Maisons-Laffitte: station history
Served by: RER A, Transilien L.
Did you know?
A station opened in 1843 by the Paris to Rouen railway company, granted in 1841. The modest original building was replaced by a two-storey building with a hipped roof, a clock on the street side and two low wings. The window frames and pilasters alternate brick and stone blocks, in the manner of the Grande Ceinture stations. The building was demolished in 1986 to allow the line to be made four-track for the RER.
Anecdote
The name comes from Jacques Laffitte, owner of the château and its park, which he subdivided from 1834 to 1844; his daughter Albine continued the operation until 1850, and the name Maisons-Laffitte was made official in 1882. From 1898 to 1939, a branch line served the racecourse on race days. The line was electrified in 1961. Today the station is a junction for branches A3 and A5 of RER A, and has a piano that anyone can play.
Around Maisons-Laffitte
- Château de Maisons, 900 m away — A masterpiece by architect François Mansart completed in 1651, one of the purest examples of French classical architecture.