The announcement of Benjamin Griveaux, LREM candidate for mayor of Paris, to move the Gare de l'Est (10th district) to the suburbs to create on the "vestiges" of it, and up to the Porte de la Villette (XIX), a huge park with the image of Central Park in the heart of New York in the JDD did not fail to attract attention. Especially since his dissident rival LREM, Cédric Villani also presented an idea for ... the Gare du Nord (10th). The international lines, notably Thalys and Eurostar, would terminate at the future Saint-Denis - Pleyel station (Seine-Saint-Denis). Two visions, two projects. Green on one side, and congestion on the other side of a place frequented by some 200,000 people every day.
The former government spokesperson stands there, his great ecological proposal for the capital. Its green mark. The one put forward by all the candidates since the two ballots next March were placed under the sign of trees, greenery, nature ... "There are two years of work yet before submitting all this to a vote ”, attacks Benjamin Griveaux. But where would the new East station attract? “At La Villette, there are SNCF warehouses. It is an option. Like drawing a more metropolitan project by talking to the city of Noisy. But you know, I see a lot of hypocrisy, especially with the mayor of Paris. This project doesn't come out like that. We have spoken with all the major transport operators and the conclusion is clear: in 10 years we will not be able to absorb the increase in traffic. We can no longer build new paths. So how do we do it? "
Always a few East Station trains
The solution would therefore be to offer greenery to Parisians and a new economic opportunity in the northeast of Paris. Especially since the planned carryover site covers some 30 hectares. And what about the current Gare de l'Est: “It would not be destroyed, contrary to what I can hear. But we have already proven that we can transform stations like for Orsay. And Gare de l'Est is still partly active with the 25,000 Charles-de-Gaulle express passengers. "
On the side of Cédric Villani, in the same timing, we announce a project for the… North station. A concordance of the agenda that does not fail to make the specialists of Parisian politics smile. Two projects for two stations on the same Sunday. The coincidence is disturbing.
However, in the Villani team, we defend this project, which is not incompatible with that of Griveaux, with energy. "Thalys and Eurostar represent 10% of passengers and overall international lines occupy 12 out of 28 tracks at the Gare du Nord, attack Rayan Nezzar, spokesperson for Villani and himself head of the list in the 20th arrondissement. The current renovation project is gigantic, the commercial surfaces impressive while this station needs more harmony. "
Developing the economy of Greater Paris
The largest station in Europe would lose its international character to become only a French and Ile-de-France station. “The Pleyel - Saint-Denis station was designed to accommodate 250,000 people a day. It is served by several metro lines. Arriving there, tourists would be 17 minutes from Châtelet and 13 minutes from La Défense (Hauts-de-Seine), continues Nezzar. This is nothing and in addition, it has the advantage of creating a new center of economic activity, of participating in the development of Greater Paris. Finally, we would do as in London with Saint-Pancras. "
Keeping stations, a necessity for Anne Hidalgo
Anne Hidalgo (PS), this Sunday morning on CNews, took the opposite view of the two projects and defended tooth and nail the two stations. “My conviction is that we need these stations in Paris. If the traffic is international, it is mainly Ile-de-France and these stations have a very very important role in our economy. "And the candidate of Paris en Commun concluded with a little picnic to Benjamin Griveaux:" our Central Park, we already have it. These are the 8 hectares that we have returned to pedestrians with the lanes on the bank. For six years, we have been recovering from nature in the city. "