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France by its train stations - Culture

The French take the train more often than any of their European neighbours.

3054: the number of train stations in France
800: the number of TGV (high-speed trains) that run every day in France
574.8 km/h: the fastest a TGV has ever travelled
The rail network in France is very centralised around Paris.

6 of the 10 busiest stations in France are located in Paris.

Gare du Nord

With 180 million travellers a year, Gare du Nord is the largest train station in Europe in terms of passenger numbers. It takes travellers to the north of France as well as the European capitals like London, Brussels and Amsterdam.

Gare Saint-Lazare

At rush hour, one train leaves Gare Saint-Lazare every 30 seconds. Immortalised by the painter Claude Monet in 1877, this station now runs services to Normandy as well as many towns in the suburbs.

Gare Montparnasse

Rebuilt in the 1960s, travellers enter Gare Montparnasse via Porte Océane and take trains to the west of France: e.g. Brittany, Aquitaine and Pays de la Loire.

Gare Austerlitz

Named after Napoléon's victory, Gare d'Austerlitz is one of the only two stations on the left bank of the Seine. It takes passengers to the centre of France.

Gare de Lyon

Gare de Lyon runs the most high-speed train services, to the south of France. Travellers heading to the Côte d'Azur can get a bite to eat in a mythical place: Le Train Bleu.

Gare de l'Est

Located near Gare du Nord and initially called "Gare de Strasbourg", Gare de l'Est welcomes passengers heading to the east of France.
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And elsewhere?

Some four million passengers reportedly pass through the main train station in Mumbai, India, every day - which is eight times more than Gare du Nord!

Did you know?

In the 19th century, Professor Dionysus Lardner was convinced that passengers on high-speed trains would risk dying from suffocation during the journey.

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