Recently, I had an afternoon spare while in Paris and so I decided to go an have a look at "La Petite Ceinture", an abandoned railway line that more or less circles more or less around central Paris.
There are several access points to 'La Petite Ceinture' some more official than others. Bits of "La Petite Ceinure" can be found in the 12th to the 20th arrondissements.
The explore itself was straightforward as there were large gaps in the fencing (i.e. whole fencing panels were missing). Unfortunately, some tunnels have been blocked off and hence it is not possible to join up the various parts. Moreover, large parts of "La petite Ceinture" are being re-developed and transformed into public spaces. On my little hike along the old railway line I, unfortunately, ended up on a working building site where they had ripped out the rails and were putting in flower beds - so to speak! At this stage I backtracked...
Some History.
"La Petite Ceinture", the precursor of the Paris Metro, was a 32 km railroad line that circled Paris, built during 1852-1869, under the rule of emperor Napoleon III, by Baron Haussmann the influential city planner. 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. At the height of its activity, there were steam trains charging in each direction six times per hour.
La Petite Ceinture’s decline started with the construction of the Parisian Metro in 1900. As a result, the passenger service stopped in 1934, when the metro reached its maturity. 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.
Thanks for having a look.
There are several access points to 'La Petite Ceinture' some more official than others. Bits of "La Petite Ceinure" can be found in the 12th to the 20th arrondissements.
The explore itself was straightforward as there were large gaps in the fencing (i.e. whole fencing panels were missing). Unfortunately, some tunnels have been blocked off and hence it is not possible to join up the various parts. Moreover, large parts of "La petite Ceinture" are being re-developed and transformed into public spaces. On my little hike along the old railway line I, unfortunately, ended up on a working building site where they had ripped out the rails and were putting in flower beds - so to speak! At this stage I backtracked...
Some History.
"La Petite Ceinture", the precursor of the Paris Metro, was a 32 km railroad line that circled Paris, built during 1852-1869, under the rule of emperor Napoleon III, by Baron Haussmann the influential city planner. 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. At the height of its activity, there were steam trains charging in each direction six times per hour.
La Petite Ceinture’s decline started with the construction of the Parisian Metro in 1900. As a result, the passenger service stopped in 1934, when the metro reached its maturity. 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.
Thanks for having a look.
