Transport authority Île-de-France Mobilités has outlined a 10-point package running until 2024 to rehabilitate the urban realm around Nord and Est stations in Paris, as well as improving access between them.

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The €50m programme is intended to enhance the walking routes between the two stations, which using existing streets are approximately 500 m apart. The authority points out that in total 800 000 passengers/day use the two stations, as well as Magenta station on RER Line E which is located beneath Paris-Nord. More than 200 000 passengers use the stations to interchange between different rail or metro services.

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Several walking routes already exist between Nord and Est, but most involve busy urban streets used by heavy road traffic and the shortest route also includes stairs. Île-de-France Mobilités says these are ‘difficult to use and hard to find’.

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It is seeking to improve access by increasing the priority given to pedestrians in the streets around the stations, and by providing escalators to replace the steps at Escalier Monumental near Paris-Est.

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In addition, the plans call for excavation of a pedestrian subway running from Magenta and the Rue d’Alsace to connect with an existing subway at Paris-Est. Platforms 5 to 12 would be served by lifts and escalators to provide a suitable route for people with reduced mobility.

According to Île-de-France Mobilités, once all 10 elements of the investment package have been delivered, the Nord-Est complex will form ‘an integrated hub and a true gateway to the Île-de-France region’.

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