Tramways in Île-de-France in the context of "Paris Métro"

⭐ In the context of the Paris Métro, the RATP's role extends beyond solely operating the metro system to encompass which broader transportation network?

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⭐ Core Definition: Tramways in Île-de-France

The Île-de-France tramways (French: Tramways d'Île-de-France) is a network of modern tram lines in the Île-de-France region of France. Fifteen lines are currently operational (counting Lines T3a and T3b as separate lines), with extensions and additional lines in both construction and planning stages. Although the system mainly runs in the suburban regions of Paris, lines T3a and T3b run entirely within Paris city limits, serving as a high capacity ring line replacing the Petite Ceinture bus route. Lines T2 and T9, on another hand, start their routes within Paris's borders before heading out. While lines operate independently of each other and are generally not connected, some connections do exist: between lines T2 and T3a (at the Porte de Versailles station, since 2009), T3a and T3b (at the Porte de Vincennes station, since 2012), T1 and T5 (at the Marché de Saint-Denis station, since 2013), T1 and T8 (at the Saint-Denis train station, since 2014), T8 and T11 (at both Villetaneuse-Université and Épinay-sur-Seine stations, since 2017), T3a and T9 (at the Porte de Choisy station, since 2021) and T6 and T10 (at Hôpital Béclère, since 2023). However, the final design of the entire planned tram network is fairly integrated. (The prefix "T" in tram line numbers avoids confusion with the numbering of Paris Métro lines, a pattern followed in other public transport networks such as the new cable car route in Créteil, dubbed C1.)

Most lines (with the exceptions of lines T4, T9, T11, T12, T13, and T14) are operated by the Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens (RATP), which also operates the Paris Métro and most bus services in the Paris immediate area. Furthermore, while most lines use conventional steel-wheel rolling stock, two lines (T5 and T6) use rubber-tyred trams. Lines T4, T11, T12, T13 and T14 are tram-trains, sharing tracks with main-line railways, and are operated as part of French national rail operator SNCF's Transilien regional rail network.

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👉 Tramways in Île-de-France in the context of Paris Métro

The Paris Métro, short for Métropolitain, is a rapid transit system serving the Paris metropolitan area in France. A symbol of the city, it is known for its density within the capital's territorial limits, as well as its uniform architecture and historical entrances influenced by Art Nouveau. The system is 245.6 kilometres (152.6 mi) long, mostly underground, as well as its 321 stations of which 61 allow the riders to transfer between the sixteen lines (with an additional four under construction and one in project), all numbered 1 to 14, with two extra branches, 3bis and 7bis, named such as they are former parts of Lines 3 and 7 respectively. Three of these lines (1, 4 and 14) are fully automated, and the additional four are also planned as such. Lines are identified on maps by an individual number and an associated specific colour, all part of an official palette, with the traveling direction indicated by the terminus, the last stop on each line. All trains travel from one end of the line to the other, serving every station along the way. The Paris Métro is operated by the Régie autonome des transports parisiens (RATP), which also operates part of the RER (commuter standard train) network, most of the Francilian light rail lines and many bus routes around and within Paris itself.

It is the second-busiest metro system in Europe, as well as the twelfth-busiest in the world. It carried 1.476 billion passengers in 2024, roughly 4.04 million passengers a day, which makes it the most used public transport system in Paris. It is one of the densest metro systems in the world, with 244 stations within the 105.4 km (41 sq mi) of the City of Paris. Châtelet–Les Halles, with five Métro and three RER commuter rail lines, is one of the world's largest metro stations. The system generally has poor accessibility due to its old age (established 125 years ago) and because most of the current infrastructure was built before accessibility standards emerged, with few stations retrofitted since. On the flip side, all new infrastructure and rolling stock meets current accessiblity standards, including extensions of historic lines.

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Tramways in Île-de-France in the context of La Défense station

La Défense station (French pronunciation: [la defɑ̃s]) is a station of the Transilien (Réseau Saint-Lazare) suburban rail lines, RER commuter rail network, Paris Métro, as well as a stop of the Île-de-France tram network. In the future, Paris Metro Line 15 of Grand Paris Express will pass through here, making it a huge railway hub. It is underneath the Grande Arche building in La Défense, the business district just west of Paris. The station is the western terminus of Métro Line 1 and connects the RER A line to the Métro Line 1 station since 1992, the Line 2 tramway since 1994 and SNCF (Transilien) train station. It is also attached to a major shopping centre. There are over 25 million entries and exits each year. A temporary special SNCF service began in April 1959 (1959-04) to serve the newly-built Centre of New Industries and Technologies (CNIT); the RER entered service on 19 January 1970 (1970-01-19). The RER E station built under the CNIT opened on 6 May 2024.

Highlights on the surface nearby include the monumental Grande Arche, skyscrapers that host the headquarters of important French and foreign companies, and works of urban art such as Le Pouce by César Baldaccini. From the central esplanade the Arc de Triomphe can be seen further down the Axe historique. Until May 2004, this part of La Défense hosted an information centre of the European Union managed by the European Parliament. Like the district it serves, the station takes its name from the 19th-century statue La Défense de Paris, commemorating the Franco-Prussian War.

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