Olympiades () is the southern

terminus Terminus may refer to: * Bus terminus, a bus station serving as an end destination * Terminal train station or terminus, a railway station serving as an end destination Geography *Terminus, the unofficial original name of Atlanta, Georgia, United ...

of Line 14 of the

Paris Métro The Paris Métro (french: Métro de Paris ; short for Métropolitain ) is a rapid transit system in the Paris metropolitan area, France. A symbol of the city, it is known for its density within the capital's territorial limits, uniform architec ...

. The station was formally inaugurated on 15 June 2007 in the presence of the Mayor of Paris,

Bertrand Delanoë Bertrand Delanoë (; born 30 May 1950) is a French retired politician who served as Mayor of Paris from 2001 to 2014. A member of the Socialist Party (PS), he previously served in the National Assembly from 1981 to 1986 and Senate from 1995 unt ...

. It was opened to the general public at just before 5:30 a.m. on 26 June 2007.RATP - Extension réseau
It takes its name from the area of high-rise residential tower blocks known as

Les Olympiades Les Olympiades is a district of residential towers located in the 13th arrondissement of Paris, France. Built from 1969 to 1974, the district consists of a dozen towers built along a huge esplanade, elevated eight metres from the ground, that is ...

in the heart of Paris's 13th arrondissement, to the east of the station Tolbiac, a quarter of Paris that was previously poorly served by the Metro. This area also contains the Tolbiac centre of the

University of Paris , image_name = Coat of arms of the University of Paris.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of Arms , latin_name = Universitas magistrorum et scholarium Parisiensis , motto = ''Hic et ubique terrarum'' (Latin) , mottoeng = Here and a ...

and the largest

Chinatown A Chinatown () is an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Aust ...

within Paris. Since the opening of the station, residents of the area, as well as staff and students at the university, can now access Saint-Lazare railway station in 13 minutes and the centre of Paris in around 10 minutes. The station entrance is at the intersection of the Rue de Tolbiac and Rue Nationale.

History

Originally called "Tolbiac-Nationale" in the initial Line 14 project, the opening of this station as part of the link between

Saint Lazare Lazarus of Bethany (Latinised from Lazar, ultimately from Hebrew Eleazar, "God helped"), also venerated as Righteous Lazarus, the Four-Days Dead in the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the subject of a prominent sign of Jesus in the Gospel of John, ...

and

Maison Blanche Maison Blanche (''White House'' in French) was a department store in New Orleans, Louisiana, and later also a chain of department stores. It was founded in 1897 by Isidore Newman, an immigrant from Germany. Maison Blanche is perhaps best remem ...

station, was delayed due to a financial shortfall. The plans for Line 14 were revised and a first stage was embarked upon, in which the line ran from Madeleine to Bibliothèque François Mitterrand. This section was opened in 1998, from which the present station Olympiades was used as a temporary maintenance facility. A new extension of the line of 676 metres was later decided upon and allocated funds; the maintenance facility was moved further down the tunnel. Like the rest of Line 14, the extension is essentially composed of a monotubular tunnel containing two tracks, one for each direction. The extension was delayed by almost a year after its construction caused the collapse of the playground of Auguste-Perret school, located above one of the underground facilities. Further problems were encountered with the extension's automatisation. The chosen name provoked tensions between the RATP (the Parisian transport authority), the city of Paris and the Comité National Olympique et Sportif Français (French National Olympic and Sport Committee), which owned the name. An agreement reached at the start of July 2006 found a compromise by allowing the use of this name within the restricted context of public transport.

Architecture

The station's architecture is in keeping with the other stations of Line 14. It is marked by concrete vaults as well as a high ceiling and platforms that are wider than average in the Paris Metro system.

Future

A southern extension of Line 14 from Olympiades to

Orly Airport Paris Orly Airport (french: Aéroport de Paris-Orly), commonly referred to as Orly , is one of two international airports serving the French capital, Paris, the other one being Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG). It is located partially in Orly ...

is currently under construction, with 6 intermediate stations. A new maintenance facility will be built in Morangis, replacing the facility in the tail tracks at Olympiades. The extension is currently planned to open in 2024.

Station layout

Gallery

Metro Paris - Ligne 14 - station Olympiades 04.jpg, Line 14 platforms at Olympiades Metro Paris - Ligne 14 - station Olympiades 05.jpg, Line 14 platforms at Olympiades Metro Paris - Ligne 14 - station Olympiades 07.jpg, Line 14 platforms at Olympiades Métrolinie 14 (Paris).jpg, View of Olympiades from

MP 89 The MP 89 (French : Métro sur Pneus d'appel d'offres de 1989) is a rubber tired variant of electric multiple units used on the Paris Métro. Designed by Roger Tallon, two types are built by GEC-Alsthom for service on Lines 4 and 14, and so ...

train Metro Paris - Ligne 14 - station Olympiades 03.jpg, Platform signage at Olympiades Station Métro Olympiades Paris 2.jpg, MP 05 rolling stock at Olympiades Metro Paris - Ligne 14 - station Olympiades - Plan 01.jpg, Line 14 map at Olympiades

References

External links

*
Description of Olympiades project on the RATP website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Olympiades (Paris Metro) Accessible Paris Métro stations Paris Métro stations in the 13th arrondissement of Paris All articles with unsourced statements Railway stations in France opened in 2007 Paris Métro stations located underground