Станция метро "Волонтер": история и современность

Metro station in Paris, France

Volontaires (vɔlɔ̃tɛːʁ) is a station on line 12 of the Paris Métro located in the 15th arrondissement. The station is named after the nearby rue des Volontaires. In 1822, locals transformed an existing dead end into an alley that led to rue de Vaugirard, hence, its initial name of Ruelle Volontaire, with the "s" added later to pay homage to the soldiers of the French Revolution.

The station opened on 5 November 1910 as part of the original section of the Nord Sud Company's line A between Porte de Versailles and Notre Dame de Lorette. On 27 March 1931, line A became line 12 when It was taken over by the Compagnie du chemin de fer métropolitain de Paris (CMP), incorporating it into the Paris Métro. From the 1950s, like most stations along the line, the platforms were modernised with the installation of red metal casings and golden advertising frames on the walls until 2015, when it was removed as part of the "Un métro + beau" programme by the RATP. It consisted of modernising the platforms by improving lighting, signages, as well as returning the characteristic beveled white tiles of the Paris métro to the station, thereby restoring the platforms to its original "Nord Sud" decoration, while the station remained open. The new tiles were installed by May 2018, with all work completed by March 2019 after several delays and technical difficulties. In 2019, the station was used by 2,362,771 passengers, making it the 219th busiest of the Métro network out of 302 stations. In 2020, the station was used by 1,111,705 passengers amidst the COVID 19 pandemic, making it the 232nd busiest of the Métro network out of 304 stations. In 2021, the station was used by 1,734,848 passengers, making it the 203rd busiest of the Métro network out of 304 stations. On 7 April 2022, the RATP and in partnership with the Blomet Paradiso association, unveiled a new cultural panel along the corridors of the station. It details the rich artistic history of the district, often attributable to the Bal Blomet, a historic cabaret of the Roaring Twenties in Montparnasse that Joséphine Baker, Simone de Beauvoir, and Ernest Hemingway frequented.

The station has a single access at rue de Vaugirard. Unusually, it consists of an entrance and an exit both located within the same building at the corner of rue de Vaugirard and rue des Volontaires, a rare occurrence on the network. The entrance is along rue de Vaugirard whereas the exit is along rue des Volontaires.

The station has a standard configuration with 2 tracks surrounded by 2 side platforms. The lower portion of the side walls are vertical instead of elliptical, as are the other stations constructed by the Nord Sud company (today on lines 12 and 13). It is distinguished by the presence of niches along the entire length of the side walls, hence, are devoid of advertisements.

The station is also served by lines 39, 70, and 89 of the RATP bus network, and at night, by lines N13 and N62 of the Noctilien bus network.