Trains and other things: Dijon, Beaune, Vienne, Tain, Valence

It is my 8th day of this trip, I'm in the region of Grand Est in France, and today I'm travelling south to Spain.

Neufchâteau station in the morning

TGV 6820 from Metz to Nice stops here in Neufchâteau

I'm continuing my journey along the Culmont-Chalindrey - Toul railway.

Inside the TGV Duplex train

I had a week with sunny and warm weather through north of Europe, now when I enter south Europe, it is cloudy and rainy weather.

The railway has a maximum speed of 110km/h

Merrey station where there is a branch line Merrey à Hymont - Mattaincourt

Between Neufchâteau and Culmont-Chalindrey there are no TER services (until 2019). The line operated by freight and occasional TGV services.

Paris-Est–Mulhouse-Ville railway is connecting near Culmont-Chalindrey

Gare de Culmont-Chalindrey is an important railway junction, situated on the Paris–Mulhouse railway, the Is-sur-Tille–Culmont-Chalindrey railway (toward Dijon) and the Culmont-Chalindrey–Toul railway (toward Nancy).

TGV service from Metz is changing direction here before continuing to Nice

TGV 231 is manufactured in 2001

Travelling now on the line d'Is-sur-Tille to Culmont-Chalindre

Shortly before Dijon, the line is split into the one to the central Dijon, and a bypass (here to the left) for the fright trains

Canal de Bourgogne. The canal connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea via the Seine and the Yonne to the Saône and Rhône.

36007 GEC Alsthom BB 36000 from Thello

My TGV has arrived to Dijon. The train will change its direction here once again, before continuing to Nice

SNCF Class Z 27500 AGC from TER Bourgogne

From Dijon TGV service is renumbered to 6821 and coupled together with TGV 6886 which is arriving from Basel SBB and has a destination to Marseille St Charles

TGV 2N2 3UF 811 is arriving from Basel

TGV 811 manufactured in 2014

Dijon station

The original station from 1849 was destroyed in World War 2 in 1944, and a modern one was built in 1962.

The Dijon tramway system opened in September 2012. The tramway consists of two lines totalling 20 kilometres in length and serving 37 stations.

It is possible to pay with contactless credit cards inside the tram

The Dijon tramway is operated using a fleet of 33 Alstom-built Alstom Citadis

Place de la république

Monument Sadi Carnot de Dijon

Marie François Sadi Carnot was a French statesman, who served as the President of France from 1887 until his assassination in 1894.

Many different architectural styles in Dijon

Grand Théâtre

Place de la Libération

Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy

Rue de la Liberté

Porte Guillaume

I'm back at the main station. Before the opening of the TGV line from Paris to Lyon in 1981, Dijon was an important station along the Paris-Marseille railway with several TEE services.

My next train is this SNCF Class B 81500 which is a hybrid version of AGC, it is capable of operating on diesel power as well as a 1.5 kV DC electricity supply.

Gevrey marshalling yard

I have arrived to Beaune station.

This TER75504 service is continuing further to Montchanin, Moulling-sur-Allier and Clermont-Ferrand.

TER17802 from Lyon to Dijon

This TER services consists of Driving coach B6dux, Corail coaches B10tux and BB 22200

SNCF Class BB 22200 is a dual voltage (1,5kV and 25kV) locomotive built by Alstom between 1976 and 1986

Intercités 100% Éco 5757 from Paris Bercy to Lyon is a new service on Saturdays and Sundays. The price starts from 15€ (2nd class only), on the other hand the travel time between Paris and Lyon is 4h33min compared to 1h57min with TGV. First stop for this service after Paris is Beaune.

TER Lyon-Dijon and Intercité Paris-Lyon

SNCF Class BB 26000 "Sybics" is a dual voltage locomotives capable of a top speed of 200 km/h built by GEC Alsthom between 1988 and 1998 for SNCF.

B10tu Corail coach

SNCF Classes BB 22200 and 7200. Class 22200 is a dual voltage version of Class 7200

My next train is this TER17753 from Paris Bercy to Lyon.

Inside B10tux coach

Chagny

Tournus

Senozan

I'm changing trains again at Mâcon

My next train is SNCF Class Z 24500 TER 2N NG, aka Alstom Coradia Duplex. It is a TER86125 service between Mâcon and Valence.

