Bel-Air () is a station on Line 6 of the Paris Métro in the 12th arrondissement. The station is located in the middle of the Boulevard de Picpus, between the districts of Picpus and Bel-Air.
History
The station was opened on 1 March 1909 with the extension of the line from Place d'Italie to Nation. It is named after the Bel-Air quarter. This station, along with the other elevated stations on the 1909 extension to Nation, were the last above ground stations on the Paris Métro until Créteil–L'Échat station was opened on Line 8 in 1973.
Passenger services
Access
The station has three accesses located in front of nos. 15, 32 and 34 of Boulevard de Picpus.
Station layout
{| border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3
|style="border-bottom:solid 1px gray;border-top:solid 1px gray;" width=50 valign=top|Street Level
|}
{| border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3
|style="border-bottom:solid 1px gray;border-top:solid 1px gray;" width=50 valign=top|B1
|style="border-top:solid 1px gray;border-bottom:solid 1px gray;" width=100 valign=top|Mezzanine for platform connection
|}
{| border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3
|style="border-bottom:solid 1px gray;" width=50 rowspan=10 valign=top|Platform level
|style="border-top:solid 1px gray;border-right:solid 2px black;border-left:solid 2px black;border-bottom:solid 2px black;text-align:center;" colspan=2|
|-
|style="border-bottom:solid 1px gray;" width=150|toward Charles de Gaulle–Étoile
|style="border-bottom:solid 1px gray;" width=450|← 20px 20px toward
|-
|toward Nation
| 20px 20px toward →
|-
|style="border-top:solid 2px black;border-right:solid 2px black;border-left:solid 2px black;border-bottom:solid 1px gray;text-align:center;" colspan=2|
|}
Platforms
The station is in the open air at ground level, but the lines are underground to the north and to the south: the trains ascend to the surface before the station to descend when leaving it. This layout was required to clear the railway that connected the former Gare de la Bastille railway station (near the current metro station) to the valley of the Marne, via the former station of Reuilly near Bel-Air. This line was diverted to become part of RER A in 1969.
The station's single entrance to the station leads to the back of trains from and to the front of trains from .
Bus connections
The station has no connection with the RATP bus network. Cycling and rollerskating is allowed on this section.
The Rothschild Hospital is in the immediate vicinity and the Armand Trousseau Hospital for children is further off.
References
- Roland, Gérard (2003). Stations de métro. D’Abbesses à Wagram. Éditions Bonneton.