Paray

[ RURAL RAILWAYS IN FRANCE ]

[ CHEMINS DE FER RURAUX DE FRANCE ]

[ Moulins-sur-Allier - Paray-le-Monial - Lozanne ]

The line from Moulins to Paray-le-Monial was opened by the PLM company in 1869. The line from Paray to Lozanne was opened in 1900. Both lines are now single track, not electrified, but were originally built double track.

Moulins, prefecture of the Allier, is an attractive town, 295 km south of Paris on the main line to Clermont-Ferrand. Cross-country services between Nantes, Tour, Orléans and Lyon transit here.

The line to Paray-le-Monial branches off to the east and crosses a green countryside devoted to livestock farming.

Montbeugny, Thiel-sur-Acolin, Dompierre-Sept-Fons, Diou are the picturesque names of the first villages served and then the river Loire is crossed on a long metal bridge and we reach Gilly. Here, there was once a line north to Cercy-la-Tour.

Next stop Digoin, in the past a connexion could be made here on to the narrow gauge line north up the Arroux valley ( see this page)

Then at kilometre 67 we come to the junction at Paray-le-Monial ( see its own page).

How best to visit this rural line ? Why not by steam train ?

Will this be suitable ? Its Friday April 15th 2005 at Moulins-sur-Allier and 141 R 840 coming from Les Aubrais is heading for the Lyon area via the Azergues line, a rare visit. Lets jump aboard.

Here we are crossing the Loire river looking down stream at the road bridge

After a slow crossing over the river, the 141 R opens up with a crisp exhaust beat to accelerate the seven vehicle train around the 90° bend and through the station at Gilly-sur-Loire.

First stop; Paray-le-Monial, after an hour's delightful run through the unspoilt countryside of western Saône-et-Loire.

Today we are travelling in the comfort of a DEV A8 introduced in 1953.

From Paray, the line turns southwards and crosses the Charolais region, climbing steadily towards the massif des Echarmeaux. The use of tunnels and viaducts keeps the gradients to a maximum of 11%. Then comes the summit tunnel 4km long followed by a precipitous spiral bringing our line into the narrow valley of the Azergues which is followed to Lozanne.

Our train is ready to depart from Paray-le-Monial and soon will come the rain.

The longest, highest viaduct is the 18 arch one at Mussy-sous-Dun, 60m high and half a kilometre long. Our train has no difficulty with the gradient and soon will plunge into the summit tunnel to emerge at speed downgrade around the spiral and then on with the brakes to pause in the rain at Lamure-sur-Azergues.

The visit of a steam train is exceptional here, at Lamure-sur-Azergues, a remote village in the forest, and this Friday afternoon, the kindergarten has been given time off to view the locomotive, for most the first glimpse ever.

A rare event that happened, of course, in pouring rain, it seems that this line is prone to poor weather, especially when photographers are around. Anyway, thanks to Patrick for being there and capturing the diverted Corail express from Lyon to Nantes crossing Mussy viaduct on August 14th 2005.

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