Garabit Viaduct.

[reb0118]

What is the best station for seeing the famous Garabit Viaduct?

 

[Alfie1014]

The nearest station is St Flour Chaudes Aigues (5-6km) but the service on this route is down to one train per day in either direction. There are additional buses from Neussargues though.

 

[30907]

There is a superb view from the old N-road which zig-zags down and up the valley sides, and even a couple of hotels there.

You can see it from the A75 autoroute (easiest going North, but it's on the left!), and Street View indicates a great view from the Aire du Garabit (rest area).

The TER "rail replacement" buses must take the motorway, from their timings.

It's 11km from St Flour, and I haven't managed to locate a local bus.

 

[185]

Horrified me as a kid watching that film

 

[Gordon]

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Zero buses I'm afraid. It's your own car or a hire car I'm afraid. Special tourist trains ran for a few years to the halt at the south end of the bridge, but as with most initiatives of this type in France, it ran out of steam, as tourists are too wedded to their cars.

I stayed at the hotel at the south end - superb value and rooms (and the restaurant) overlooking the viaduct - highly recommended:
http://www.beau-site-hotel.com/

However it is hardly worth it these days due to the paucity of the traffic.

I stayed there in 2007 when chasing the steel coils freight.

http://gwizz.piwigo.com/index?/category/133-causses_line




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[30907]

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Special tourist trains ran for a few years to the halt at the south end of the bridge, but as with most initiatives of this type in France, it ran out of steam, as tourists are too wedded to their cars

It only lasted a couple of years IIRC - I went on it one August and it was very well patronised with a couple of the (then) brand new X73500 railcars. The route was a day-long round trip from Millau on the Mende branch, ligne des Cevennes and ligne des Causses, covering all the best scenic bits.

Not sure the problem was just car-bound tourists - it also ran through two govt Regions, so two different tourist boards. And Millau was probably not a big enough centre as a start point

 

[Gordon]

It only lasted a couple of years IIRC - The route was a day-long round trip from Millau on the Mende branch, ...
Not sure the problem was just car-bound tourists - it also ran through two govt Regions, so two different tourist boards. And Millau was probably not a big enough centre as a start point

No, I was thinking of the Auvergne one which stayed in Auvergne by coming from the north. Bizarrely there is a web site with a timetable for this service but with no dates - making it (rather typically for France) almost impossible to tell whether this relates to a recent time or not, although it looks like quite a 'modern' web page.

http://www.auvergne-centrefrance.com/geotouring/curieux/viaduc-du-garabit.html

AS far as I know it hasn't run recently but I may be mistaken


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[30907]

No, I was thinking of the Auvergne one which stayed in Auvergne by coming from the north. Bizarrely there is a web site with a timetable for this service but with no dates - making it (rather typically for France) almost impossible to tell whether this relates to a recent time or not, although it looks like quite a 'modern' web page.

http://www.auvergne-centrefrance.com/geotouring/curieux/viaduc-du-garabit.html

AS far as I know it hasn't run recently but I may be mistaken

More recent than my experience, anyway.

 

[reb0118]

Just to confirm that train 15940 the 09:37 from Beziers to Clermont Ferrand does cross the Garabit Viaduct? Thanks.

 

[30907]

That's the one! (though check for last-minute engineering works, bustitutions etc)

 

[Gordon]

That's the one! (though check for last-minute engineering works, bustitutions etc)

Make sure you are ready for it. ie Start preparing as the train leaves St Chely d'Apcher. Travelling north, be on the right hand side of the train. You won't get much of a view of the viaduct, unfortunately its not one of those viaducts with tight curves on the approach. Also, with so few stations left open, you need to follow where you are carefully. The type of train they provide on the day might make a difference to the quality of your view also (different window sizes and shapes depending on type of vehicle).



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