[ RURAL RAILWAYS IN FRANCE ][ CHEMINS DE FER RURAUX DE FRANCE ]

[ Beauvais (Oise) - Mers Le Tréport (Somme)]

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All rights reserved /  text, J.G.Skinner  / photos J.G.Skinner, M.Costes / 2005, 2007

The two coastal resorts of Mers and Le Tréport look out across the English Channel and are seperated by the river Bresle.  They share a station terminus built by the Compagnie du Nord in 1872.  The line runs inland to the village of Abancourt where connection is made with the Amiens - Rouen line, now electrified.  Our rural single track line branches away from Abancourt to the east, serves Grandvilliers, and at Milly-sur-Therain becomes double track for the remaining few kilometres to Beauvais.

At the beginning of the last century, Mers Le Tréport was the favoured seaside resort for Parisiens, being the closest to the capital.  The only through train from Paris to Le Tréport on this route is on Sunday mornings and it takes about three hours.  It returns on Sunday evenings.

During the rest of the week, a change at Beauvais is mandatory.  Friday afternoons is the busiest period on this country line.

Let us start at the port of Le Tréport.  It is obviously low tide and the station is the white facade in the mid background.

The joint station of Mers Le Tréport in August 2005, clean and elegant.

It is unfortunate that many of the country stations along the line have been abandonned with little respect from the surrounding communities.  Only the few stations still manned by SNCF for security reasons remain in good condition.  Like at Blangy-sur-Bresle, a pleasant village 25 km inland.

Blangy-sur-Bresle, May 2005

An EAD of Picardy Region starts away from Blangy for Abancourt and Beauvais, one Saturday afternoon in May 2005. In 2007 these EAD "Caravelles" are rare, most services are operated with X 73500 railcars.

A TER from Beauvais to Mers Le Tréport seen between Abancourt and Blangy, along the green valley of the Bresle.

A dark brick structure, Abancourt station provides connections between the Amiens - Rouen trains and the Beauvais - Le Tréport autorails. There is little else to do here but change trains.

The Jewel in the Crown on this rural line is to be found at Milly-sur-Therain.  Mechanical signals operated from a caged lever frame protect the station where the single track from Abancourt becomes double track to Beauvais.  More photos of this attractive station are located here.

Near Aumale, April 27th 1985, an RGP on a special train to and from Le Tréport.

April 27th 1985.  The special RGP at Le Tréport

[ Page revised March 2007 ]