Paris Metro all night long: lines 1, 4 and 14 open from May 1st on Fridays and Saturdays

The Paris metro is about to undergo a minor revolution. From May 1, certain lines will run all night on Friday and Saturday nights. Emmanuel Grégoire’s campaign promise is finally coming true.

A political victory after years of waiting

It was one of the key commitments of the new mayor of Paris: to keep metro lines open all night long. To achieve this, Emmanuel Grégoire launched a petition signed by over 10,000 people. This relentless battle against Île-de-France Mobilités (IDFM), responsible for managing Parisian public transport, has paid off.

In 2019, Valérie Pécresse, then President of the Île-de-France region, announced an experiment. She proposed all-night trains every second Saturday of the month. Unfortunately, this measure did not last as long as hoped.

Paris at last joins the world’s great capitals

London did it. New York did it. Berlin did it. Now Paris will too. Thousands of Parisians work or go out at night. It’s about time the capital remained accessible and safe at all hours.

“Thousands of Parisians work or go out at night. It’s time for Paris to remain accessible and safe at all hours!”

For night owls, this announcement changes everything. No more crowded Noctiliens, bicycles in the rain or expensive Uber rides. At last, night-time underground transport becomes a reliable and regular option.

Three metro lines concerned initially

This good news has to be qualified. In fact, only the three lines already automated will benefit from this night-time service. These are lines 1, 4 and 14. They will operate all night only on Friday and Saturday evenings.

From Friday May 1, from the official end of the service to its reopening, expect around 6 trains per hour. That’s one every 10 minutes on the lines concerned. A reasonable frequency for night-time travel.

• Line 1: La Défense to Château de Vincennes
• Line 4: Porte de Clignancourt to Bagneux
• Line 14: Saint-Denis Pleyel to Aéroport d’Orly
• Frequency: a train every 10 minutes
• Days concerned: Friday and Saturday evenings only

Gradual deployment planned for the long term

The goal remains ambitious. Eventually, new lines will be added as they are automated. Plans also include extending the service to every day of the week.

This experiment had already been tried in the past. At the time, it was judged too costly in relation to passenger traffic. With automation, operating costs are significantly reduced.

Please note the date of this announcement

Before you get too excited, take a good look at the publication date: April 1. As tradition dictates, this day is often synonymous with mischief. Keep a touch of skepticism about this news.

However, don’t be too disappointed. Pranks have sometimes come true in the past. You never know what the future holds for Parisian transport.

Nearly 7 years after the 2019 experiment, the dream of a permanent nocturnal metro is still very much alive. Automated lines offer a real technical opportunity. Perhaps this joke will one day become reality.

• metro