This attractive country line crosses the plains of the Vosges and serves the spa towns of Vittel and Contrexéville. It leaves the Paris - Strasbourg main line at Jarville and serves Pont Saint-Vincent, Vézelise,
Mirecourt, Vittel and Merrey.( 122km)
On Mondays to Fridays, there are five return stopping services from Nancy, of which two run through to Culmont Chalindrey, two terminate at the isolated junction at Merrey and one terminates at Contrexéville. Extra services run to Pont St Vincent.
This line was designated line 14 by the Compagnie de l'Est. It was opened in three stages; Jarville - Vézelise in November 1872, Vézelise - Mirecourt in November 1879 and Mirecourt - Merrey in March 1881.
Originally it was double track, the line has been singled between Vézelise and Mirecourt. The freight traffic of bottled water from Vittel and Contrexéville is taken south through Merrey to Culmont. There seems to be no other freight on the line.
Line 14 is often used as a diversionary route when line 15 Nancy - Neufchateau - Merrey is closed.
Mirecourt was a major rail centre for many years due to its position at the intersection of Nancy - Vittel - Merrey, and Neufchateau - Mirecourt - Epinal. But the closure of the Neufchateau - Epinal route and the disappearance of the passenger services by rail to the spa towns has reduced the need for the vast rail facilities at Mirecourt and these were drastically simplified in March 2006.
For the specialist, three mechanical signals remain in operation at Mirecourt in October 2006 and telegraph poles and wires border the line 14 still, between Mirecourt and Pont St Vincent.
My visits: 24th/25th October 2005 and 2nd/4th October 2006
[ CHEMINS DE FER RURAUX DE FRANCE ]
