Gare du Nord Station ServicesGare du Nord Station ServicesParis Nord Station Services Like other Parisian railway stations, the Gare du Nord rapidly proved to be too small to handle persistent increases in railway traffic. Accordingly, the station has been periodically reconfigured. During 1884, engineers were able to install five supplementary tracks. During 1889, the station's interior was completely rebuilt, while an extension was constructed along its eastern side to serve the suburban rail lines. Further rounds of expansion work were carried out between the 1930s and the 1960s. Beginning in 1906 and 1908, the station was served by the Metro Line 4 (which crosses Paris from north to south) and the terminus of Metro Line 5 (which ran to Étoile through Place d'Italie. In 1942, Line 5 was extended towards the northern suburbs of Pantin and Bobigny, while its south terminus was set to Place d'Italie. Metro Line 2 (station La Chapelle) is linked to the Gare du Nord by a long, arched circular underground passageway. During 1994, the arrival of high speed Eurostar international services required another reorganisation of the rail tracks:
After the 'Additional Protocol to the Sangatte Protocol' was signed by France and the United Kingdom on 29 May 2000, juxtaposed controls were set up in the station. Eurostar passengers travelling to the UK clear exit checks from the Schengen Area (carried out by the French Border Police) as well as UK entry checks (conducted by the UK Border Force) in the station before boarding their train. PARAFE self-service gates are available in the station which eligible passengers (EU, EEA and Swiss citizens aged 12 or above holding biometric passports) can use to clear French exit immigration checks (instead of a staffed counter). ePassport gates have also been installed in the station, which eligible passengers (UK, EU, EEA, Swiss, Australian, Canadian, Japanese, New Zealand, Singaporean, South Korean and United States citizens as well as other foreign nationals who have applied for the Registered Traveller scheme aged 12 or over holding biometric passports) can use to clear UK entry immigration instead of a staffed counter. By 2015, the Gare du Nord was reportedly the busiest railway station in Europe, handling in excess of 700,000 passengers during a typical day. Most of these passengers are commuters travelling in from the northern suburbs of Paris and outlying towns, only 3 per cent of the traffic has been attributed to Eurostar's international services. There is a further construction project to build a connecting underground passageway between Gare du Nord and Gare de l'Est, which is projected to open in 2025. When open the Gare du Nord-Gare de l'Est complex (including Magenta & La Chapelle) will have 77 platforms. Security for the station is provided by the French police, the railways police and private security companies. Due to the position of the station as a gateway to the northern suburbs of Paris, there are some parts of the station where security incidents occur from time to time. Gare du Nord In Popular Culture The Gare du Nord has served as a backdrop in numerous French films, such as Les Poupées Russes. In Nancy Mitford's The Pursuit of Love, Linda first meets Fabrice in the Gare du Nord when she runs out of resources and is sitting weeping on her suitcase. In US movies, both the exterior and the interior of the Gare du Nord are seen in the 2002 film The Bourne Identity with Matt Damon and again in the trilogy's finale, The Bourne Ultimatum, released in August 2007. It was also seen in Ocean's Twelve in 2004, and Mr Bean's Holiday in 2007. The ending of the 2012 movie The Raven by James McTeigue takes place at the station. Scenes of Gossip Girl's episode "Double Identity" were shot inside the Gare du Nord. 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 | |||||
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