinture Syndicate park was 24 single-level first-class cars, 77 second-class cars, 1 class-mixed car (impèriale fermée), and 51 wagons used for baggage and freight. [89], On 23 March 2019, a section in the 20th arrondissement opened to the public.[90]. This includes an abandoned old railway, La Petite Ceinture that once circled Paris. Thanks for your nice comment, Liurene . Certainly a colorful place for exploring. An initial 1842 study[8] resulted in three projects for railways to the inside of the fortifications, another between the forts outside them, and another ring in a still larger diameter outside the city, but by 1845 the government's increasingly urgent priority was joining the nation's railways through a Right Bank portion of the inner-fortification rails. What a unique post! What a cool and unique look at Paris! You can reach the rails through a hole in the fence which follows this path. Paris' former Chemin de fer de Petite Ceinture ('small(er) belt railway'), also colloquially known as La Petite Ceinture, was a circular railway built as a means to supply the city's fortification walls, and as a means of transporting merchandise and passengers between Paris' major rail-company stations. Recently we went on a little impromptu adventure that the kids loved and reminded us of all those trespassing adventures we ourselves took as kids. Originally built to transport material goods from depot yards to the core of Paris, “Le Chemin de Fer Petite Ceinture” became since 1862 also a service for passengers. The company least concerned with freight matters, the Ouest, had abstained from the agreement, but in 1880 proposed merging the two Ceinture syndicates (Petite and Grande): this would allow the companies to transfer their freight traffic to the outer ring and dedicate the inner ring to passenger and Parisian-commerce-destined freight traffic. La Petite Ceinture Paris. I lived in Paris for a short while and never knew about this. La Petite Ceinture du 12th arrondissement, Paris: Address, La Petite Ceinture du 12th arrondissement Reviews: 4/5 Explore Paris off the beaten track walking on railroad tracks: abandoned train stations, cool street art, interesting wild nature between its abandoned railroads, and a lunch pause at la Recyclerie Paris. The first length of the Ceinture railway was completed 12 December 1852 between Rouen's Batignolles freight yards and the Pont du Nord,[13] a point above the Nord company rails south to their station in Paris. You can find more information about la REcyclerie Paris on our page Yummy Paris. [18] Leaving the Gare Saint-Lazare rails just to the north of the station, the 'Paris-Auteuil' line arced west, passed through the town of Batignolles, then arced south with several stops before its terminus in the town of Auteuil. At the end of the 70’s, with the disappearance of the slaughterhouses of Vaugirard, the cattle station of La Villette and the relocation of the Citroën factories, the freight traffic fell drastically and La Petite Ceinture stopped operating. Visiting some of the sections of La Petite Ceinture de Paris will be a priority for us when we visit Paris. Paris' former Chemin de fer de Petite Ceinture ('small(er) belt railway'), also colloquially known as La Petite Ceinture, was a circular railway built as a means to supply the city's fortification walls, and as a means of transporting merchandise and passengers between Paris' major rail-company stations. La Petite Ceinture Paris. Well, there is still to much work to do at la Petite Ceinture! Don’t hesitate to ask if you need more information . A bridge over the Seine carried the train from the 13 arrondissement on the right bank to the 12th on the left. Beginning as two distinct 'Ceinture Syndicate' freight and 'Paris-Auteuil' passenger lines from 1851, these lines formed an arc that surrounded the northern two thirds of Paris, an arc tha… One of the legally accessible parts is the Petite Ceinture in the 15th arrondissement in the south of Paris. And so, the Petite Ceinture, Paris’ secret railway was constructed during the 1860s… It was so quiet that I could hear my heart beating. I love that cities are making something out of old, unused rail tracks, like the High Line in NYC. The second Ceinture section delivered, between Pont du Nord and Aubervilliers (the point where the Nord-Strasbourg arc-connection joined with the Ceinture railway), opened to service on 30 September 1853. The government of the time was too financially burdened to undertake building and managing a railway on its own, so it depended upon France's major rail companies for financial support and management. [14], In November 1856, four Est-company locomotives (and one in reserve) were enough to provide freight service between the city's rail company freight yards, and trains were composed of company-owned freight cars. The line branches off at Champ de Mars, crossing the Seine. Deferred in 1993 and completely abandoned, it was quickly colonized by a wild nature which makes a formidable “ecological corridor” for plants and animals. Le train de la petite ceinture, réhabilité par les 'Amis des chemins de fer secondaires', en gare de Ménilmontant à Paris en France, le 13 mars 1966. [72] The Ceinture syndicate reduced train frequency again that year, with only four trains an hour in each direction at peak hours, and two trains an hour for the rest of the day. The Petite Ceinture had a pretty large role in the fabric of Paris’ history and growth during the late 19th-Century. There’s no shortage of lovely walking paths in Paris, but a new trail opens up a stretch of old railway in the 15th arrondissement that affords marvelous vistas from an elevated perch.