1st class compartment of 2N NG

2nd class of 2N NG

Passing by LGV Sud-Est high speed line

Creches-sur-Saône

Pontanevaux

Romanèche-Thorins

Belleville-sur-Saône

St. Georges-de-Reneins

Villefranche-sur-Saône

St. Germain-au-Mont-d'Or

Albigny-Neuville

Couzon-au-Mont-d'Or

Tunnel de la Pelonnière

Collonges-Fontaines

Shortly before Lyon, the railway is split into two, the left one here continues to Part-Dieu station.

Lyon-Vaise station

Bridge over Saône river

Lyon-Perrache station

After passing through Lyon, the railway continues along the left Rhône river bank.

E15 road from Inverness to Algeciras

I have now arrived to the town of Vienne

Regio 2N

The fresco painted on the wall of the Vienna train station was inaugurated 2016, it pays tribute to the Viennese soldiers fallen during the First World War.

Vienne station

Monument aux Morts

The 862km long Paris-Marseille railway was built between 1847 and 1859. Between Lyon and Avignon it is located on the east bank of Rhône river. Between 1874 and 1880 a parallell railway was built on the west bank of Rhône river. Today it is used only by freight trains. I'm taking a short walk to see it here in Vienne.

Cathédrale Saint-Maurice

Pedestrian bridge over Rhône. On the other side is the town Sainte-Colombe-lès-Vienne.

Rhône is one of the major rivers in Europe

The station of St.Colombe. Passenger traffic was abolished on this line in 1973, but there are plans to re-open it for passenger services between Valence and Avignon. Unfortunately it was not possible to enter the platform here.

Ligne de Givors-Canal à Grezan

St.Colombe

Chapelle Notre Dame de la Salette

Reminding me of Rhine valley

From Vienne, I'm continuing further south. Here is St-Clair-Les-Roches

Seems that the freight trains are taking the east side of the Rhône railway as well

Le Péage-de-Roussillon

Saint Rambert d'Albon

St-Vallier-sur-Rhône

More freight trains

Next stop for me is at Tain L'Hermitage - Tournon

SNCF Class Z 24500

The station is combined for two towns, Tain L'Hermitage and Tournon-sur-Rhône on each side of the river. I had originally plans to visit the other town and it's abandoned station, but then decided to stay here instead.

Wine yards

7343 is a Class BB 7200 1,5kV locomotive

SNCF Class Z 26500 is a 4 car EMU (compared to Z 24500 which has 3 cars)

27112M Alstom Prima EL2U from Akiem, hired to VFLI

522310 Class BB 22200

This TER17721 will be my next train to Valence. This service is between Lyon and Marseille.

I have arrived to Valence - one of the major towns along this line

TER trains with both 1st and 2nd cars, but it is not possible to buy 1st class tickets. On the website Oui.sncf for this train it says "First Class is no longer available at this fare, but we can offer you Second Class seats"

Z 23500

The station in Valence opened in 1854

Statue of Jean Francois Dėsirė Bancel

Tour de France arrives to Valence

Esplanade du Champ de Mars

View of Parc Jouvet and the valley of Rhône river

Statue of Général Championnet

Back to the station. From Valence Ville, I will take now a train to Valence TGV station, located about 10km from the centre of Valence.

Unlike some other TGV stations, located in the middle of nowhere, Valence TGV is connected with Valence TGV through the Valence–Moirans railway. I'm taking this 82588 Class B 82500 hybrid, multisystem multiple unit.

The trip takes 7 minutes

Valence TGV station opened in 2001 together with LGV Méditerranée high speed line. It is a two-level station with upper level for TER trains and the lower level for TGV trains

TER17584 service from Valence to Annecy

LGV Rhône-Alpes is a high speed level between Lyon and Valence and it opened in 1994

The lower level has 4 tracks, 2 of the tracks in the middle allows trains pass by at the 300km/h top speed.

The station is made of reinforced concrete and glass

During the summer period, there is a service called Sun-Thalys every Saturday. There is a direct morning service from Amsterdam to Marseille and a return trip back in the evening. Between Brussels and Marseille, there are stops in Valence TGV, Avignon TGV and Aix-en-Provence TGV.