Limoges Angouleme Disruption

[Foulounoux]

We will be there next week as long as the surgeon can get my wife's stent in her bile duct out without problems on Friday (long saga and to be honest I'm just grateful she is alive and recovering)

 

as we are close I'll try and get some photos 

 

I did see an aerial view and it seemed to show the temporary road rn141  deviation had been removed 

 

 

 

jeff. I don't think anyone thought sncf deliberately wanted to close the line just that the cost may have been prohibitive 

 

 

regards

 

colin

[jamie92208]

3 minutes ago, Foulounoux said:

We will be there next week as long as the surgeon can get my wife's stent in her bile duct out without problems on Friday (long saga and to be honest I'm just grateful she is alive and recovering)

 

as we are close I'll try and get some photos 

 

I did see an aerial view and it seemed to show the temporary road rn141  deviation had been removed 

 

 

 

jeff. I don't think anyone thought sncf deliberately wanted to close the line just that the cost may have been prohibitive 

 

 

regards

 

colin

The temporary road diversion was still in full use last week.  From the geography I presume that there will be a road bridge for the old 141 over the deep cutting as well.  However I look forward to seeing some better photos. There is no parking near to the work site. I would say that you will have a few hundred yards to walk though there did appear to be some safe vantage points.  Good luck with your wife's surgery.

 

Jamie

[Foulounoux]

Thanks Jamie for confirming that

yes the plans for the 2x2 dualling show parallel road and rail bridges

 

Its a very deep cutting much deeper than I thought necessary especially as the road will come from higher ground to the south.   Maybe mitigation for the local residents.   

 

Colin 

[jamie92208]

I wouldn't have thought they would demand much mitigation as the villages have all been campaigni g for a bypass for many years.  I wonder if the depth is to give sufficient clearance below the railway bridge.

 

Jamie

[Foulounoux]

http://www.nouvelle-aquitaine.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/presentationoperations_rn_141_nov17.pdf

 

Around slide 30 refers to the point rail. Seems the new bridge will be slid in 

 

colin 

 

[Foulounoux]

Drove over today and both the old road and railway have been severed. 

 

The pillars are being built for the road bridge that will take the old 141 over the new 141 bypass.

 

i assume the pont rail will be after as building the rail bridge first would hinder the road bridge construction 

 

not it sure of timescale as closer to Chabanais the road site seems to be no further forward than it was in December 

 

 

Colin

[Foulounoux]

Having been through the works over the last fortnight I don't see any progress

 

In fact nothing seems to be being done

 

And doing the lanes nearer Chabanais there is no sign of any progress since clearance of trees last year

 

One would draw the conclusion that the road project has been put on hold (highly unpopular) which then would mean no railway reinstatement for some time

 

The other RN141 dualling project just West of Angouleme is still in progress.

 

[jamie92208]

I'll be heading that way to pick up family at the airport, mid October so will be able to give another report then.

 

Jamie

[Foulounoux]

DREAL have posted a video dated 23rd September but it clearly dates from much earlier in the year 

 

 

 

 

http://webissimo.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/IMG/mp4/video_rn_141_roumazieres_exideuil_cle03fbd3.mp4

 

 

[jamie92208]

I went past the site a few days ago on my way to deposit family at the airport. On the way back I stopped near the bridge site and walked alo g the tracks from a nearby level crossing to the fence protecting the worksite. I had forgotten my camera and my phone decided to produce some unreadable photos. However  I can confirm that the bridge is definitely  for the railway and on the correct alignment. They were busy constructing rebar ready to cast the decking. If I pass that way again I will take my camera and try again for some pictures. 

 

Jamie

[Foulounoux]

Passed today on the way to the chaos of a New Year Eve shop in L Eclerc and the railway bridge is complete rail laid and ballasted

 

[Foulounoux]

Passed today on the way to the chaos of a New Year Eve shop in L Eclerc and the railway bridge is complete rail laid and ballasted

 

[jamie92208]

Hopefully the rail service will resume shortly.

 

Jamie

[Spotlc]

Well, I wouldn't hold your breath, Jamie!
The SNCF online timetable and the Hafas European Train Planner both show only connecting services  between Limoges and Angouleme, via either Libourne or Poitiers, until the end of June this year (it's wildly optimistic to look beyond six months out). 

 

SNCF also have the nerve to quote €49,50 single, via Poitiers, for anyone unfortunate enough to be forced to use this dreadful service!

