Limoges-Bénédictins station

Limoges-Bénédictins
Limoges-Bénédictins
General information
Location	Limoges, Haute-Vienne, Limousin; France
Line(s)	Orléans–Montauban railway
History
Opened	16 June 1856

Limoges-Bénédictins is the main railway station of Limoges. It is situated on the Orléans–Montauban railway. It was named Bénédictins due to the presence of a Benedictine monastery closed during the French Revolution.

History

The CF du PO opened the first railway line in the city in the 1850s. The first station, built of wood, opened on 16 June 1856. The first stone-built station opened in 1860.

On 21 November 1918, the Limoges city council and CF du PO signed an agreement regarding the construction of a new station. Work lasted from 1924 and 1929. The station was inaugurated on 2 July 1929.

The station was listed on 15 January 1975 and work to restore the Great Hall ended in 1979.

About 13:20 on 5 February 1998, a fire broke out under the station's dome. The city's population was deeply touched and the dome was rebuilt to its original design.

It has been named the most beautiful train station in all of Europe.

Architecture

Bénédictins station was designed by architect Roger Gonthier. A particularity of the station is that it was built over the ten railway lines as opposed to next to them. A large 90 by 78 metre platform was built over the line to support the station building.

The building is made of a concrete bone structure, filled in with limestone. The dome which covers the passenger concourse is made of a metallic framework, covered in copper.

On the Southwest corner is a 60 metre tall clock tower composed of twelve levels. It is mounted by a dome itself mounted by a five metre tall vase. Below these are four four metre wide clocks.

Services

The following services currently call at Limoges-Bénédictins:

intercity services (Téoz) Paris - Vierzon - Limoges - Toulouse - Narbonne - Cerbère
intercity services (Intercités) Bordeaux - Périgueux - Limoges - Montluçon - Roanne - Lyon
night service (Lunéa) Paris - Limoges - Portbou/Latour-de-Carol/Luchon
local service (TER Limousin) Limoges - Thiviers - Périgueux
local service (TER Limousin) Limoges - Saint-Yrieix - Brive-la-Gaillarde
local service (TER Limousin) Limoges - Uzerche - Brive-la-Gaillarde
local service (TER Limousin) Limoges - Ussel - Clermont-Ferrand

Preceding station	SNCF	Following station
Template:TGV stations toward Template:TGV stations	Template:TGV lines	Template:TGV stations toward Template:TGV stations
Template:Intercités stations toward Template:Intercités stations	Template:Intercités lines	Template:Intercités stations toward Template:Intercités stations
Template:Téoz stations toward Template:Téoz stations	Template:Téoz lines	Template:Téoz stations toward Template:Téoz stations
Template:Lunéa stations toward Template:Lunéa stations	Template:Lunéa lines	Template:Lunéa stations toward Template:Lunéa stations
	Template:Lunéa lines	Template:Lunéa stations toward Template:Lunéa stations
	Template:Lunéa lines	Template:Lunéa stations toward Template:Lunéa stations
Terminus	Template:TER Limousin lines	Template:TER Limousin stations toward Template:TER Limousin stations
Template:TER Limousin stations toward Template:TER Limousin stations	Template:TER Limousin lines	Terminus
Terminus	Template:TER Limousin lines	Template:TER Limousin stations toward Template:TER Limousin stations
	Template:TER Limousin lines	Template:TER Limousin stations toward Template:TER Limousin stations
	Template:TER Limousin lines	Template:TER Limousin stations toward Template:TER Limousin stations
	Template:TER Limousin lines	Template:TER Limousin stations toward Template:TER Limousin stations
	Template:TER Limousin lines	Template:TER Limousin stations toward Template:TER Limousin stations
	Template:TER Limousin lines	Template:TER Limousin stations toward Template:TER Limousin stations

The former station (~1905)
Another view

Another view
TGV

References

Timetables TER Limousin Template:Fr icon

External links