laqueuille

The junction station at Laqueuille, in Auvergne, is to be found at an altitude of 943 metres ( 3,064 ft), the summit of the cross-country line from Clermont-Ferrand to Brive. The station is exposed to the winds sweeping across the plateau, which nearly always provoke incidents during the winter from snow drifts. During the winter of 2004/2005, several trains were blocked and the rotary snow plough had to be brought in to clear the line.

Laqueuille station was opened by the PLM company in 1881 and its size reflects the importance of the junction over the years. There are two long wings on either side of the three door central body of the station building. A central island platform has a unique wrought iron sheltor. In 1899, the short, steeply graded branch line to the spa town of Le Mont Dore was opened. More about it here. This line provided much business for the railway over many years with both day and night expresses from Paris, Marseilles and other provincial capitals.

The line from Clermont to Brive has retained much of its original infrastructure, including mechanical signals. At Laqueuille, it is the western end of the station which is mechanically signalled and the system continues to Ussel. However, it is expected that the mechanical systems will be removed in 2008. On the Mont-Dore branch, colour light signals are in use. From the eastern end of Laqueuille station, a mixture of colour light and mechanical disks and semaphores can be found as far as, and including, Volvic.

Near La Bourboule, a local mineral water bottling plant is currently served by rail twice a day. At 08.40 on June 20th 2005, the double headed morning train of empty wagons arrived at Laqueuille from Clermont-Ferrand, prior to climbing the branch line to the bottling plant.

This traffic by rail was threatened by withdrawal at the end of September 2005, for the motive that the steep gradients limit the loads possible and that the trains are thus uneconomic. But in March 2007, these trains continue to run on Mondays to Fridays. Another mineral water source is to be exploited in the area, and in principle, a new rail branch will be constructed to this new bottling plant soon.

A single X 73500 of Limousin region arrives from Brive and Ussel with a TER service for Clermont-Ferrand in June 2005. These new diesel railcars are popular with travelors and offer fine views from their panoramic windows. Due to track work between Laqueuille and Volvic, very few TER services by rail are currently provided (March 2007). It is not known when normal passenger rail services will be resumed.

Having collected a full train load of bottled water from the Bourboule factory, the morning train departs from Laqueuille down-grade for Clermont-Ferrand on June 20th 2005. On the right, is the milk co-operative which make an excellent range of Auvergne cheeses which are on sale at the plant.

Here is an X 2800 train arriving at Laqueuille from Limoges in June 2002. Such a train passes through Laqueuille on Sunday evenings with a Brive - Clermont Ferrand train, but 2007 is probably the last year for this class of railcar.

On April 29th 2007, early in the morning, X 2403 on a photo charter, pauses in front of the signals to remind us of the rail scene in the '50's and '60's. The autorail then moves on to the centre of the station (below).