Visit of Pope Leo XIV to Paris: transport offer increased by 10% in Île-de-France

The transport offer will be increased by 10% in Île-de-France on the occasion of Pope Leo XIV's visit to Paris on Friday and Saturday, which will generate an influx of visitors, Valérie Pécresse announced on Tuesday.

During these two days, “we are going to increase the transport offer by around 10%,” Valérie Pécresse, LR president of the Île-de-France region, announced to the press.

The Île-de-France Mobilité application will be adapted to the various station closures on the route of the papal visit. A dozen stations should be closed. “The stations will not all close at the same time,” warns Valérie Pécresse, inviting travelers to “take the time to plan (their) itinerary” to guarantee smooth traffic. In total, 1,300 additional people will be deployed on the transport network: 800 more for security and 500 to welcome and guide the public. “We will have a level of support that will be similar to that which we acquired during the Olympics experience,” added the regional president.

Nearly 600,000 people expected for mass in Paris

More than 250,000 people are expected to gather on the route of the popemobile on Friday before the vespers service at Notre-Dame, and 80,000 young people will be present at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis for the vigil the same day. On Saturday, Leo

On the metro platforms as in the streets, “there will be blue everywhere,” said the Paris police prefect, Patrice Faure, during the same press conference. In total, 14,000 police officers, gendarmes and soldiers from Operation Sentinel as well as 2,500 firefighters will be mobilized on Friday. There will be 12,000 on Saturday, while the number of firefighters will remain unchanged.