The Lyon Saint-Exupéry station was opened in 1994. It replaces the old Satolas station and was built to accommodate the LGV Rhône-Alpes line. To find it, simply go to the east of the Lyon metropolitan area and know that it is about twenty kilometers from the city center. In addition, efforts have been made by the municipality to better serve the Lyon Saint-Exupéry station.

1. Historical background of the TGV Lyon Saint-Exupéry station 🚆

July 3, 1994 is an important date for the TGV Lyon Saint-Exupéry line. Indeed, this corresponds to its first commissioning, inaugurating at the same time the section of the new 115 km line allowing to join Saint-Marcel les Valence and Montanay.

From an external point of view, the station resembles a real bird and it is an emblematic figure that brings an additional dimension to the building. But above all, the station remains immediately identifiable.

For the construction of the station, it was necessary for the SNCF to intervene jointly with the regional council of Rhône, the Rhône-Alpes regional council and the Lyon chamber of commerce and industry. At the time, the financing of the project amounted to 750 million francs, of which 270 million were supported by the region.

2. The atypical architecture of the TGV Lyon Saint-Exupéry station 🚆

Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava was appointed responsible for the design of the structure. He got in touch with the SNCF station study agency to create a reinforced concrete structure completely covered with a steel roof. As a result, many passengers are amazed by the shape, resembling a bird in full flight.

From a technical point of view, the station includes five tracks in a trench with a width of 50 m and a length of 500 m. The 300 tube is used to isolate the central track and its usefulness is essential to accommodate the TGV Lyon Saint-Exupéry.

Regarding the three lateral tracks, they are arranged in parts of 2 platforms and know that to the West it was planned to set up a train reserve in order to create a rail link with the center of Lyon. But it will not be the train that will be requested directly, but the Rhônexpress express tramway.

On the west side, in other words the direction of Paris, there is only one track laid and the location of the second is exclusively reserved in anticipation of the construction of a future track.

Note the presence of a walkway about 300 m long just above the central tube. It is a privileged access for travelers wishing to reach the platforms using the escalators. Along the entire length of this passage, a cylindrical roof 400 m long and 53 m wide was built. Concrete remains the preferred material, but to promote natural lighting, many glass roofs have been inserted. They have the particularity of being pyramid-shaped. Finally, the central hall houses a huge metal structure forming two flared wings.

3. An ambitious project that began in 1987 🚆

The joint action of the SNCF and the Rhône-Alpes region made it possible to launch an architecture competition as early as 1987. This is not just a station, but rather a multimodal station allowing both to have a modern station, but also an excellent infrastructure to reach the highway networks and the airport.

Therefore, the financial structure was complicated and thanks to the project of Catalan architect Santiago Calatrava, it was a real success in retaining the traditional functions of a classic station, while obtaining a work that is unclassifiable.

The final concept allows to admire three distinct ideas specific to travel and movement. Namely the ease of access especially with regard to the connection between the station and the airport, the speed with the passage of the TGV and the lightness which is highlighted with the structures.

To achieve such a result, different materials were used, namely glass, metal, and concrete.

4. Why use the Blue Valet service? 🚙

Blue Valet allows you to save up to 30% on the nearest airport parking with a valet included. The reservation is made directly on our website or using our mobile application. Thus, no more worries when traveling, the valet takes care of everything.

 

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