Château d'Eau (Paris Métro)


Château d'Eau is a station on Line 4 of the Paris Métro. Located in the 10th arrondissement, it features two édicules Guimard that were classified as a monument historique on 29 May 1978 by the Ministry of Culture. In 2013, the station was used by 4,059,164 passengers, making it the network's 119th busiest out of 302.

History

Château d'Eau station lies within the 10th arrondissement of Paris, at the intersection of the Boulevard de Strasbourg and the Rue du Château d'Eau, the latter of which gives it name to the station. The road, in turn, received its name from the square to the east of the current station that was known as the Place du Château d'Eau until 1879. The fountain in the square, known as the Girard Fountain, served as a water tower until it was replaced by the David Fountain. The fountains were absorbed into the new Place de la République in 1880.
The surrounding area is mostly residential in nature. However, the Gare de l'Est and Place de République are within short walking distance, especially the latter which is a walk down the Rue du Château d'Eau. Château d'Eau station opened on 21 April 1908 as part of the initial stretch of Line 4 from Porte de Clignancourt in the north to Châtelet in the heart of Paris.

Station layout

Like most Paris Métro stations, Château d'Eau station uses a side platform configuration with two tracks. As the Paris Métro runs inversely to normal French trains, the eastern platform is used by northbound trains to Porte de Clignancourt and the western platform by southbound ones to Mairie de Montrouge.

Entrances and exits

Access to the station is provided by two stairways at 51 and 53 Boulevard de Strasbourg; an exit is provided at 40 Rue du Château d'Eau with an upwards escalator to the street. Château d'Eau is one of a series of status on Line 4 which run underneath the north-south axis created by Boulevard de Strasbourg and Boulevard de Sébastopol. This is in part due to the cut-and-cover nature of the Paris Métro, in which a major thoroughfare was dug up from street level and then re-covered after the tracks and stations were built.

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