Again looking into my vault found me a corresponding picture sort of of the Gare d’Austerlitz and why not in my blog, This is one station never used in Paris but did went in to see friends passing and of course drove many times around it. I like to have it as part of my memories of my eternal Paris. In so doing, maybe helpful to those transiting thru there in the future, Therefore, here is my take on the Gare d’Austerlitz of Paris ! Hope you enjoy the post as I
The train station Gare d’Austerlitz was name after a famous battle of Dec 2 1805 by Napoleon Ier. It is an open above ground station, behind the great glass enclosure of the train station, a work of art of 50 meters to raise the station over the Seine river, it is 280 meters long and 52 meters wide. It was first call Gare d’Orleans, and renamed in 1930 the Gare d’Orléans-Austerlitz. It was the heading station of the old line Compagnie Paris-Orleans (PO) that with 6 companies form the today SNCF from 1938. In 1985, it simply became the Gare d’Austerlitz. The train station is located at 85 quai d’Austerlitz 13éme It is served by the following Metro lines: M5, M10, RER C ,regular RATP bus lines 24, 57, 61, 63, 89, 91 and 215 , Noctilien night bus lines N01, N02, N31, N131, N133, possible transfer Gare de Lyon and Montparnasse station, Also, trains of the Intercités, TER ,Ouigo classiques stop here.
The RER C line Pontoise ou Massy ou Dourdan ou Versailles ou Étampes ou St-Quentin-en-Yvelines, The metro line 5 Bobigny Pablo Picasso / Place d’Italie and metro line 10 Boulogne Pont de Saint-Cloud / Gare d’Austerlitz, The metro lines exits are 1 Boulevard de l’Hôpital La Pitié-Salpêtriére, exit 2 Rue Buffon/Jardin des Plantes, no 3 Rue Nicolas Houët, no 4 Museum (natural history) ; no 5 Quai d’Austerlitz, The wonderful Viaduc d’Austerlitz link the station with the metro, so big that when paris was besieged it was use to built zeppelins/ the viaduc was built from 1903-1904. This taken on metro line 5 and wonderful views indeed.
I like to give some historical facts as history I like
The Gare d’Austerlitz, formerly known as Gare d’Orléans, is one of six major SNCF terminus stations in Paris. Located on the edge of the Seine (left bank), in the Salpêtrière quartier or neighborhood no 49 of the 13éme arrondissement or district, and it is at the head of the “classic” lines which serve in particular Bordeaux-Saint-Jean, Toulouse-Matabiau (via Limoges-Bénédictins) and Nantes.
It is near the Quai d’Austerlitz and the Pont d’Austerlitz whose name recalls the Napoleonic victory of 1805. It was put into service on September 20, 1840, on the occasion of the opening of the Paris – Juvisy line, extended until Orléans in May 1843. A first expansion took place in 1846. The station was rebuilt from 1862 to 1867, In 1900, the Paris-Orléans company extended its line to the center of Paris, and the Gare d’Orsay became the new head of the line, service on May 28 1900 on the occasion of the Universal Exhibition. In 1906, the great hall of Austerlitz was literally pierced in its width by the passage of the metro line 5 in the extension of a viaduct crossing the Seine (see pic above). An elevated station is located in the hall above the tracks. In 1939, the Gare d’Orsay, which had become too cramped for national trains, and Gare d’Austerlitz then becomes a terminus station for mainline trains. Its access to the left bank was facilitated by the extension of metro line 10 from Jussieu, which opened on July 12, 1939.
The underground station opened in 1969. It is particularly noted for its modern decoration and the care given to passenger spaces. In 1980, the underground station accommodated the newly created RER C. Gare d’Austerlitz remained for a long time the main head of the lines for connections to the South-West of France, but the commissioning in 1990 of the LGV Atlantique, serving Gare Montparnasse, considerably weakened its main line activity. Between 2004 and 2006, the former building of the administration of the Orleans railways, which until then housed offices and a theater hall, the Valhubert theater, was sold by the SNCF and was subject to important work renovations. The original façade was retained, but the theater was demolished and the building completely rebuilt to accommodate modern offices. Since 2011, Avenue de France has run along the train tracks overlooking the station. However, the extensive renovation of the station, that started in 2011 and planned until 2025, should change the situation in the years to come and ensure an increase in traffic. Indeed, it has a significant capacity for expansion compared to the other Parisian train stations, which could be developed during the next decade and in particular with a view to the possible arrival of part of the TGV traffic, emanating among others from the LGV Paris Orléans Clermont-Ferrand Lyon project (LGV POCL) Heavy renovation work on the roof of the station and the hall is taking place from 2018 to 2024. Nearly 10,000 glass plates of the canopy must be replaced.
A bit of the description my best as said never use it, Two allegorical statues, draped in the antique style, due to Elias Robert and representing Agriculture and Industry decorate the facade, The surface station has 21 cul-de-sac tracks, those numbered 1 to 13 being under a concrete slab and those 14 to 21 under a glass roof, all assigned to main line trafic Paris – Toulouse axis via Limoges, and ,also, serving the greater suburbs and an underground station with four passageways assigned to the service of line C of the RER. The station has a “Cour Seine” entrance (have come in by here) , on the Quai de la Gare side, and a “Cour Museum” entrance, on the side of Boulevard de l’Hôpital. On leaving the station, the now partially covered bundle of tracks passes through the middle of the ZAC Rive Gauche and south of the National Library of France, with some tracks from the underground station joining this bundle through tunnels. The restaurant Le Grenadier was named in homage to the Battle of Austerlitz and was located on the first floor of the station, long threatened, was finally demolished in March 2012, along with the bar on the ground floor. There are currently no real restaurants in the station, sadly. The Salle des Pas Perdus or main hallway is adorned with two large acrylic panels on wood, painted in 1987 by Italian artist Valerio Adami, depicting Le Matin and Le Soir on the theme of Perseus’ Voyage.
The SNCF train lines on the Gare d’Austerlitz : https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/paris-austerlitz
The TER Centre Val de Loire on the local trains at Gare d’Austerlitz :https://www.ter.sncf.com/centre-val-de-loire/se-deplacer/gares/paris-austerlitz-87547000
The Transilien IDF region public transports on metro lines 5 and 10, and RER C :https://www.transilien.com/fr/gare/paris-austerlitz-8754702
The Paris tourist office on the Gare d’Austerlitz :https://en.parisinfo.com/transport/73402/Gare-d-Austerlitz
There you go folks, feel better telling about another wonderful building in my eternal Paris, The Gare d’Austerlitz completes nicely the panorama of train station in the City and offered nice walks around it indeed, Always good to walk Paris !! Again, hope you enjoy the post as I
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 
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