Lyon-Saint-Paul station is a dead-end railway station in the 5th arrondissement of Lyon, located at the foot of Fourvière hill, facing the Saône river, and at the northern entrance to the Vieux Lyon district. It is the terminus of two tram-train lines of the West Lyonnais.
The station opened with the Lyon-Saint-Paul to Montbrison line built by the Compagnie des Dombes et des chemins de Fer du Sud-Est, which also established its headquarters at the site. To improve access, the Saint-Paul district was remodeled with the creation of rue Octavio-Mey in 1873. The station was originally built with six platform tracks in three groups of two for passenger traffic, as well as additional sidings for small freight activity.
Today, only the four central tracks, B, C, D, and E, remain. The former freight area has been replaced by a parking lot and a trolleybus terminus. The station tracks continue into the 1,417-metre Tunnel de Loyasse after the switching zone. The station was renovated between 2008 and 2012, and vacant upper floors were converted into housing, with 28 units completed by summer 2013. In 2012, the tram-train of Ouest Lyonnais was introduced on the line.
Nearby Objects
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Sainte-Marie Lyon 60 m away -
Église Saint-Paul 70 m away -
Rue Juiverie 100 m away -
Salle Molière 160 m away -
Palais Bondy 160 m away
Location and Role
Lyon-Saint-Paul station is located in the 5th arrondissement of Lyon, at the foot of the Fourviere hill. It faces the Saone river and stands at the northern entrance of the Vieux Lyon district. The station serves as a French terminus for two tram-train lines of the West Lyonnais, giving it a defined role in local rail transport and access to the historic area.
Station Layout and Early Development
Lyon-Saint-Paul station was opened together with the Lyon-Saint-Paul to Montbrison line, built by the Compagnie des Dombes et des chemins de Fer du Sud-Est. The company also established its headquarters at the station. In 1873, the Saint-Paul district was remodeled with the creation of rue Octavio-Mey to improve access to the station.
The station was originally constructed with 6 platform tracks arranged in 3 groups of 2 for passenger traffic, along with additional sidings for small freight activity. Today, only the 4 central tracks remain: B, C, D, and E. Their lengths are 168 meters, 173 meters, 170 meters, and 169 meters respectively. The former freight area has been replaced by a parking lot and a trolleybus terminus.
Beyond the switching zone, the station tracks continue into the 1417 meter Tunnel de Loyasse, which exits at Gorge-de-Loup station.
Station Renovation and Ouest Lyonnais Operations
Lyon-Saint-Paul station has been closely linked to the operation and modernisation of the Ouest Lyonnais line. Historique reopened the Saint-Paul to Brignais line in 1991 and later carried out studies on the medium-term reopening of the Brignais to Givors section. In 2012, the tram-train of Ouest Lyonnais was introduced on the station line, together with new rolling stock Dualis built by Alstom. That same year, new customer information systems and railway facilities were installed.
The station was also renovated between 2008 and 2012. The work included the ticket counters, the service office, and the platform access corridor. At the same time, the vacant upper floors between the first and third floors were renovated for housing. By summer 2013, there were 28 renovated housing units in the station's upper floors. The station is also connected operationally to other parts of the network through a link from Gorge-de-Loup to Lyon-Vaise station for empty passenger train movements to Saint-Paul station, and the Depot of Vaise specializes in thermal self-propelled trains serving Saint-Paul station empty rakes. Historique also created a direct shunt between Ecully and Alaai, built the technicentre at L'Arbresle, and constructed the new command post at Tassin.
Station Services and Connections
Lyon-Saint-Paul station includes a small shop operated by Service voyageurs, which welcomes customers from across the Lyon metropolitan area. The station shop was renovated and adapted so that one person can receive clients instead of two. Service voyageurs states that the station serves the West Lyonnais area through Tram-train and TER Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes services. It also connects the station with TCL urban transport, including a trolleybus line and the Navette Presqu'ile bus line. According to Service voyageurs, the trolleybus line passes immediately near the Saone platforms. A funicular formerly linked Saint-Paul to Fourviere Loyasse, but it was abandoned in late 1937.
Future Extension Plans
Avenir de la gare mentions a project to extend the line to Lyon-Part-Dieu station. The line de l'Ouest Lyonnais is described as a tram-train line. The project is presented as difficult to implement because of surface space constraints, and the cost of underground construction is high. No deadline is given for the project.