Paris Railway Line Rewilded

The disused track has been turned into a green space for wildlife and walkers.

Credit: Association des Promeneurs

Built on the site of the Thiers wall, the last defensive rampart of Paris, and its surrounding shantytown, the eight-lane Périphérique (the city's ring road) is used by more than a million cars a day. The 20 mile (32km) railway line just inside it - called la Petite Ceinture - was created to supply the Thiers wall, carrying goods and then passengers as the city’s first metropolitan railway service.

But, as the Métro we know today developed, la Petite Ceinture’s popularity declined, with much of it becoming derelict. Together with the city of Paris, the line’s owner, SNCF (part of the state-owned railway company), have worked to regreen 4.5 miles of the track in small sections around the city since 2006 - and by 2026 a further 2.5 miles will be opened (the rest is inaccessible to the public).

Like the city’s different arrondissements, each section of walkable track has its own personality and has been approached differently. In some places, paths, nature trails and shared gardens have been created, while others have been left to rewild. In summer, tree canopies obscure the peripheries in some sections to give the impression that you’re enveloped in nature.

For more information visit L’Association pour la Sauvegarde de la Petite Ceinture de Paris

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