The Bibliothèque François Mitterrand station opened in October 1998 with the opening of Line 14.[2] From the opening of Line 14 until 25 June 2007, this station functioned as the line's southern terminus.[3] Further work extended the line to a new station to the southwest, Olympiades, which opened on 26 June 2007.[3] In June 2024, Line 14 will be extended further south to Orly Airport. During construction of the station, the conceptual name was "Tolbiac – Masséna", before a decision was taken to name the station after the nearby Bibliothèque nationale de France.[3]
In December 2000, the RER C station opened, allowing the transfer of passengers between the metro and RER lines. The nearby Boulevard Masséna [fr] station on RER C closed following the opening of this RER station.[3]
Architecture and art
Unlike the majority of Line 14 stations, Bibliothèque François Mitterrand station was designed by French architect and urban planner Antoine Grumbach.[2] The station uses many of the design elements used throughout Line 14 such as platform edge doors.
Two pieces of public art are located in the station. La Pluie de citations [fr](Rain of Quotes) by French writer Jean-Christophe Bailly consists of engraved quotes on medallions, embedded into the station architecture.[4]L'Escalier des signes et des nombres [fr](Staircase of Signs and Numbers) by Grumach consists of a monumental staircase with numbers in a wide variety of languages.[5]
Nearby attractions
This station serves the area known as Tolbiac, between the Seine and the train tracks of the network of the Gare d'Austerlitz, which includes the BnF and the headquarters of the Réseau Ferré de France, the BnF's large new cinema, etc.
From this station, within walking distance is the church of Notre-Dame de la Gare, rue de Domrémy, on the Place Jeanne-d'Arc.
Station layout
The RER station comprises three island platforms and six tracks.
The two most easterly tracks (Voies E and F) are southbound for the RER C.
The two central tracks (Voies C and D) and their platforms are used in exceptional cases for the rerouting of the RER C trains at Gare d'Austerlitz. Normally the tracks are used by main lines.
The two most westerly tracks (Voies A and B) are for the RER C direction North towards Gare d'Austerlitz.
^ abBernard Sirand-Pugnet, De la grand-mère à Météor, ID Éditions, 1997, ISBN978-2912252005, p. 269.
^ abcdLamming, Clive (2015). La grande histoire du métro parisien: 1900 à nos jours. Évreux Grenoble: Éditions Atlas Éditions Glénat. pp. 172–183. ISBN978-2-344-00403-6.
