[ RURAL RAILWAYS IN FRANCE ]
[ CHEMINS DE FER RURAUX DE FRANCE ]
[ CHEMINS DE FER RURAUX DE FRANCE ][ Gare de JOUE-LES-TOURS, Indre et Loire]
Today, Joué-lès-Tours is a town of 36 000 inhabitants located within the urban area of TOURS, a few kilometres south of the centre-ville, and encircled by motorway ring-roads.
The first railway station in Tours, a city centre terminus, was opened in 1846 for the new train service from Paris and Orleans. Soon the strategic position of Tours, close to the centre of France, would create opportunities for the construction of railway lines in all directions.
The first railway line to pass through Joué-lès-Tours, at that time a village, was a long cross country single track line from Tours to Les Sables-d'Olonne via Chinon, Thouars, Bressuire and La Roche-sur-Yon. This was opened in 1875. A few years later, a line was constructed from Tours to Chateauroux via Loches. which was opened in 1878-80. Between Tours and Joué-lès-Tours these two lines shared the same single track which crossed the river Cher on its own bridge.
In 1970, the passenger service between Loches and Chateauroux was transferred to road. In the same year, the original line between Tours and Joué-lès-Tours was closed and replaced by a short single track section which leaves the main line to Bordeaux at Km 240,4 just south of Saint-Pierre-des-Corps. This new arrangement eliminated many level crossings in the town of Joué-lès-Tours.
In September 1980 passenger rail services to Chinon were transferred to road. But this action was reversed by the new socialist government and rail services were restored between Tours and Chinon in January 1982. Since then, passenger numbers have increased constantly on the line.
In the year 2000, the Centre Region took over responsibility for local passenger rail services (TER) and has undertaken a programme to modernise the rolling stock, increase frequencies and renovate stations.
The trains on the lines from Tour to Chinon and Loches are operated today by modern X 73500 railcars and, occasionally, X 72500 railcars.
The small station at Joué-lès-Tours has recently been rebuilt and offers clean, functional facilities for the travellor with two guichets which were open on the Saturday afternoon of my visit. But there are no platform sheltors yet.
The double track through the station is operated as two single lines, the one next to the station building is to/from Loches and the other one to/from Chinon.
In contrast to the modernised station building and modern railcars the infrastructure of track and signalling is from another age. While the signals on the Tours side are colour light and the level crossing automatic, on the west side, adjacent to the station, the signal gantry with semaphores and the manually operated level crossing barriers surprise the visitor.
200 metres away towards Chinon and Loches, the two tracks pass under another gantry and over another level crossing, this time equiped with four half barriers, mechanically operated, a rare sight today.
Enjoy the photos below !
Joué-lès-Tours station building on Saturday 15th March 2008
Joué-lès-Tours. The view westwards under the gantry and over the level crossing(No 234). The left hand track is for Loches and the right hand track to Chinon. The crossovers are used to enter the sidings which were empty on my visit.
Here we look down the "hill" in the direction of Tours towards the station at Joué-lès-Tours. On the left the line from Chinon (the carré has been set clear for a train that will arrive from Chinon). On the right is the line from Loches.
Here is the second level crossing in action: a very rare piece of apparatus nowadays.
A Chinon - Tours TER arrives at 11.52, the level crossing barriers have been lowered.
It is 12.25 and the X 72500 for Loches climbs away under the gantry while the level crossing behind the railcar is clear again for road traffic.
Five minutes later, here is the X 73500 for Chinon on the left hand track.
About 1 kilometre from Joué-lès-Tours station here is an X 73500 bound for Chinon passing a red disk signal. On the right is the track for Loches.
Finally after about 2 km of parallel running the Chinon line curves away towards the west, leaving the Loches line. 15 03 2008
Source: Rail Passion magazine No 96 October 2005.
Study of Tours railway centre
All rights reserved | tous droits réservés | J.G.Skinner | 2008
