Gare du Nord Refurbishment

Gare du Nord Refurbishment

Paris Nord Refurbishment

The SNCF has long sought to improve the station to better handle traffic, particularly following the expansion of high speed rail services during the 1990s and 2000s accompanied by rising passenger numbers. By 2015, 700,000 passengers were using the Gare du Nord each day, projections produced in 2018 predicted these numbers to rise to 800,000 by 2024 and 900,000 by 2030. During 2015, the architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte was engaged by SNCF with the directive to "open the station towards the city". According to SNCF Project Director Stéphane Cougnon, the programme has a budget in excess of 600 million euros (£526m). The endeavour has the public backing of Paris's mayor, Anne Hidalgo, who has also pledged to address the frequent traffic problems in front of the station by reconfiguring its approaches. Critics of the redevelopment have included several architects and urban planners, who have typically objected to the high level of commercialisation involved.

The changes to the Gare du Nord shall be substantial, expanding its footprint to roughly two and a half times its pre-refurbishment footprint, turning it into the largest railway station in Europe. The expansion shall be facilitated largely by increasing the building's height, as well as by pulling back the outer walls in several places. The work shall build upon the existing philosophy of keeping arriving and departing passengers separated, all mainline departures are to be centralised within a new building alongside the eastern façade. To improve the station's interconnectivity with the rest of the city, the SNCF has reportedly considered the construction of a new eastern façade along the rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis to give direct access to the new departures terminal, as well as a new bus terminal.

Various new onsite amenities shall be provisioned across 50,000 m2 (540,000 sq ft) of floorspace, representing a five-fold increase. Amongst the various retailers and commercial operations planned are two restaurants that are to operate on the station's roof, along with a gym, tennis court, putting range, 1,000 m (3,300 ft) fitness trail along the façade, and in excess of 7,000 m2 (75,000 sq ft) of green space. To improve accessibility throughout, a total of 55 lifts and 105 escalators shall be installed, more than doubling the pre-redevelopment number. Eco-friendly considerations have also been made, conforming with the demanding BREEAM standards and incorporating features such as 3,200 m2 (34,000 sq ft) of solar panels. Despite the ambitious scope, great care shall be taken to preserving its historic architecture and appearance, the station having been regarded as a national heritage site in its own right. The project has reportedly been modelled using several other major stations, including London St Pancras and New York's Grand Central Terminal.

During June 2019, a city commission opted to initially deny a construction permit associated with the project. Nonetheless, work commenced on the refurbishment during late 2019, and is scheduled to be completed during late 2023. The station will remain open during the renovations despite the increased technical challenge posed by doing so, the cost of closure being judged to be too great. Substantial planning has gone into minimising disruption and maximising passenger comfort throughout the programme. Some portions of the station, such as the relatively recent facilities for Eurostar services, shall remain relatively untouched. In addition to work on the station site itself, SNCF shall be making alterations along the entire northern corridor within this period in association with the redevelopment work. It is reportedly intended for the station's refurbishment to be completed by 2024, the year in which Paris is to host the Olympic Games.

Gare du Nord Overview

Gare du Nord Location:
112 Rue de Maubeuge
Paris
France
Gare du Nord Coordinates: 48°52′52″N 02°21′19″E
Gare du Nord Operated By: SNCF
Gare du Nord Line(s): Paris–Lille railway
Gare du Nord Tracks: 32
Gare du Nord Connections:
Paris Métro Line 4
Paris Métro Line 5 at Métro station
Paris Métro Line 2 at La Chapelle
RER RER E at Magenta
Gare du Nord Construction Structure Type: At-grade
Gare du Nord Platform Levels: 2
Gare du Nord Accessible: Yes
Gare du Nord Architect: Jacques Ignace Hittorff
Gare du Nord Station Code: 87271031
Gare du Nord IATA Code: XPG
Gare du Nord Fare Zone: 1
Gare du Nord Opened: 20 June 1846
Gare du Nord Rebuilt: 1891, 1930s, 1960s
Gare du Nord Passengers:
2022 211,698,470
Gare du Nord Rank: Busiest in Europe
Gare du Nord Services: Connections to other stations
Gare du Nord Location Coordinates: 48°52′52″N 02°21′19″E