fbb, The Magenta Presenter! (2)

Plus Metro At Porte Maillot

Way back in 2024, the magenta RER line E was extended from Haussmann Saint Lazare to Nanterre La Folie.  The extension was nearly all in tunnel with intermediate stops at Neilly Port Maillot and La Defense.

The Little Railway

This blog tries to explain what goes on at Porte Maillot, which, despite its "Porte" nomenclature was never a gate to the old city of Paris. 

In fact it was a gate to the huge park named Bois de Boulogne.

Later, public transport ran via the "Bois" with a service bus to "Etoile" (a k a Arc de Triomphe) creeping gingerly through the states.

This leads us to the first piece of "public" transport at Porte Maillot. 

Just inside where the gates were you will find a miniature railway.

It has a long history and still entertains the young and young at heart today.

The park entrance has been lost under massive road development ...

... which looks very scary as only Paris roads can be. But the avenue through the Bois de Boulogne can be seen streaking through the trees. And here ...

... is where the entrance once stood with the Miniature Railway station peeping through the trees. The trains look interesting, too.

There is a fleet of at least three ...

... and since 2010, Wikipedia reports, the locos have been powered by the electric (presumably rechargeable batteries).

The "Gare Routiere" That Isn't

Another oddity at Porte Maillot is its coach station.

It is where long distance coach services deposit their weary travellers and collect the next lot for their cheap and cheerful ride to destinations throughout Europe.

A recent article expresses some disdain for this facility which is no more that a parking area with no comforts whatsoever.

C'est juste un parking  Ne cherchez pas de quai d'embarquement, de panneaux d'affichage des horaires, de salle d'attente pour les passagers ou même de toilettes... La «gare routière» de la porte Maillot à Paris où les bus de tourisme se succèdent à un rythme soutenu est dépourvue de tous ces équipements. De quoi agacer Pierre Gourdain, le jeune directeur général (DG) de Flixbus-France dont la société verse annuellement près d'1 M€ en droit de stationnement à la Ville de Paris, propriétaire du site. «Le service que l'on reçoit est loin d'être à la hauteur de cette contribution», souligne le patron de la start-up.

Pierre Gourdain is most definitely miffed! The terminal (don't laugh) is very much "round the back by the bins".

Good, innit!

There is no easy access to any other public transport for an onward journey into the "tourist" city.

Steam At Porte Maillot

The first trains at Porte  Maillot were steam hauled on the Auteiul Line serving a terminus which became Gare St Lazare.

This branch was later incorporated unto the Petit Ceinture circular service which roughly followed the former city fortifications shown above in red. The tracks were placed in cutings as the suburbs developed. 

Here is a street map extract for Neuilly Port Maillot

There was a pretty station at ground level.

The Petit Ceintuire and its former Auteuil stations closed in !934 until RER line C came along in 1988 to resurrect the station and a train service over part of the line.

The building is still there today served by trains on one "branch" of RER line C. It is pictured below somewhat isolated as RER line E works proceeded.

The building is better now!

fbb will continue the survey of Porte Maillot in tomorrow's blog.

 Next Magenta Presenter blog : Thurs 17 July