Saint Agreve station

[kirtleypete]

I spent the last week in France and have come home with a lot of railway photographs so over the next few days I'll post some items in here, separately to keep things from getting out of hand. 

 

St Agreve is the southern terminus of the Velay Express tourist railway from Tence, part of the former Vivarais metre gauge system in the Ardeche department on the west bank of the River Rhone. Unfortunately in typical French fashion the trains only run on Sundays until July, but I had a good look around the deserted station. It used to be a through station, the line carrying on to Le Cheylard and beyond. Regular services ended in 1968, but two parts of the system have been re-opened with further stretches having Velorails to play with. 

 

The better known section from Tournon to Lamastre has the stunning scenery along the river gorge, but the northern section is right on top of the Vivarais plateau and the landscape is incredible. 

 

 

St Agreve is over 1000m above sea level and just getting the railway to it was amazing; the station is just outside the small town by the road to le Puy. 

 

Because the line has not been developed so much the station is like a time capsule. The postcards show it soon after opening in 1902.

 

 

All the buildings still survive, with the engine shed on the left and the station and buffet on the right. The provision of the buffet indicates that tourist traffic was being aimed from right from the start. 

 

 

 

 

The buffet soon developed into a fully fledged restaurant, making a very attractive scene.

 

 

 

Today the station is a lot quieter, other than perhaps on Sundays, but it has hardly changed a bit. The loco shed has been beautifully restored but the station building had that attractive slightly run down look that you associate with narrow gauge railways. 

 

 

The goods shed has been converted into a shop and there is a rather unattractive addition to the former buffet, but that's all. It wouldn't surprise me at all if the track dates from 1902! 

 

 

The crane has been fully restored, but the Autorail may take a bit longer. 

 

 

 

You could easily imagine that the line still runs to Le Cheylard. 

 

 

These facilities certainly haven't changed since 1902!

 

 

 

Peter

Edited June 24, 2017 by kirtleypete

[Fat Controller]

A former colleague at Eurotunnel spent his formative years in the area, and I believe used to travel to school on this line before it became a tourist service. I believe the school service lasted longer than the public one.

[Gordonwis]

I've got some photos somewhere of the tourist service in 2005 - must look them out can't recall if they are digitised though

[kirtleypete]

Good, I'd be very interested in seeing those,

 

Peter