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The railway from Paris to Bordeaux is an important French 584-kilometre long
railway
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
line, that connects Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
to the southwestern port city Bordeaux
Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectur ...
via Orléans
Orléans (;"Orleans"
(US) and Tours Tours ( , ) is one of the largest cities in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Indre-et-Loire. The Communes of France, commune of Tours had 136,463 ...
. The railway was opened in several stages between 1840 and 1853, when the section from Poitiers to Angoulême was finished. The opening of the (US) and Tours Tours ( , ) is one of the largest cities in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Indre-et-Loire. The Communes of France, commune of Tours had 136,463 ...
LGV Atlantique
The LGV Atlantique (French: ''Ligne à Grande Vitesse''; English: Atlantic high-speed line) is a high-speed rail line running from Paris (Gare Montparnasse) to Western France. It opened in 1989–1990 and comprises two stations: Massy TGV statio ...
high speed line from Paris to Tours in 1989 has decreased the importance of this section of the line for passenger traffic; the opening of the LGV Sud Europe Atlantique
The LGV Sud Europe Atlantique (LGV SEA), also known as the LGV Sud-Ouest or LGV L'Océane, is a high-speed railway line between Tours and Bordeaux, in France. It is used by TGV trains operated by SNCF. It is an extension of the LGV Atlantique. ...
in 2017 has seen all long distance passenger trains migrating to that line and leaving space for more regional and local trains, as well as freight trains.
Route
The Paris–Bordeaux railway leaves theGare d'Austerlitz
The Gare d'Austerlitz (English: Austerlitz Station), officially Paris-Austerlitz, is one of the six large Paris rail termini. The station is located on the left bank of the Seine in the southeastern part of the city, in the 13th arrondissemen ...
in Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
in southeastern direction. It follows the left Seine
)
, mouth_location = Le Havre/Honfleur
, mouth_coordinates =
, mouth_elevation =
, progression =
, river_system = Seine basin
, basin_size =
, tributaries_left = Yonne, Loing, Eure, Risle
, tributarie ...
bank upstream until Juvisy-sur-Orge
Juvisy-sur-Orge (, literally ''Juvisy on Orge'') is a commune in the Essonne department in ÃŽle-de-France in northern France. It is located 18 km south-east of Paris, a few kilometres south of Orly Airport.
The site of the town has been occu ...
, where it starts following the small river Orge
The Orge () is a long river in France, left tributary of the Seine. Its source is in the village Saint-Martin-de-Bréthencourt. Its course crosses the '' départements'' of Yvelines and Essonne. It flows northwest through the towns of Dourdan, ...
upstream until Brétigny-sur-Orge. Between Lardy and Étampes
Étampes () is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southwest from the center of Paris (as the crow flies). Étampes is a sub-prefecture of the Essonne department.
Étampes, together with the neighboring c ...
the railway follows the small river Juine
The Juine () is a French river, long. It is a left tributary of the river Essonne.
Its source is in Loiret, in the forest of Chambaudoin, less than 3 km south-west from Autruy-sur-Juine. Its name originates in the hamlet of Juines which ...
upstream. It then crosses the Beauce Beauce may refer to:
* Beauce, France, a natural region in northern France
* Beaucé, a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department, Brittany, France
* Beauce, Quebec, an historical and cultural region of Canada
** Beauce (electoral district), a fed ...
plains until it reaches Orléans. The Orléans station
Orléans station (French: ''Gare d'Orléans'') is a railway station serving the city Orléans, Loiret department, central France. It is situated on the Paris–Bordeaux railway. The Gare d'Orléans is a terminus station, and therefore TGV and mo ...
is a terminus; many long distance trains call at the nearby Les Aubrais station
The gare des Aubrais (before 2014: ''gare des Aubrais-Orléans'') is a main-line railway station located in the town of Fleury-les-Aubrais in Loiret, central France, and serving the greater Orléans district. It is situated on the Paris to Bordea ...
instead.
At Orléans the railway turns southwest, following the river Loire
The Loire (, also ; ; oc, Léger, ; la, Liger) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhône ...
downstream along its right bank. It passes through Blois
Blois ( ; ) is a commune and the capital city of Loir-et-Cher department, in Centre-Val de Loire, France, on the banks of the lower Loire river between Orléans and Tours.
With 45,898 inhabitants by 2019, Blois is the most populated city of the ...
and Amboise
Amboise (; ) is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France. Today a small market town, it was once home of the French royal court.
Geography
Amboise lies on the banks of the river Loire, east of Tours. It is also about away ...
, and crosses the Loire at Montlouis-sur-Loire
Montlouis-sur-Loire (, literally ''Montlouis on Loire'') is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France.
It was mentioned in the 6th century as ''vicus montis Laudiacensis'' by Gregory of Tours.
Population
Events
Since 1987, ...
, an eastern suburb of Tours
Tours ( , ) is one of the largest cities in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Indre-et-Loire. The Communes of France, commune of Tours had 136,463 ...
