Greater-Paris transport operator RATP confirmed early Friday that more than twenty metro and RER stations would shut at various times on 25 and 26 September to secure Pope Leon XIV’s public itinerary. Affected hubs include Concorde, Champs-Élysées-Clemenceau, Invalides and Saint-Michel–Notre-Dame. Bus lines 72, 86, 87 and 95 are running truncated routes, while tram and Transilien commuter services add extra capacity outside the exclusion zone. The closures, requested by the Préfecture de Police, coincide with street-level security corridors that prohibit private vehicles and ride-hailing pick-ups. RATP is pushing real-time updates through its Bonjour RATP app and recommends that employers encourage remote work or staggered hours to avoid crowding limited alternative routes. Business-traveller impact is highest for meetings in the central Left Bank and around UNESCO headquarters, where staff badges are required at perimeter checkpoints. Hotels in La Défense and the eastern suburbs report a 30 % surge in last-minute bookings as visitors seek accommodation outside the lockdown area. While the service cuts end Saturday night, some stations—such as Saint-Michel—will stay closed for unrelated renovation projects until December, creating longer-term detours for daily commuters and expatriate families. Companies should update relocation orientation materials to reflect the new transport patterns.
Source: RATP traffic bulletin
