• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

Line closures in France

Status
Not open for further replies.

Polarbear

Established Member
Joined
24 May 2008
Messages
1,705
Location
Birkenhead
Having started to roughly plan a trip around France by rail in the future, I've become aware that away from the TGV nextwork, all is not quite the bed of roses that's portrayed in the UK press!

One line I was looking at having a go at was the one from Clermont Ferrand to Beziers. I knew it was down to one through train per day but according to the SNCF Intercities website (in French only so also per Google Translate), that one service appears to have been withdrawn? The reason given is "due to staff movement" (again, per Google Translate).

Does anyone have any more information about what's happening?
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

CC 72100

Established Member
Joined
23 Jan 2012
Messages
3,777
I'm guessing this is the link you used: http://www.sncf.com/fr/trains/intercites/lignes-jour/aubrac-clermont-beziers

This website claims that the "Mouvement social" (industrial action) would alter service on the 27th March. Therefore, the alternative timetable for that day was uploaded. It appears however that the normal timetable (even if it just 1 Intercités train a day) has not been put back up.

The timetable for the line should be downloadable from TER Languedoc-Roussillon - except I can't get it's website to work! http://www.ter.sncf.com/languedoc-roussillon/depliant/recherche

According to horrairetreain.net (an unofficial website), there is a train booked today departing Béziers at 9:37: Intercités 15940 https://www.horairetrain.net/horaires-beziers-clermontferrand.html

Line due to be closed, however, at the end of 2015.

Samedi 28 février, les usagers de la ligne SNCF Clermont-Ferrand Neussargues Béziers ont manifesté contre la disparition programmée de cette ligne fin 2015.

On Saturday 28th February, users of the SNCF line from Clermond-Ferrand to Béziers protested against the scheduled closure of the line at the end of 2015.
(http://france3-regions.francetvinfo...l-aubrac-clermont-ferrand-beziers-665485.html)


There is a link here to the excellent transportrail blog which documents the downfall and the impending fate of the line. I haven't got the time to do a translation, so I will let you googletranslate it yourself: http://transportrail.canalblog.com/pages/la-ligne-des-causses/31796112.html
 
Last edited:

Polarbear

Established Member
Joined
24 May 2008
Messages
1,705
Location
Birkenhead
Thank you, that's really useful. I managed to get the TER site to work & it shows the timetable pretty much as i remember it.

It such a shame that SNCF are letting their network go to hell in a handcart! Will try to get the line in before it shuts. I assume it will be the northern bit of the line that will shut given the sparse service?
 

CC 72100

Established Member
Joined
23 Jan 2012
Messages
3,777
Thank you, that's really useful. I managed to get the TER site to work & it shows the timetable pretty much as i remember it.

It such a shame that SNCF are letting their network go to hell in a handcart! Will try to get the line in before it shuts. I assume it will be the northern bit of the line that will shut given the sparse service?

Good - pleased that I was able to of some help.

In terms of what bit of the line will stay open/ what bit will close, not sure, will try and do some digging.
 

CC 72100

Established Member
Joined
23 Jan 2012
Messages
3,777
I'm currently in Beziers and it amazes me how many loco hauled trains are caked in Graffiti here it's like being in South London or The Netherlands.

Unfortunately graffiti is a big problem all over the French network - I think there is a stronger determination to get rid of it ASAP over here, with the French adopting a more "Laissez-faire" approach.
 
Joined
11 Apr 2008
Messages
780
Location
Wigan,United Kingdon and Kingswood Nsw, Australia
Saw my first new Livery TGV on Friday coupled to an old Livery one at 13:35 on Platform C can anyone get the id's of the duplex tgv's for me? i also rode a 4 car emu on the Beziers to Perpignan route on Friday same departure time from Beziers what type of emu was this? Also is there extra tgv's to Barcelona atm due to some formula one or something silly on there?? the Display at Perpignan seemed to have a few tgv's/ave's to Barcelona on the board i'm living outside perpignan gare atm so will check tomorrow monday and tuesday too
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top