. The Tours station
Tours station (French: ''Gare de Tours'') is a railway station serving the city of Tours, Indre-et-Loire department, western France. It is situated on the Paris–Bordeaux railway, the Tours–Saint-Nazaire railway, and the non-electrified Toursâ ...
is a terminus as well; many long distance trains call at the nearby Saint-Pierre-des-Corps station
Saint-Pierre-des-Corps station (french: Gare de Saint-Pierre-des-Corps, link=yes) is a railway station serving the town of Saint-Pierre-des-Corps and the Tours agglomeration, Indre-et-Loire department, western France. It is situated on the Paris ...
instead. The railway turns south again, crosses the rivers Cher
Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...
and Indre
Indre (; oc, Endre) is a landlocked department in central France named after the river Indre. The inhabitants of the department are known as the ''Indriens'' (masculine; ) and ''Indriennes'' (feminine; ). Indre is part of the current administ ...
, and follows the right Vienne
Vienne (; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Viéne'') is a landlocked department in the French region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It takes its name from the river Vienne. It had a population of 438,435 in 2019.Maillé. At
The main stations on the Paris–Bordeaux railway are:
*
Transilien network map
{{DEFAULTSORT:Paris-Bordeaux railway Railway lines in Centre-Val de Loire Railway lines in ÃŽle-de-France Railway lines in Nouvelle-Aquitaine Railway lines opened in 1840
Châtellerault
Châtellerault (; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Châteulrô/Chatelerà ud''; oc, Chastelairaud) is a commune in the Vienne department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in France. It is located in the northeast of the former province Poitou, and the re ...
it crosses the Vienne and continues upstream along the river Clain
The Clain (; oc, Clen, link=yes) is a long river in western France, a left tributary of the river Vienne. Its source is near Hiesse, Charente.
The Clain flows generally north, through the following departments and towns:
*Charente
* Vienne: ...
, through the city Poitiers
Poitiers (, , , ; Poitevin: ''Poetà e'') is a city on the River Clain in west-central France. It is a commune and the capital of the Vienne department and the historical centre of Poitou. In 2017 it had a population of 88,291. Its agglomerat ...
.
At Voulon
Voulon () is a commune in the Vienne department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in western France.
See also
*Communes of the Vienne department
The following is a list of the 266 communes of the Vienne department of France
Fra ...
the railway leaves the Clain valley and it follows the Charente
Charente (; Saintongese: ''Chérente''; oc, Charanta ) is a department in the administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, south western France. It is named after the river Charente, the most important and longest river in the department, an ...
valley from Saint-Saviol downstream. It leaves the Charente at Ruffec, crosses it again at Luxé
Luxé () is a commune in the Charente department in southwestern France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the ...
and passes through the city Angoulême
Angoulême (; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Engoulaeme''; oc, Engoleime) is a communes of France, commune, the Prefectures of France, prefecture of the Charente Departments of France, department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of southwestern Franc ...
. It follows the small rivers Tude and Dronne
The Dronne (, also , ; oc, Drona) is a long river in southwestern France, right tributary of the Isle. Its source is in the north-western Massif Central, east of the town of Châlus (south-west of Limoges) at an elevation of . It flows south-we ...
downstream until its mouth at Coutras
Coutras () is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. Coutras station has rail connections to Bordeaux, Angoulême, Périgueux, Brive-la-Gaillarde and Limoges.
History
The Battle of Coutras, one of the ...
, where the railway crosses the river Isle. It follows the left Isle bank downstream to Libourne
Libourne (; oc, label= Gascon, Liborna ) is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.
It is the wine-making capital of northern Gironde and lies near Saint-Émil ...
, where it continues west and downstream along the left Dordogne
Dordogne ( , or ; ; oc, Dordonha ) is a large rural department in Southwestern France, with its prefecture in Périgueux. Located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region roughly half-way between the Loire Valley and the Pyrenees, it is named af ...
bank. It reaches the right Garonne
The Garonne (, also , ; Occitan, Catalan, Basque, and es, Garona, ; la, Garumna
or ) is a river of southwest France and northern Spain. It flows from the central Spanish Pyrenees to the Gironde estuary at the French port of Bordeaux – a ...
bank at Bassens, and crosses the river at Cenon
Cenon (; Gascon: ''Senon'') is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France.
It is a suburb of the city of Bordeaux, and is adjacent to it on the east side.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Gironde d ...
, entering its terminus Bordeaux-Saint-Jean station after a total length of 584 km.
Main stations
The main stations on the Paris–Bordeaux railway are:
* Gare d'Austerlitz
The Gare d'Austerlitz (English: Austerlitz Station), officially Paris-Austerlitz, is one of the six large Paris rail termini. The station is located on the left bank of the Seine in the southeastern part of the city, in the 13th arrondissemen ...
(Paris)
* Les Aubrais station
The gare des Aubrais (before 2014: ''gare des Aubrais-Orléans'') is a main-line railway station located in the town of Fleury-les-Aubrais in Loiret, central France, and serving the greater Orléans district. It is situated on the Paris to Bordea ...
