Massy-Verrières: station history
Served by: RER B and C.
Did you know?
A station opened in 1854 under the name Massy station, with the extension of the Sceaux line to Orsay. It comprises two neighbouring buildings: an RATP station (RER B) and an SNCF station (RER C). The name "Massy - Verrières" was adopted to distinguish it from Massy - Palaiseau; the text notes it is close to Verrières-le-Buisson. In 1923 the tracks were raised: the SNCF platforms are at the level of the first floor of the current RER C station.
Anecdote
A bridge, a flyover, lets the Grande Ceinture line cross the Sceaux line. This so-called strategic Grande Ceinture line had been demanded by the army, which explains its name. In 1883 Massy - Palaiseau station opened, providing a connection with the Grande Ceinture, and in 1886 the strategic line opened. In 1938 the Sceaux line passed to the CMP, then to the RATP. In 2022 the ticket office and waiting room of the SNCF station closed, but the stop is still served.
Around Massy-Verrières
- Arboretum municipal de Verrières-le-Buisson, 2400 m away — Created around 1910 by the Vilmorin family, bought by the town in 1975 and now a regional nature reserve; free to enter at weekends.
- Arboretum Vilmorin, 2400 m away — A former hunting lodge of Louis XIV bought in 1815 by Philippe-André de Vilmorin, turned into an acclimatisation garden for trees from around the world; visits on request.
- Château de Vilmorin, 2200 m away — The home of the Vilmorin family, famous seedsmen and horticulturists of Verrières.