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This is an account of a country junction which at the height of its importance in the 1920's was despatching trains in four directions, changing locomotives and handling trains 24 hours a day.

In fact, the villages of Eygurande and Merlines developed and declined with the fortunes of the railway, first with the Paris-Orleans company, then with SNCF from 1938 and finally with the regional councils of Auvergne and Limousin after the year 2000.

Far from any major town, Eygurande-Merlines station is 87km from Clermont Ferrand and 110km from Brive.

The line from Ussel to Clermont-Ferrand was opened in June 1881. This completed the cross country route from Brive.

( Brive - Tulle opened in 1871, Tulle-Ussel opened in 1880).

Eygurande - Bort-les-Orgues opened in 1882.

Eygurande - Montluçon was opened in 1887 providing direct access to and from Paris.

The sturdy and attractive station of Eygurande-Merlines, in the department of Corrèze, is in fine condition in June 2002. The station now handles only traffic passing through, and no freight, but was quite busy, at that time, especially on Fridays, as a passing point on the single line Clermont Ferrand - Brive, and junction with the very quiet branch line to Montluçon ( 2-3 trains a day).

Following the opening of Bort-les-Orgues to Neussargues in 1908, the Paris-Orleans company achieved its ambition of possessing its own direct route from Paris to the Mediterranean, albeit over the mountains compared to the easier PLM route via Lyon and the Rhone valley.

From 1910, the PO despatched a night train at 08:52pm from the Gare d'Orsay(now a museum) in the centre of Paris with the destination of Beziers which it reached at 03:47 pm, the following afternoon.

This train was routed via Montluçon and it would reach Eygurande at 04:00 am.

But at Eygurande, the staff also serviced the east - west traffic including day and night trains between Bordeaux and Lyon.

A general view of Eygurande in 2002 looking east. The simplified track layout provides three platform tracks, but only one freight siding. It is a shadow of its former importance.

The station posseses a full set of mechanical signals in all directions. But not for much longer.

In 2008 - 2009 it is probable that this site will be reduced to the status of an unstaffed halt, after the line to Montluçon is closed.

A view looking west, the goods shed on the right, and the historic "railway" village of Eygurande is visible with slate covered roofs. But over to the left of the scene, little remains of a once busy junction.

June 19th 2002. It is 12:10 and this is the Ventador, cross country express from Bordeaux to Lyon and Grenoble, approaching Eygurande from the west, formed with four Corail coaches ( the first one is a Corail +, modernised) and hauled by a 67400 diesel in FRET livery, so normally this loco would not be assigned to passenger trains. Note the mechanical signals which are still to be found on this line and are used to control the traffic. The red and white chequered panel swings round at right angles to the track when the line is clear.

Since December 12th 2004, this train is limited to Bordeaux - Clermont-Ferrand.

It runs west to east only on Saturdays and east to west only on Sundays

It is planned to replace the mechanical signals between Ussel and Laqueille inclusive with a modern signalling system in 2008.

So hurry to see the present systems before it is too late.

Time has run out for the X 2844 withdrawn in December 2007.

X 2844 has been a regular on the shuttle from Ussel to Montluçon and back, the daily train for much of the year. Here the autorail arrives at Eygurande-Merlines at 13.50 to cross the photo charter train.

Thanks to the TRAM association for organising the photo charter.

Thanks to Chemins de fer de la Haute Auvergne for providing X 2403, owned by Mr J M Henry.

The opening of Bort-les-Orgues to Aurillac in 1893 and Bort-les-Orges to Neussargues in 1908 created new possibilities for the trains passing through Eygurande-Merlines

The closure of the line to Bort-les-Orgues in 1951 was a first reduction in traffic through Eygurande.

But later a night train between Paris and Le Mont Dore ran for many years via Laqueuille, Eygurande-Merlines, Ussel and Montluçon. It was stopped in the early 1980's.

Two express trains continued to pass through the junction; the Ventadour Bordeaux - Lyon and the Parisien Ussel - Paris. But in December 2007, the Corail express from Ussel to Paris has been withdrawn and the Ventadour is limited to Bordeaux - Clermont-Ferrand once each way at week-ends.