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

[ (Limoges) Nexon - Périgueux, (Visit in March 2006) ]

The line from Limoges to Périgueux was opened in 1861 by the Compagnie des Chemins de fer Paris-Orléans, ("P.O.").

The line is 99km long.  At Nexon, 20km south of Limoges, there is a junction where the line to Brive la Gaillarde via St Yrieux branches off.  This was once the main line to Toulouse before the more direct line via Uzerche was opened.

Between Nexon and Périgueux the principal town is Thiviers.  Nearby a large quarry provides stone ballast which is transported by rail.

The line was originally double track, but in 1961 it was singled with passing loops at all the stations.  This now poses problems of capacity as the rail traffic is relatively intense at times.

The telephone cables have been recently buried underground but the telegraph poles remain in place without the wires.  Signals are mechanical semaphores operated from each station with a passing loop.

Rail services include TER between Limoges - Périgueux - Bordeaux, Limoges - Périgueux - Agen, operated by A TER, X TER and X 2800 railcars, and a daily return Corail service Bordeaux - Lyon.  There are several freight trains between Thiviers and Limoges

Gare de La Coquille, 47km south of Limoges.  The lever frame can be seen to the right of the station building.

A train of empty ballast wagons arrives from Limoges at La Coquille with three BB 66400 locomotives.  The locos will return northwards later in the afternoon with a train of loaded wagons.

A Périgueux - Limoges local train approaches La Coquille operated by a double A TER  train.

At Thiviers, three BB 66400's haul a train of 1,800 tons of stone ballast off the quarry branch.  The front two locomotives will move to the opposite end of the train to depart towards Limoges with the third locomotive banking at the rear.

The station agent is counting the wagons ( more than twenty).

BB 66260 heads the double-headed freight train of 1,800 tons with a similer loco banking in the rear, en route to Limoges from Thiviers.

Banking the freight in Dordogne.

Agonac station, one of the most attractive on the line, 83km south of Limoges and 16km from Périgueux

Lever frame at Agonac

A Périgueux - Limoges local train passes Agonac with telegraph poles but no wires.

A Paris - Périgueux Corail approaches Agonac in Dordogne.  This train no longer runs through to Périgueux, passengers have to change at Limoges.

The Bordeaux - Lyon cross country express was formerly operated by RTG Turbo train.  It then became locomotive hauled and at each of the four stations where a reversal of direction takes place, 15 minutes is allowed for the locomotive to run around its train.  Here at Périgueux, the train has just arrived from Bordeaux.

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All rights reserved /  J.G.Skinner  / 2006

Page edited January 2008

In December 2007, the locomotive hauled service was replaced by two X 72500 diesel railcars of Aquitaine and Rhône-Alpes Regions. The journey time between Bordeaux and Lyon has been reduced by one hour on account of the saving in reversal times. In addition, the train avoids St Germain des Fossés on a new viaduct, thus eliminating one reversal.