Portal:Trains/Selected article/Week 2, 2007

The Paris Métro (French: Métro de Paris) is the rapid transit system in Paris, France. It includes 16 lines, primarily underground, with a total route length of 211 km (131 miles). The system, which has become one of the symbols of Paris, is notable for the density of its network in central Paris, and for its homogeneous architectural style, influenced by Art Nouveau. The initial line was inaugurated in 1900, during the Exposition Universelle world's fair. The core of the Métro network was complete by the 1920s, and the system was expanded quickly until the outbreak of the Second World War. The first extensions across the municipal boundary into adjacent suburbs were built during the 1930s. After a pause during the "automobile decades" (décennies voitures) of 1950-1970, several suburban extensions were built. Technical decisions dating to the design of the original network, such as short distances between stations and small-profile trains, limit prospects for expansion. Today, the Métro transports approximately 4.5 million passengers per day (1.365 billion for the year 2005). It serves 297 stations, of which 62 provide connections with another line.