* Orléans station
Orléans station (French: ''Gare d'Orléans'') is a railway station serving the city Orléans, Loiret department, central France. It is situated on the Paris–Bordeaux railway. The Gare d'Orléans is a terminus station, and therefore TGV and mo ...
* Saint-Pierre-des-Corps station
Saint-Pierre-des-Corps station (french: Gare de Saint-Pierre-des-Corps, link=yes) is a railway station serving the town of Saint-Pierre-des-Corps and the Tours agglomeration, Indre-et-Loire department, western France. It is situated on the Paris ...
* Tours station
Tours station (French: ''Gare de Tours'') is a railway station serving the city of Tours, Indre-et-Loire department, western France. It is situated on the Paris–Bordeaux railway, the Tours–Saint-Nazaire railway, and the non-electrified Toursâ ...
* Poitiers station
The Gare de Poitiers is a major railway station in the French city of Poitiers, in the department of Vienne and region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. The station is situated on the Paris–Bordeaux railway. It was built in the 1850s.
Services
A wide ...
* Angoulême station
Angoulême is a railway station located in Angoulême, Charente, south-western France. The station was opened in 1852 and is located on the Paris–Bordeaux railway, Saintes-Angoulême railway and Limoges-Angoulême railway. The train service ...
* Bordeaux-Saint-Jean station
History
The sections Paris–Orléans and Orléans–Bordeaux were built and exploited by two different companies, that became part ofChemin de Fer de Paris à Orléans
Chemin or Le Chemin may refer to:
Arts and media
* ''Le chemin'' (Emmanuel Moire album), 2013 album by French singer Emmanuel Moire
* ''Le chemin'' (Kyo album), 2003 album by French band Kyo
** "Le Chemin" (song), title song from same-titled Kyo ...
in 1852. The first section that was opened in 1840 led from Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
to Juvisy-sur-Orge
Juvisy-sur-Orge (, literally ''Juvisy on Orge'') is a commune in the Essonne department in ÃŽle-de-France in northern France. It is located 18 km south-east of Paris, a few kilometres south of Orly Airport.
The site of the town has been occu ...
, a southern suburb. The line was extended to Orléans in 1843. Tours was reached in 1846, and Poitiers in 1851. In 1852 Bordeaux was connected with Angoulême
Angoulême (; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Engoulaeme''; oc, Engoleime) is a communes of France, commune, the Prefectures of France, prefecture of the Charente Departments of France, department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of southwestern Franc ...
. Finally in 1853 the section from Poitiers to Angoulême was opened. The Gare d'Austerlitz is the original terminus of the Paris–Bordeaux line. At the occasion of the 1900 Exposition Universelle the Gare d'Orsay
Gare d'Orsay is a former Paris railway station and hotel, built in 1900 to designs by Victor Laloux, Lucien Magne and Émile Bénard; it served as a terminus for the Chemin de Fer de Paris à Orléans (Paris–Orléans Railway). It was the f ...
was opened as the new terminus, with a more central location. The richly decorated Gare d'Orsay was only used by electric trains. After 1939 it was only used for suburban trains. Since 1986, the station building is a museum
A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...
of 19th-century art.
Services
The Paris–Bordeaux railway is used by the following passenger services: *TGV
The TGV (french: Train à Grande Vitesse, "high-speed train"; previously french: TurboTrain à Grande Vitesse, label=none) is France's intercity high-speed rail service, operated by SNCF. SNCF worked on a high-speed rail network from 1966 to 19 ...
on the section between Juvisy and Orléans
*Intercités
Intercités (before September 2009: ''Corail Intercités'') is a brand name used by France’s national railway company, SNCF, to denote non high speed services on the 'classic' network in France.
SNCF established the Intercités brand in January ...
from Paris to Montluçon and from Paris to Toulouse (on the section between Paris and Orléans), from Bordeaux to Lyon (on the section between Coutras and Bordeaux) and from Paris to Tours
*TER Centre-Val de Loire
TER Centre-Val de Loire (operated under the brand ''Rémi'' since 2019 and ''TER Centre'' prior to 2015) is the regional rail network serving Centre-Val de Loire ''région'' of France.
Network
The rail and bus network as of April 2022:
and TER Nouvelle-Aquitaine
TER Nouvelle-Aquitaine is the regional rail network serving the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France. It is operated by the French national railway company SNCF. It was formed in 2017 from the previous TER networks TER Aquitaine, TER ...
regional services on the whole line
* RER Paris rapid transit line C on the section between Paris and Étampes
Étampes () is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southwest from the center of Paris (as the crow flies). Étampes is a sub-prefecture of the Essonne department.
Étampes, together with the neighboring c ...
References
External links
Transilien network map
{{DEFAULTSORT:Paris-Bordeaux railway Railway lines in Centre-Val de Loire Railway lines in ÃŽle-de-France Railway lines in Nouvelle-Aquitaine Railway lines opened in 1840