[ RURAL RAILWAYS IN FRANCE ][ CHEMINS DE FER RURAUX DE FRANCE ]
Sat July 25, 1998. TER 57013 left Auxerre at 11:03 after connection with the Saturdays only Corail express from Paris. Here it is pictured passing the village of Givry in the valley of the Cure, not far from its terminus at Avallon.
Sunday July 26, 1998.
The autorail from Laroche-Migennes on the main line (dep 09:20) passing a field of sunflowers near Voutenay in the Cure valley on its way to Avallon. This was the only Sunday train on the line until the end of the afternoon.
Saturday July 25, 1998. Avallon. Boarding the 16:34 train for Auxerre.
X 4300 EAD "Caravelle" at Sermizelles-Vezelay in March 2002
with an afternoon service to Avallon..
The station at Avallon in July 1998
The single track railway from the junction at Cravant-Bazarnes to Avallon (38km) follows the valley of the river Cure, tributary of the Yonne. It was opened in 1873. There are several bridges over the river and a short tunnel. The line is very picturesque as it climbs to reach an altitude of 250m (800 ft) at Avallon, after passing the villages of Vermenton, Arcy-sur-Cure and Sermizelles-Vezelay.
In 1975, there were 4-5 autorail services daily to and from Auxerre and Laroche-Migennes. On Saturdays and Sundays there was a morning and an afternoon through express train from Paris to Avallon which returned in the aftenoon and evening.
( Paris 7.23 and 12.28, arrived Avallon at 10.11 and 15.27, respectively).
In 2004, there were also 4-5 autorail services per day to and from Auxerre/Laroche-Migennes, except Sundays when there were virtually no trains. On Friday evenings, there was a through Corail express from Paris which reached Avallon at 20.46. This train returned to Paris on Sunday evenings at 18.23. Every day, except Sundays, there was a through A-TER service from Paris-Bercy(7.10) which reached Avallon at 9.42. The return working from Avallon was at 10.34 reaching Paris-Bercy at 13.16. It was operated with a three-car X 72500 dmu.
Between 15.35 and 16.30 on Mondays-Fridays a double-headed freight train from Autun headed down the line from Avallon to Cravant. It was composed of up to 18 loaded wagons of logs and stone ballast.
In 2005 the timetable arrangements for passenger and freight services were similar to those of 2004.
On August 28th 2006, new timetables were introduced and modern diesel and bi-mode railcars were introduced in the place of the EAD autorails which were retired to reserve.
July 19th, 2003.
Picasso railcar X4039 at Sermizelles-Vezelay operating Phototrain No 3..
copyright reserved | J.G.Skinner | 2004 - 2007
Avallon freight shed pictured in 2002. On the right, is one of four British class 20 diesel locos which were used on the line from Autun until the year 2000. Subsequently, one loco was deployed at Avallon for shunting. All have now been assembled at Autun and are held in reserve, pending disposal.
In the spring of 2004, the old freight shed was demolished and the whole area seen above was tarmaced to make a gare-bois. Another piece of history gone for ever.
August 2004. The afternoon freight train from Autun to Cravant-Bazarnes passes Vermenton station without stopping. The train load of three wagons of mineral water is unusually light. This train can have up to twenty wagons of stone and logs.
August 2004. The afternoon EAD autorail speeds through a corn field near Arcy-sur-Cure on its way to Avallon.
[ CHEMINS DE FER RURAUX DE FRANCE ]
