Grenoble -around the Railway.
-disused, forgotten, taken away or abandoned lines.

10- The new Chambery line from the Reynier-Verlaine bridge to Gières.
All the pictures can be enlarged with a mouse click!
We are back on the Reynier-Verlain bridge. From here, we can see the two tracks that go to Gières and Chambéry on the left meeting up with the single track to Veynes that we have just visited, on the right.
 

120- View from the Reynier bridge, the Chambery line.
 
 

121- An automated signal and points box?
 
This bridge was built to bring people to the Olympic Village, Olympic Bus Station and the Olympic Stadium from the newly constructed highway, the A480. The bridge crosses not only the 'Cours de la Libération', but also, the two railway tracks and General Mangin Road.
It is a considerable work of civil engineering and therefore before continuing our journey, we will stop a while to look around.
Nearby, is the former Neyrpic plant and Lesdiguieres Stadium, home of the Grenoble Rugby Club..
 

122- Coming onto the bridge, the old trolleybus overhead wires.
 

123- The wires leave for Grand'Place. Neyrpic is on the left.
 

124- Building the U2 in 1967. The Victor Hugo crossing.
 
To continue our journey, we need to got to Echirolles New Town because Mangin road is coming to a dead end. It's our railway, which blocks the road. The right image above shows Victor Hugo avenue bridge which crosses the expressway and the railway, being built in 1967.
We go directly to Echirolles railway station, which is under the 'Avenue des États Généraux', near the Jacques Duclos roundabout . The tram 'A' stop is on the same avenue, overlooking the railway station and a car park. So the exchanges between the three modes of transport, road, train, tram, are easy.
 
 

125- Looking from the tram 'A' stop down onto Echirolles railway station.
 

126- The Echirolles TER railway station.
 

127- A Bombardier 82703 going through Echirolles.
 
 

128- An Alstom TFS 2031 tram, at the Echirolles Station stop.
 

129- The railway line and the express way.
 

130- View from Alpexpo/Hôpital Sud roundabout.
 
 

131- Between the heating plant and the express way, the Olympic station area.
 

132- At the end of the area, a points box.
 

133- The same box photographed in 1967.
 
 
The track continues on a long curve following the express-way. It passes through the area where the Olympic Station once was. There isn't much left except, maybe, a signal box. One can imagine the frantic activity during the 1968 games. Now, it's a nomad's camp next to Hewlett Pakard's offices and the urban heating plant. Let's just go back to 1968 a moment, before continuing along the line as it is today.
 

134- L'arrivée des visiteurs à la gare olympique Grenoble-Eybens.
 
On the left, the Olympique Railway station with it's four tracks and rather temporary looking footbridges. In the background, is the new Grenoble South hospital. The image on the right shows the construction of the Eybens interchanger. Left center, the Olympic Station zone is in preparation. In the background, a lot of smoke seems to be coming from Grenoble!
 

135- La construction de l'échangeur 'Eybens' de l'U2, la voie express en 1967.
 
 

136- Joliot Curie bridge at St. Martin d'Hères.
 

137- Bridge over the old Grenoble-Gières road, 'Jean Jaurès' avenue.
 

138- Next to a big furniture shop, the 'Éparres' bridge.
 
 

139- Seen from the Péri bridge, the old Chambéry line arrived here in the allotments.
 
For the railway to cross St. Martin d'Heres, a series of bridges was necessary to avoid excessive isolation of the two parts of the town.
Now we come to the 'Avenue Gabriel Péri' bridge. This road was built  to give direct access to the ski resort of Chamrousse, during the 1968 Olympics.
Here, just before Gières  railway station, is the junction point of the old and new Chambéry lines.
The images on the left and the right have been taken more or less at the same place, the appartments are still there.
 

140- The building of the new railway line to Chambéry.
 
 

141- The tramway 'B' and the railway line, both go under the U2 express-way.
 
The tram and railway networks meet here at Gières for the third time in the Grenoble conglomeration.
They come together here almost at the spot where the old railway line arrived before 1968.
Our trip on the railway lines in Grenoble is not over. Now, we will visit the old railway tracks on the 'Capuche' line.
 

142- At Gières railway station, a head to head between the TER train and the tram 'B'.
 

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©Trevor Hornsby/Slip-Sliding 2012