Paris-Saint-Lazare, Railway terminus in 8th arrondissement, France
Saint-Lazare is a terminus station in the eighth arrondissement of Paris serving regional and suburban trains heading northwest from the city. The complex stretches across several levels with a total of 27 tracks, some running underground and others on open-air platforms.
Architect Eugène Flachat designed the station, which opened on August 26, 1837, as the first rail link between Paris and Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Over the following decades the facility underwent several expansions to accommodate growing traffic volumes.
The name comes from a former leprosy hospital dedicated to Saint Lazarus that once stood on this site during medieval times. The wide iron-and-glass roof of the main hall reflects the engineering ambition of the 19th century and now serves as a daily passage for hundreds of thousands of commuters.
The complex is accessible to people with reduced mobility, with several lifts and escalators connecting the different levels. Ticket counters and self-service machines are available throughout all main areas, making it easy to find your way even without prior knowledge.
Claude Monet painted a series of twelve canvases here in 1877, capturing the steam from locomotives and the light filtering through the station hall. Today these works are among the most recognized depictions of the railway age in French painting.
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