Initially, the station was planned to be named Clichy-Saint-Ouen as its location straddles the communes of Clichy and Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine. However, it was eventually named Saint-Ouen, taking the name of the existing RER C station, sparking criticism from the municipal council of the commune of Clichy. This was due to a rule from the Île-de-France Mobilités that required two connecting stations to have the same name as well as to take on the name of the station of the more significant mode of transport (ie. train, métro, tramway).[5]
The declaration of public utility was made for the extension of the line to Mairie de Saint-Ouen on 4 October 2012, with work expected to begin in end-2013.[6]
On 17 October 2014, the contract for the construction of the station was awarded to Spie Batignolles TPCI for 60 million euros, with structural work beginning in April 2015 till the spring of 2017.[7]Ground freezing was employed during the construction of the station's connecting passage to the RER station due to the loose waterlogged soil "sable de Beauchamp" under the RER tracks.[8]
Initially expected to open in end 2019, it was postponed to the summer of 2020 due to numerous construction delays,[9][10] ultimately opening at the end of 2020.[4]
In 2020, the station was used by 75 809 passengers amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, making it the 304th busiest of the Métro network out of 304 stations.[11]
In 2021, the station was used by 3 420 852 passengers, making it the 84th busiest of the Métro network out of 304 stations.[12]
Passenger services
Access
The station has 7 accesses, with accesses 6 and 7 via the RER C platforms.
The station has a standard configuration with 2 tracks surrounded by 2 side platforms, with platform screen doors installed on both platforms. It is 160 m long. The platform walls are covered with flat white tiles, decorated with concentric circles and a chrome metal bodywork.The walls are supported midway up by cylindrical transverse beams. The ceiling, in a raw concrete finish, is lit by blue spotlights.