 

Best, Mike

Edited January 8, 2020 by Spotlc

[Foulounoux]

The service may get worse before it improves

when we were there for new year there was talk of the replacement bus service being cut as well missing out most of the stops.  Needless to say not going down well with the locals

[jamie92208]

No official information but an educated guess that may well be wrong.   I called at our local station (Ruffec) a couple fo days ago and found a timetable for the Limoges Angouleme service.   This was printed on two sheets of A4 and showed the current service with the bus replacements from Angouleme to Roumaziers and St Junien.  However the validity was only from January to 3rd July this year.   I wonder if that means that through rail service is due to start on 4th July.   We can only hope.

 

Jamie

[Foulounoux]

Not according to recent press

 

https://www.francebleu.fr/infos/transports/ligne-ter-limoges-angouleme-quatre-annees-d-etudes-en-prevision-1581528774

 

Studies to be made seems that HS2 might be built faster :-0

 

 

[Mike Storey]

19 hours ago, Foulounoux said:

Not according to recent press

 

https://www.francebleu.fr/infos/transports/ligne-ter-limoges-angouleme-quatre-annees-d-etudes-en-prevision-1581528774

 

Studies to be made seems that HS2 might be built faster :-0

 

 

 

As per the outrage at this news, as expressed in the article, it is complete nonsense, both that nothing has been done in the past two years (how did SNCF know to say that it would be too expensive to re-open the line two years ago, for example), and that it will take another four years to work up a plan to renew sections of it - brand new lines have been designed and developed as fast as that. All the talk of environmental studies, consultation of various parties and intensive studies into goodness-knows what, are all codswallop. This is just a strategy for getting more money out of various parties.

 

I really do, increasingly, despair of SNCF.

 

[jamie92208]

There has certainly not been much progress with the reopening of this stretch.  Yesterday I had to go to Limoges and went via Roumazieres.  I stopped at the station and this was the scene that I was faced with. The station was obviously closed up and this was the view along the line to Limoges.

And towards Angouleme.

Just to prove where I was.

And what a lovely set of signalling equipment for someone to model.

No sign of any train having been on these tracks recently.  The bypass work is proceeding at snails pace. The eastern end between the dual carriageway from Limoges and Roumaziers is hardly started.  The railway bridge looked finished but the road bridge is still under construction.

 

The bridge is obviously going to figure in one of those expose stories about a bridge to nowhere.

 

Jamie

Edited April 20, 2022 by jamie92208

[Foulounoux]

Shocking.....but actually what I sort of expected 

[JeffP]

A mate keeps insisting France has run out of money.

Maybe this is evidence?

[Mike Storey]

This goes on and on and on.....

 

Seems there is a study taking place this year, costing 2 million euros, to establish the cost and timescale to re-instate the route. SNCF believe it will cost 150m euros and take 4 years minimum. The Region do not like this, and had a preliminary study suggest it could be done faster and at a lower cost. Hence the jointly funded, further detailed study. Just seems like SNCF do not want to do it unless someone else pays.

 

https://www.lepopulaire.fr/limoges-87000/actualites/une-etude-de-regeneration-de-la-ligne-sncf-limoges-angouleme-va-etre-lancee_13931066/

 

[Foulounoux]

We finally made it over

Seems some activity on the RN141 bypass

We now use the road bridge at Roumaziere. The temporary deviation has disappeared

 

Some sections no activity others seem to be progressing

 

And allowed a closer view of the railway bridge to nowhere

[jamie92208]

I went that way a week ago and there is definitely construction activity. The bridge over the main river between Roumaziere and the end of the dual carriageway seems to be under way.  However the two new bridges, road and rail, to the west just have grassland beneath them, not a road.

 

Jamie

Edited October 7, 2021 by jamie92208

[jamie92208]

Just to update this thread a bit.  I drove bacl from Limoges todaand there has been no progress on the Railways Ince I last went that way.  The missing link dual carriageway is ongoing.  There are earthworks and bridgeworks from the western terminus of the dual carriageway N141  to just past the new railway bridge west of Roumaziers whare they seem to end at a roundabout just west of the new bridge. A major river bridge is finished east of Roumaziers but I reckon that the road is a year from completion.  This stretch would bypass Roumazierbut there is still a gap from the end the the works past Fontafie to where the other section of dual carriageway starts heading to Angouleme. 

 

Jamie

Edited April 22, 2023 by jamie92208