Gare Montparnasse, High-speed railway terminal in 14th and 15th arrondissements, France
Gare Montparnasse is a high-speed railway terminal in the 14th and 15th arrondissements of Paris, France, with 28 platforms serving regional and long-distance trains heading west. The complex spreads over several floors and separates the departure level from the arrival areas with wide staircases and escalators.
The first terminal opened in 1840 as the western endpoint of the railway line to Versailles. A rebuild in the 1960s replaced the old terminus and connected the tracks to the growing TGV network of the 1980s.
The name comes from nearby Mont Parnasse, a former artists' quarter now replaced by tracks and office towers. Travelers use the shops and cafés in the above-ground hall daily, which feels like a small shopping street.
The departure hall sits on the second floor and most TGV trains leave from tracks 1 through 9. Information boards and signs lead to regional trains and to the metro station beneath the main hall.
The taxi ranks sit directly above the platforms on their own level, making the switch between train and street easier. This solution arose from space constraints and remains one of the rare vertical transport designs in Europe.
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