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Paris Métro facts for kids

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Métro de Paris
Metro-M.svg
Paris Metro 2 Porte Dauphine Libellule
Info
Owner RATP (infrastructure)
Île-de-France Mobilités
(rolling stock)
Locale Paris metropolitan area
Transit type Rapid transit
Number of lines 16 (numbered 1–14, 3bis and 7bis)
Number of stations 302
Daily ridership 4.16 million (2015)
Operation
Began operation 19 July 1900; 124 years ago (1900-07-19)
Operator(s) RATP
Number of vehicles 700 trains
Technical
System length 214 km (133 mi)
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 12 in) standard gauge
Electrification 750 V DC third rail
Paris Metro Sign

The Paris Métro or Métropolitain (French: Métro de Paris) is a rapid transit system in Paris, France. The network is mostly underground. It has 19 lines, which together are 214 km (133 mi) long. There are 303 stations. 17 of these lines are Owens by RATP and 2 by Paris Airport.

The Paris Métro is a symbol of the city. Notable is its Art Nouveau architecture at the older entrances. It is the second busiest metro system in Europe, after Moscow. It carries 4.5 million passengers a day, and an annual total of 1.479 billion (2009).

The first line opened on 19 July 1900, during the 1900 World's Fair (Exposition Universelle). The system expanded quickly and the core was complete by the 1920s. Extensions into suburbs were built in the 1930s. The network reached saturation after World War II. The Métro introduced newer trains to allow higher traffic, but further improvements have been limited by the design of the network and in particular the short distances between stations. Besides the Métro, Downtown Paris and its urban area are served by a number of other transit systems.

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See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Metro de París para niños

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