Paris-Gare de Lyon

Paris-Gare De Lyon

Paris Lyon (or Gare de Lyon) is one of the six large mainline railway station termini in Paris, France. It handles about 90,000,000 passengers every year, making it the third busiest station of France and one of the busiest of Europe. It is the northern terminus of the Paris–Marseille railway. It is named after the city of Lyon, a stop for many long-distance trains departing here, most en route to the south of France. In general the station's SNCF services run to the south and east of France. The station also hosts regional trains and the RER. It is served by the Gare de Lyon metro station. The station is located in the XIIe arrondissement, on the north bank of the river Seine, in the east of Paris.

The station was built for the World Exposition of 1900. On multiple levels, it is considered a classic example of the architecture of its time. Most notable is the large clock tower atop one corner of the station, similar in style to the clock tower of the United Kingdom Houses of Parliament, home to Big Ben.

The station houses the Le Train Bleu restaurant, which has served drinks and meals to travellers and other guests since 1901 in an ornately-decorated setting.

On 27 June 1988, a runaway train crashed into a stationary rush-hour train, killing 56 people and injuring a further 55.

The station was featured in the comic film Mr. Bean's Holiday, starring Rowan Atkinson.