Châtelet–Les Halles


Châtelet–Les Halles is a major train hub in Paris and one of the largest underground stations in the world. Opened in 1977, it is the central transit hub for the Île-de-France metropolitan area, connecting three of five RER commuter-rail lines and five of sixteen Métro lines. The hub hosts travellers per weekday and platforms separated by up to 800 metres. It is named after the nearby Place du Châtelet public square and the Forum des Halles, a shopping mall.

Terminology

Formally, the name Châtelet–Les Halles designates the RER station alone. Informally, it refers to the hub comprising the eponymous RER station plus the contiguous Paris Métro stations Châtelet and Les Halles.
For purposes of wayfinding, the massive station complex is broken up into three sectors: Forum, Rivoli, and Seine.
The Forum sector is below and named after the Forum des Halles and includes the RER platforms and the Les Halles station on Paris Métro Line 4. Exits numbered 1 through 9 are located in the sector.
The Rivoli sector is below and named after the Rue de Rivoli, a major road known for its shopping and includes the Châtelet station of lines 1, 4, and 14 of the Paris Métro. Exits numbered 10 through 14 are located in the sector.
The Seine sector is named after the nearby Seine river and includes the Châtelet station of lines 7 and 11 of the Paris Métro. Exits numbered 15 through 19 are located in the sector.

RER station layout

The tracks of the three RER lines are all oriented parallel in an east–west direction. The seven tracks are grouped on four platforms, with the outer platforms reserved for Lines A and B and the central ones for Line D. This enables easy cross-platform connections between RER A and RER B trains traveling in the same direction, and a solution for those RER D trains which use the station as a terminus.

Renovation

A major redevelopment of the hub and adjoining Forum des Halles shopping mall was completed in 2018, with the main aim of improving safety in the event of an emergency evacuation at peak traffic time. The renovation included the construction of a major new entrance at Place Marguerite de Navarre, with direct access to the RER station hall; the complete renovation and enlargement of the RER station hall; and extension of key escalators to lower levels of the station.