Since it was put into service on 5 November 1910, between Porte de Versailles and Notre-Dame de Lorette, line 12 has continued to grow to connect more and more Ile-de-France residents. First extended in Pigalle, she then joined Jules Joffrin, Porte de la Chapelle, Mairie d'Issy, then Front Populaire, in 2012. Today, line 12 connects to the heart of Aubervilliers with the opening of two new stations: Aimé Césaire and Mairie-d'Aubervilliers.
Located in the commune of Aubervilliers, near the Canal Saint-Denis, the Aimé Césaire station benefits from a strategic location and serves, to the south of the canal, the ZAC Canal – Porte d'Aubervilliers and its shopping centre "Le Millénaire", and to the north densely populated areas.
Why this station name, "Aimé Césaire" ? The station was named in homage to the Martinican poet Aimé Césaire and his timeless work. A great man who also lends his name to a park near the eponymous metro station.
To promote intermodality, Île-de-France Mobilités has decided to create 140,000 closed and secure bicycle parking spaces, as well as free access, around the stations and stations in its network. This is why a new Bicycle Parking will be created near the Aimé Césaire station with 160 spaces available by the end of 2023.
Located on Avenue Victor Hugo, in the heart of Aubervilliers, the station serves the town centre, in particular the Place de la Mairie to the north and the market square, and supports the dynamism of the district.
Why this name of the resort, "Mairie d'Aubervilliers"? In reference to the location of the station located on the Place de la Mairie where the Town Hall resides. The terminus stations always refer to the name of the municipality to help passengers find their way around.
The extension of metro line 12 in figures: 2 new stations (Aimé Césaire and Mairie d'Aubervilliers), 1.9 km of tunnel built, 20 minutes to reach Saint-Lazare from the city centre of Aubervilliers, nearly 7600m2 of service and transit spaces for passengers including 8 new shops, 1 new train repair centre of 1000m2, 2 new stations equipped with 9 elevators and 18 escalators, about 40000 additional daily passengers expected
To give birth to these two new resorts, a real challenge was met. In two stages.
Before starting the construction of the two additional stations, Aimé Césaire and Mairie d'Aubervilliers, it was first necessary to drill a 3.8-kilometre tunnel linking Porte de la Chapelle to the Suzanne Masson structure in La Courneuve.
But above all, it was necessary... Freezing the soil! Yes, you read that right. Line 12 passes under a dense urban fabric, which includes complex soils composed of clay, sand and limestone and surrounded by a water table.
Metro 12, Mairie d'Aubervilliers station: freezing of the soil with nitrogen
This very unstable ground required the ground to be frozen so that the future stations, located at a depth of about 20 metres, could be dug without water seeping into the tunnel already built. To do this, a new and innovative method of freezing the soil using a mixed brine-liquid nitrogen circuit at the Mairie d'Aubervilliers station has been developed, in order to continue the project in complete safety.
The extension of line 12 marks a major step in its modernisation. But it's not the last: other new features will arrive between now and 2028: