The junction station at Cravant-Bazarnes was built by the PLM company and opened in 1870 for the branch towards Clamecy and in 1873 for the branch to Avallon. This station is 147km from Paris, 36km from Laroche Migennes and 17km from Auxerre. It is 38km to Avallon up the valley of the river Cure and 36km to Clamecy, along the valley of the river Yonne and the Canal du Nivernais. The railway site has changed little in the last 133 years.
In 2006-2007, the station had colour light signals on the Avallon / Clamecy side and one "carré violet", on the Auxerre side there were two "carrés", one semaphore and one "carré violet". It is probable that the entire remaining mechanical signalling system will be replaced in 2008.
Passenger services are now operated by BGC units and X 73500 units. The older red & cream EAD "Caravelles" are no longer scheduled on the Morvan network
The full timetable can be found on the TER Bourgogne part of the SNCF website.
In August 2006, freight workings were re-organised in the Morvan, and Fertis, a subsidiary of VFLI ( low cost subsidary of SNCF), took over from CFTA and from VFM (also a subsidiary of VFLI). VFM was liquidated and the staff transferred to Fertis. Now it appears that Fertis will be rolled back into VFLI. Not easy to follow !
Cravant-Bazarnes is a relatively busy country junction in a quiet, attractive location quite invisible from the N6 main road between Auxerre and Avallon.
In the summer of 2007, the station buildings were repainted, a welcome development. The tracks in the station site were renewed and reballasted, the original layout was changed:
- the line alongside the station building was disconnected from the network
- the sidings to the south of the station building have been disconnected
- new colour light signal posts have been erected
- there are two platforms faces served by the through lines and two loops for freight.
- track serving the silo has been retained
- the carré protecting the line along the side of the station building has been demolished
- during 2008, normally the signalling will be remotely connected to a box at Auxerre.
Monday April 19th, 2004. A pair of VFLI locomotives brings the daily freight train from Autun, Saulieu, La Roche-en-Brenil and Avallon into Cravant-Bazarnes at 16.30. The first four covered wagons are carrying bottles of Perrier.
These locos have now been withdrawn from the Morvan and replaced by Fertis locos.
