European Railroad Discussion > Euro-July Part 2 - Southwest France - Dordogne and Quercy

From Bordeaux we rented a car and drove through Aquitane and Midi-Pyrenees, primarily in the Dordogne and Quercy regions.  The area we were in was bisected by the electrified Paris-Toulouse mainline, with several other minor lines in places.  This area suffered a number of line abandonments from the 1940s up to recent times, so there are lots of visible old rights-of-way, in some cases all with rails intact.  Frequencies on the remaining lines are fairly low, but this is made up for by some of the spectacular scenery. 

1. Paris (Austerlitz)-Toulouse intercity train approaching Brive-la-Gaillard.  SNCF apparently tried TGVs on this route but has since cut back. 
2. TER Aquitane DMU set on Brive-Bordeaux train. 
3. Second Paris (Austerlitz)-Toulouse train approaching Brive with unmistakable French signals in foreground. 
 

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4. Brive-la-Gaillard station.
5.  SNCF weedsprayer (or "desherber").  There was a French railfan there very interested in this.
6. Brive-Toulouse local on viaduct south of Brive. 
 

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7. TER Aquitane DMU in Les-Eyzies-de-Tayac on an Agen-Perigeuex train. 
8. TER Aquitane DMU near St Cyprien on a Bordeaux-Sarlat train.
9. TER Aquitane DMU on viaduct leaving Sarlat on a Sarlat-Bordeaux train.
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/11/16 07:47 by dwatry.

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10.  DMU in Rocamadour on a Brive-Figeac train.
11.  Abandoned line from Cahors-Figeac near St Cirque-la-Popie. 
12.  TGV on a Toulouse-Paris train outside Agen alongside the Canal Lateral a la Garonne, which is the westward continuation of the Canal du Midi. 
 

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Very nice

I would have liked to have had a little more sun!