Morteau is a small town of 6,500 inhabitants located high in the Jura mountains at an altitude
of 780 m ( 2,500ft ), a short distance from the border with Switzerland. The river Doubs has its source close by, and it flows eastwards past the town before tumbling down a picturesque waterfall ( Saut du Doubs ) and it then follows a gorge for about 30 km which marks the frontier between France and Switzerland.
The river is blocked by a mountain wall and forced northwards to Montbéliard, and then westwards towards Besançon which it reaches having covered nearly three times the direct distance bewteen Morteau and Besançon by road or rail.
The river Doubs finally joins the river Saône which in turn merges with the Rhône at Lyon.
The station at Morteau was built by the PLM company in 1884 and is situated between the town and the river Doubs, as can be seen in the photo below(April 2004). The track layout has been much simplified in recent times, but most of the original station buildings remain, including the large Douane (Customs building) on the river side.
Arrival of the 17:24 from Besançon at Morteau, terminus of the train, at 18:56 on June 27, 2002
The train was operated by X 2819 and a red & white XR trailor.
At the end of 2007, this class of railcar has been withdrawn from service, being replaced by new AGC's and X 73500
The single track line from Besançon to Morteau ( 65km) extends beyond the town up the valley and then over the pass into Switzerland at Le Locle.
The railway provides early morning services across the border for Morteau residents employed in Swiss watch factories over the border. Other cross border services during the day are scheduled from Besançon to La Chaux de Fonds with onward rail connections through the Swiss Jura.
These services are operated by new X 73500 railcars of Franche-Comté Region.
In Morteau station square this building now houses a sports club.
But in 1905, this building was inaugurated as the terminus of a metre gauge secondary line to Maiche and Trévillers ( 45km) operated by Compagnie des chemins de fer Régionaux de Franche-Comté.
The line was closed in 1950.
