History of network CFD Vivarais.

History of the way of French iron is related to the industry of the basin inhabitant of Saint-Etienne with first railway line in 1827 of Saint-Etienne with Andrézieux for the transport of coal. The first travellers were transported in 1832 on this same line. Consequently lines of railroads were built to connect the large cities.
In 1878 the Minister for Labour public, Mr. de Freycinet, decided on one leaves, to connect between them the principal arteries and in addition to serve the totality of the chief towns of districts.
The company of the Departmental Railroads (CF.D.) founded in 1881 sign a convention in 1886 for the construction and the exploitation of following lines :

• Voulte on the Rhone in Cheylard.

• Tournon With Lamastre.

• Lavoûte on the Loire with Yssingeaux.

The same year the whole of the lines is declared of public utility and the CFD receive a 99 years concession with an option on the lines of Lamastre to Cheylard and Cheylard with Yssingeaux with junction until Dunières.

All the lines were built with the spacing of one meter and took the name of "network of Vivarais", 201 kms of ways to its apogee.
 

DATES Of OPENING LINES:

◊ La Voûte sur Loire - Yssingeaux
   le 09/11/1890 
◊ Tournon - Lamastre
   le 12/07/1891 
◊ La Voulte sur Rhône - Le Cheylard
   le 10/09/1891 
◊ St Agrève - Raucoules Brossettes
   le 21/09/1902 
◊ Dunières - Raucoules - Yssingeaux
   le 21/09/1902 
◊ Le Cheylard - St Julien de Boutières
   le 07/12/1902 
◊ St Julien de Boutières - St Agrève
   le 29/05/1903 
◊ Lamastre - Le Cheylard
   le 11/07/1903

 Lines PLM PLM PLM

The passenger traffic was especially a local service, it allowed the inhabitants valleys of Soft and Eyrieux as well as plate of Velay-Vivarais to go to the various surrounding prefectures. Later it will allow many townsmen to discover these marvellous areas. Side goods, the large one of the traffic was ensured by transport of wood (in particular for the mines).

With the passing of years and of modernization, the engines with vapor have left the place with the rail-cars and power trolleys. Connecting Velay to Valley of the Rhone through Vivarais by all times, the network knew its first threat of suppression as of the end of the second conflict world. The road transport having also done progress, it to him liner trafic of Raucoules Brossettes to the Vault on the Loire was transferred on the road on March 1, 1952. Unfortunately, the remainder of network knew the fate of many Railroads in France since post-war period. It was closed on November 1, 1968.
Fortunately, two sections were saved at the time of sound dismantling, of which the Dunières line in Saint-Agrève. This last is now the property of an Inter-commune Trade union, gathering all the common crossings. It is from now on with purely tourist vocation.

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