Bry-sur-Marne

Bry-sur-Marne is a commune in the Val-de-Marne department in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located 12.6 km (7.8 mi) from the center of Paris.

The commune of Bry-sur-Marne is part of the sector of Porte de Paris, one of the four sectors of the "new town" of Marne-la-Vallée.

History

Prehistory and early history

Bry's name comes from the Celtic word Briw, which means a bridge or a river crossing. The area has been inhabited since Neolithic times. The town's motto, which features on its coat of arms, is "Moult viel que Paris" - old French for "Much older than Paris".

In 1903, archeologist Adrien Mentienne uncovered the bones of a large bovine which died 15,000 years ago. In 1982, the skeleton of a woman who died in the 5th century BC was uncovered beneath the playground of a school in Bry. It is now housed in the town's museum.

From that century onwards, there was a permanent human presence where Bry now stands. In 1886, a necropolis was found which contained pottery, Gaul and Frankish weaponry, silver and gold jewelry, and coins, dating from the Gaul era to the Merovingian. The first known written mention of the town named Bry was in a charter signed by King Charles the Bald in 861.

Bry-sur-Marne (Paris RER)

The station Bry-sur-Marne is an RER station in the Paris suburb Bry-sur-Marne (in the Val-de-Marne department).

The station

The station is named for the town in which it is located, in the eastern suburbs of Paris. It comprises two tracks - one going towards Paris, the other towards Marne-la-Vallée et Disneyland Paris. The station contains a help desk, an automated ticket vending machine, and a baker's shop. The tracks are on an elevated level; lifts provide access for wheelchair users.

RER A

On the A line, Bry-sur-Marne is located on branch A4, leading to the Marne-la-Vallée station, and thus connecting Paris both to parts of the western suburbs and to Disneyland Paris (which is in fact well outside Paris).

As it is a fairly small town, Bry-sur-Marne is one station (along with neighbouring Neuilly-Plaisance) where trains do not systematically stop, in either direction. Complaints by residents, requesting systematic stops at the station, have become something of a local issue, acknowledged by the mayor.