European Railroad Discussion > Freight Traffic in Lille, France?

I'm staying in Lille, France for two days/nights. I found an Airbnb with a great view of Lille-Flandres station, and the windows open for pictures. (I can point anyone to it if interested.) That's great for passenger action, but so far, my travels from Amsterdam and Brussels to here have not passed a single freight train, because of the routes that were taken. I'm wondering if anyone knows of a station in Lille on a freight route where there is enough traffic that a 1-hour visit might have a freight go by. It seems like there is a line to the west of the city center with a freight yard near Sequedin, would that be the route to look at for feight? Is there other freight traffic to the east, south, or north of the city? There is a wye track of sorts at the throat of Lille-Flandres that would allow movement north-south without going towards the station, does any freight use that?

Thanks for any help!

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inCHI Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm staying in Lille, France for two days/nights.
> I found an Airbnb with a great view of
> Lille-Flandres station, and the windows open for
> pictures. (I can point anyone to it if
> interested.) That's great for passenger action,
> but so far, my travels from Amsterdam and Brussels
> to here have not passed a single freight train,
> because of the routes that were taken. I'm
> wondering if anyone knows of a station in Lille on
> a freight route where there is enough traffic that
> a 1-hour visit might have a freight go by. It
> seems like there is a line to the west of the city
> center with a freight yard near Sequedin, would
> that be the route to look at for feight? Is there
> other freight traffic to the east, south, or north
> of the city? There is a wye track of sorts at the
> throat of Lille-Flandres that would allow movement
> north-south without going towards the station,
> does any freight use that?
>
> Thanks for any help!

Frethun is the freight yard in Lille

inCHI Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm staying in Lille, France for two days/nights.
> I found an Airbnb with a great view of
> Lille-Flandres station, and the windows open for
> pictures. (I can point anyone to it if
> interested.) That's great for passenger action,
> but so far, my travels from Amsterdam and Brussels
> to here have not passed a single freight train,
> because of the routes that were taken. I'm
> wondering if anyone knows of a station in Lille on
> a freight route where there is enough traffic that
> a 1-hour visit might have a freight go by. It
> seems like there is a line to the west of the city
> center with a freight yard near Sequedin, would
> that be the route to look at for feight? Is there
> other freight traffic to the east, south, or north
> of the city? There is a wye track of sorts at the
> throat of Lille-Flandres that would allow movement
> north-south without going towards the station,
> does any freight use that?
>
> Thanks for any help!

Frethun Yard is a short distance SE of Flandres. Freight traffic running E-W from Dunkerque and Calais can either take the freight bypass down the west side of Lille or run via the north side of Lille. Any train for Frethun would likely take the northern route.

SOO6617 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> inCHI Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I'm staying in Lille, France for two
> days/nights.
> > I found an Airbnb with a great view of
> > Lille-Flandres station, and the windows open
> for
> > pictures. (I can point anyone to it if
> > interested.) That's great for passenger action,
> > but so far, my travels from Amsterdam and
> Brussels
> > to here have not passed a single freight train,
> > because of the routes that were taken. I'm
> > wondering if anyone knows of a station in Lille
> on
> > a freight route where there is enough traffic
> that
> > a 1-hour visit might have a freight go by. It
> > seems like there is a line to the west of the
> city
> > center with a freight yard near Sequedin, would
> > that be the route to look at for feight? Is
> there
> > other freight traffic to the east, south, or
> north
> > of the city? There is a wye track of sorts at
> the
> > throat of Lille-Flandres that would allow
> movement
> > north-south without going towards the station,
> > does any freight use that?
> >
> > Thanks for any help!
>
> Frethun Yard is a short distance SE of Flandres.
> Freight traffic running E-W from Dunkerque and
> Calais can either take the freight bypass down the
> west side of Lille or run via the north side of
> Lille. Any train for Frethun would likely take the
> northern route.

Whoops, I meant Somain - Frethun is outside Calais.

Mea Culpa, I knew that too. Typing without thinking clearly. aargh!

Thanks for the answers! I had to make a choice before seeing them, so I took a train to Tourcoing and sat for a little over an hour hoping to see something. It was Sunday, and no freight passed, just a TGV that seemed to be going from a storage yard there towards whichever Lille station.

Sunday is never a good day to look for freight in Europe.