Metro line 9 : a line and its history

Paris’ metro line 9 passes through the city from east to west, and exclusively serves the Right Bank of the Seine River. The line has a curved trajectory similar to the layout of metro line 8. Built fully underground, metro line 9 covers a total distance of 19.57 km, and it is one of the longest, busiest lines across the network. Metro line 9 connects Pont de Sèvres station in Boulogne-Billancourt, the region’s second most populous city, to Mairie de Montreuil station.

Early days of metro line 9 

Bolstered by the success of the metropolitan network’s first few lines, in 1901, the Paris municipal council began planning a network that would operate alongside the Paris metro network. The goal was to ensure that every part of the city was within 400 metres of a metro station. The project, which was surveyed by Fulgence Bienvenüe, “father” of the Paris metro, was submitted to the municipal council that same year. 

Metro line 9 was initially supposed to be a branch of what was then metro line 2 Sud (south), now known as metro line 6, which led from Trocadéro station to Porte de Saint-Cloud station over a 4.53-km stretch. However, those plans were eventually abandoned. The decision was finalised when the extension of metro line 9 to Opéra, which had been scheduled as part of the additional network, was declared a project of public interest in 1910.  

From then on, the goal became to link Paris’ 16th arrondissement to central Paris, leading from Bois de Boulogne to the business district. During that time, a plan was under way to provide twice the volume of service to the western section of Paris by absorbing the Auteuil segment of the now-defunct La Petite Ceinture railway line into the metro network. The Auteuil line, which opened in 1854, ran over eight kilometres, passing through Paris’ 16th and 17th arrondissements. Initially, the line connected Saint-Lazare station to Auteuil-Boulogne station. However, the myriad constraints surrounding works to adapt the railway line to metro operations prevented the project from being completed. The Auteuil line was closed in 1985, before its main segment became part of RER line C three years later.

The first segment, which was opened in 1922, covered 3.5 km, and it served every corner of the 16th arrondissement between Exelmans and Trocadéro stations.  
In 1923, the line was extended to Saint-Augustin station. That same year, two new extensions were commissioned. The line terminus advanced eastward to Chaussée d’Antin station (today’s Chaussée d’Antin–Lafayette station), followed by the opening of the westward Porte de Saint-Cloud – Exelmans segment. 

In 1922, the municipal council announced its plan to build a line linking Porte de Montreuil station to République station, subsequently connecting it to metro line 9 at Richelieu–Drouot station, which was inaugurated in 1928. 

Although construction works up to Oberkampf station were completed in 1932, it was only in the year after that that the entire 6.43-km line was opened between Richelieu–Drouot and Porte de Montreuil stations.  

Following the signing of an agreement in 1929, it was decreed that two new segments, at Pont de Sèvres, and at Mairie de Montreuil, were of public interest. As a result of this decision, metro line 9 was the first line to have ventured outside the boundaries of Paris.  
The extension through the city of Boulogne was the first to have opened, boasting three new stations : Marcel Sembat, Billancourt and Pont de Sèvres. The extension was officially commissioned in 1934.

The eastern end of the line had its own extension to Montreuil, leading to the construction of three new stations as well : Robespierre, Croix de Chavaux and Mairie de Montreuil, which opened in 1937.

Several factors delayed the commissioning of metro line 9 : World War I, uncertainty regarding the Porte de Saint-Cloud terminus, and the financial difficulties that the Compagnie du chemin de fer métropolitain de Paris (Paris metropolitan rail company) was undergoing at the time.

While works were able to progress without any major issues on the southwestern segment of metro line 9, conditions were less than ideal between Trocadéro and Chaussée d’Antin stations (today’s Chaussée d’Antin–La Fayette station), due to the presence of former quarries. Any misgivings about the project were founded when Alma-Marceau station collapsed in 1915, forcing the section to be rebuilt.

The Porte de Saint-Cloud terminus was yet another project that encountered setbacks. The site included access to Jean Bouin stadium (where Parc des Princes stadium is located) through a specific station named Porte Molitor.

Porte Molitor, which was built in 1923, sits above the Voie Murat connection that links metro line 9 to metro line 10, from Porte de Saint-Cloud station to the Auteuil loop. Porte Molitor station was built so that it could directly serve Jean Bouin stadium with metro line 9, by using metro line 10 tracks at Michel-Ange–Auteuil station, and returning to metro line 9 tracks at Porte de Saint-Cloud station. However, the requirement for lines to run independently, as well as failure to obtain approval for complex traffic operations, doomed the project after the station had already been built. Entrances to the station were never dug, and today, metro line 9 and 10 trains are parked on its tracks.
 

Another set of tracks was laid between Porte de Saint-Cloud and Porte d’Auteuil stations, with the aim of building a shared garage for metro lines 9 and 10. In 1925, an underground maintenance centre catering to metro line 10 trains (Auteuil maintenance centre) was built along these tracks.  

Saint-Augustin station is also living proof of the unique works that took place on metro line 9. This station was originally built with three sets of tracks. From this station, network architects had designed a fork branching out towards Porte des Ternes and Porte Maillot. However, this project was also abandoned before completion.  
The third set of tracks at Saint-Augustin station was therefore deemed unnecessary, and was paved over in the 1970s. As a result of this decision, the platform in the direction of Montreuil was widened, and the transfer to metro line 14 was inserted unconventionally at the tunnel opening.

Metro line 9 was the line on which the last Sprague-Thomson train made its final run in 1983. This train model was permanently phased out to make way for MF67 trains, which were commissioned as of 1974. These trains were in turn replaced by MF01 models as of 2013. MF67 trains ran for the last time during festivities in 2016.

In 1970, metro line 9 was equipped with a central command post, followed by automated driving in 1975. These systems were upgraded in 2020 with the installation of a next-generation central command post.

The Boulogne maintenance centre was inaugurated in 1934 at the same time that the extension to Pont de Sèvres was commissioned. This is also the maintenance centre that caters to metro line 9’s MF01 trains.

The original name of Franklin D. Roosevelt station was “Rond-Point des Champs-Elysées”, and it operated separately from metro line 1 station Rue Marbeuf.  
In 1942, a long corridor was built to connect both lines, thereby joining their names to become a single station : Marbeuf–Rond-Point des Champs-Élysées. In 1946, the station was renamed in honour of United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Metro line 9 is a treasure trove of surprises! Find out about the various artistic, historic, and quirky secrets that await you on the interactive metro line 9 Ça vaut le détour (It’s worth the trip) map.

Stay informed by following our social media accounts : X metro line 9, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok !