1330iExtra52

BLNI Extra 52 – France – Abancourt to Le Treport branch pictorial

[E25] France – A visit to the Abancourt to Le Tréport-mers-les-bains branch, May 2019

His wife having recently had a serious operation, our member decided that they would take a month’s
holiday for rest and recuperation just wandering about France but would end up at their daughter’s
house in Luxembourg for the last week.
For seven days they booked into a gîte in the hamlet of Aubéguimont which appeared on our
members ancient Michelin road map to be close to the ‘closed’ railway line from Beauvais to Le
Tréport. Some research was necessary!
Their GPS, familiarly known as Gertrude, was asked to get them to the nearest hypermarché so they
could stock up with the necessities of life, croissants and grape juice, and surprisingly she sent them
to the outskirts of Aumale via a level crossing over this ‘closed’ railway south of Vieux Rouen sur
Bresle. When they got there imagine his amazement to see that the track had obviously been recently
relaid. What was going on?
On their return to the gîte they diverted over the level crossing shown on the map as being by a
station. Even more amazement to find a freight train headed by an unnumbered Colas Rail ex-SNCF
diesel and the station yard being used to store sleepers, ballast, rail etc. Unfortunately a large sign
saying ‘Inderdit au Public’ rather curtailed further exploration as the ‘orange army’ were present but
no one worried about taking photographs.
Over the next few days they gradually worked their way from Aumale to Le Tréport and the results of
these wanderings are shown below in the form of a journey from Aumale northwards but not in
chronological order.
It appears that when the service on this line and the one from Eu to Abbeville were withdrawn there
was a promise made that the Beauvais line would be refurbished and reopened. Our member doesn’t
think that any of us thought this would happen, but a reopening date of December 2019 is now being
confidently put forward, although, as you will see, there is still much work to do.

We start at Aumale where the track has been relaid, the main platform resurfaced and the posts for the station
nameboard are in position. A nameboard does still exist on the exterior of the building. Nothing has been done to
the loop line and the loop platform has been cut back. One interesting point is that the local wine seller had set up
a stall in the station car park selling wine by the litre, bring your own bottles!

The scene that started all this off. With apologies for a great shot of our members thumb, the orange army are
unloading an infrastructure train at Vieux Rouen sur Bresle but with the platform cut back, it would appear that this
station will not be in the new timetables.

The road side of Vieux Rouen sur Bresle station.

Bouafles level crossing, site of a closed halt. Ready to go but as the line is officially closed all crossings are protected
by red flags, lamps etc so that a train has to come to a stop and be guided over the road by the crew.

Hodeng-Senarpont station now sold and converted to a private residence with the platform removed.
Guimerville level crossing, just north of Hodeng-Senarpont station. The orange army are just finishing off here.

Nesle-Normandeuse crossing, recently completed together with new barriers.
Nesle-Normandeuse station, again sold as a private residence with the platform cut back.

Blagny sur Bresle, the next town of any size down the valley. The loop remains and the crossing for both tracks has
been relaid across the main road.

However, the track through the loop has not been touched even though there is a red lamp attached to the rails.
Note the platform has been resurfaced and a gate has been erected to stop entry to the station this way, as
indicated by the sign on the right.

Blagny sur Bresle station building which looks great on the outside but definitely needs some TLC to the interior.
This is also the bus station from where the replacement bus service runs.

Platform view of Blagny sur Bresle. Note that here the loop platform has also been resurfaced so there may be a
scheme to replace the track at some future date. Lighting is also on the main platform – wonder if it works?

L’Epinoy crossing, as far as the relaying work has been done.
Looking north from l’Epinoy.

Longroy-Gamaches station, now derelict, from the car park. Not much traffic today, only your scribe!

The station building at Longroy-Gamaches may be derelict but the platform has been resurfaced. The new rails have
been laid on the old sleepers ready for installation.

The point leading into the yard at Longroy-Gamaches. This yard is also an infrastructure department storage facility.
The loop can be seen on the right with the platform covered in mature trees.

The nameboards still exist, together with an ancient semaphore signal guarding the level crossing.

Le Lieu Dieux crossing with a temporary closure notice below showing work is going ahead.

Incheville station from the car park. Unoccupied but not as derelict as others!

And from the platform side where the platforms on both sides have been cut back. Incheville is a reasonable sized
settlement which in the past justified a passing loop and goods yard but this looks as though the station will not be
reopened.

Looking north from Incheville with more sleepers stored in the goods yard. So far only the crossing barriers have
been replaced.

On to Ponts et Marais where the sign below is on the station house gate, so you now know where to apply for a
new holiday home!

Your neighbours in the crossing keeper’s cottage have already refurbished their home!

Eu taken from the overbridge. Note that both platforms have been resurfaced even though there is no physical
connexion from the Abbeville line seen on the right with the Beauvais line on the left at this end of the platform as
can be seen from the view taken from the platforms below.

Eu station building has been taken over by a local insurance broker and is well looked after. Unfortunately the
shelter on the other platform was being occupied by some somewhat unsavoury youths so your scribe decided to
keep clear!

Eu was the junction for the branch to Abbeville, covered by at least one railtour from the UK run by the LCGB on 29
Sep 1968 on which your scribe was a passenger. Today the Abbeville line has been cut at Eu by the removal of one
rail length.

Eu is still well signed with totems on the lamp posts and this information sign.
If you look hard enough, this is the closure notice with directions to the replacement bus stop.

And so to the terminus at Le Tréport-Mers-les-Bains. A large 4 platformed station with no trains which is still staffed!
The clerk was definite when questioned that the Beauvais line would be opening in December this year. The building
is well maintained with the war memorial still in situ. The doors to the platforms are firmly locked but at least the
windows are clean!

The docks branch, together with the weighing apparatus is still in situ, station on the right.

One only has to hope that all this expense is worth it. At the moment there are only 5 buses per day south and 3
return services M-F, less at weekends, over the route. Will there be more trains to make it all worthwhile?

And is this the end for the Abbeville branch? Not if the Région Hauts-de-France has its way. This leaflet was found
in the booking office at Le Tréport which seems to say that after an expenditure of 40 million euros the line will
reopen in 2024.



Timetable information from 1970 and 1992 may be of interest, though the reader may need to zoom
in and squint to make out the text.