ChampsStBris

The station at Champs-sur-Yonne was opened by the PLM company in July 1870. The station is named after the adjacent village and another village, St-Bris-le-Vineux, 6 km to the north.

The station is located 8 km south of Auxerre on the railway line leading to Cravant-Bazarnes where two branches serve the valleys of the Yonne, to Clamecy, and the Cure river, to Avallon.

The line was originally double track(from 1890) but was singled by the Germans during the occupation of the Second World War.

Champs St-Bris was the only station where trains could pass between Auxerre and Cravant-Bazarnes.

This site was a rare example of a traditional country station, in that it was staffed, mechanically signalled and with a full width manually operated level crossing.

The single station agent was there only because of the level crossing. The number of passengers using the station today would not otherwise justify the presence of an agent.

In recent years, seven trains a day in each direction have stopped at Champs St-Bris on week days.

For many years, the timetable and the rolling stock (E.A.D "Caravelles") have remained the same.

Drastic changes have been made, however, at this sleepy site. See the end of the page.

The small platform sheltor opposite the main building is not really needed any more, the loop has been detached from the network.

Here, under the station canopy, we are looking towards Auxerre. Under the clock face is the crank to operate the level crossing barriers which can be seen pointing vertically towards the clouds. Also visible is one of the two semaphore signals which were operated from the lever frame shown below.

A rare sight now in France and only a few more months before the installation took place here of automatic barriers in August 2007.

For many years, the early afternoon train from Laroche-Migennes(14.02) on Mondays to Fridays was operated with three EAD units; the front unit for Clamecy, the middle unit for Avallon and the rear unit, terminus Cravant-Bazarenes, returned to Laroche-Migennes after 15 minutes.

On July 7th, 2006, we see this train arriving at Champs St-Bris. Just a few weeks later the "Caravelles" were withdrawn from regular trains in the Morvan, replaced by modern A TER, X TER and BGC units.

Below, the train leaves for Cravant-Bazarnes, passing under the N6 road bridge.

Following the TER service down the line on July 7th 2006, a pair of BB 69400 diesel locomotives arrives at Champ St-Bris. The 69400 class are modernised 66400's with new engines.

So, traditional scenes of the country railway on this page. But the passage of time and changes in circumstances brings the need to change and adapt.

In August 2007, the two passing loops were cut from the network and the level crossing was made automatic. The mechanical signals have gone.

The station is now unstaffed.