France (Hauts de France) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services

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Obscure Services

Lourches (Poste 2) – Somain (Poste 3)

[ERT 256, fiche Lille - St Quentin] (ERA-E 26B2; ERA-R 64C4; S+W 7C1) FR24/001

This double track line provides an alternative route to the single-track direct line between Douai and Cambrai. It is used daily by service K40 between Lille and St Quentin. Owing to the direct line being closed for engineering work until April 2025, it is used also by the P40 peak hour service between Lille and St Quentin.

Amiens avoiding line: Boves (Bifurcation de Longueau Sud) – Lamotte Brebière (Bifurcation de Camon)

[ERT 18a] (ERA 26C5; ERA-R 67C1; S+W 6B4-6C4) FR24/002

The curve is used at weekends by the following K12 services:-

D SSuO TER16421 Paris Nord - 11:24 Longeau - Lille Flandres
D SSuO TER16423 Paris Nord - 19:34 Longeau - Lille Flandres
D SSuO TER16420 Lille Flandres - 09:50 Arras - Paris Nord
D SSuO TER16422 Lille Flandres - 19:51 Arras - Paris Nord

Barreau de Jussy (Mennessis avoiding line): Jussy (Bifurcation de Flavy-le-Martel) – Montescourt (Bifurcation Jussy)

[ERT 258, fiche Amiens - St Quentin/Laon] (ERA-E 30C1; ERA-R 71A5; S+W 16B1) FR24/003

This curve connects the Chaulnes - Tergnier and St Quentin - Tergnier lines north of Mennessis. It is used by fast service K20 between Amiens and St Quentin.

Aulnoye-Aymeries avoiding line: Berlaimont (Bifurcation de Berlaimont) – Leval (Bifurcation de Leval Est)

[ERT 262, fiche Lille - Hirson - Charleville] (ERA-E 30B1-C1; ERA-R 68A1; S+W 8B2) FR24/004

This line, which passes to the south of Aulnoye-Aymeries station, allows trains to run direct between Hirson and Valenciennes.

SSuX 841902 Hirson - 06:53 Avesnes - Lille Flandres
SSuX 841919 Lille Flandres - 18:42 Valenciennes - Hirson
Note It is possible that services will be replaced by buses during early 2024.

It is also used by summer weekend services. The timings below are for previous years.

D SSuO 846672 Hirson - 08:00 Avesnes - Dunkerque
D SSuO 846671 Dunkerque - 21:01 Valenciennes - Hirson

Summer Weekend Services

A number of curves in this region have been used by TER Mer summer "dated" weekend services to the coast. As the timetable information for these services is not published until the start of the summer, it is not known at the time of the December timetable change. These entries contain previous information, until updated with the details for the current summer. From summer 2017 the programme was marketed as "éTER en Hauts-de-France" .

Calais Fréthun (Bifurcation de Riviere Neuve) – Pont de Coulogne (Bifurcation de Coulogne)

[fiche 12] (ERA-E 26B4; ERA-R 67B4; S+W 1B1) FR24/111

This curve avoiding Calais Ville was used in summer 2018 by "dated" weekend trains between Lille Flandres/Arras and Boulogne/Rang-du-Fliers-Verton running non-stop between Hazebrouck and Wimille-Wimereux. Note that this route is not used by TGVs to/from Boulogne, which reverse at Calais Fréthun using a connection off the LGV line. Click on the thumbnail for a full size map.


No trains were scheduled to use this route in summer 2021.

Lambersart (Bifurcation de St.André) or Lompret (Bifurcation de 4 Maisons) – Santes (Bifurcation de la Tortue) or Haubourdin (Bifurcation de Haubourdin) (via Sequedin)

(ERA-E 26A1-A2; ERA-R 64A3; S+W 3B1-3A1) FR24/112

This freight line to the west of Lille, the middle section of which passes Lille Dèlivrance Triage and Sequedin, has triangular junctions at each end. The route between Bifurcation de 4 Maisons and Bifurcation de Haubourdin has been used by in previous years summer weekend trains to and from Dunkerque.

Click on the thumbnail for a full size map.


The following have run this way in previous years, but use of route FR21/114 is possible.

D SSuO 846666 Jeumont - 08:42 St Amand-les-Eaux - Dunkerque
D SSuO 846672 Hirson - 10:16 St Amand-les-Eaux - Dunkerque
D SSuO 846668 17:00 Dunkerque - Jeumont
D SSuO 846671 19:06 Dunkerque - Hirson

Lesquin (Bifurcation de Lesquin) – Bifurcation du Mont de Terre – Raccordement de Ronchin – Lille Porte de Douai (Bifurcation de la Justice)

(ERA-E 26A2; ERA-R 64A3; S+W 3C2-3B1) FR24/113

This freight line on the south side of Lille avoids the main station area.

Click on the thumbnail for a full size map.


It is used by the trains listed under route FR24/112 above, if routed that way.

Lille Flandres Avoiding Line: La Madeleine (Jonctions du Lion d'Or) – Ronchin (Bifurcation des Sourds et Mouets)

(ERA-E 26A2, not shown; ERA-R 64A3; S+W 3B1) FR22/114

This freight line links the lines which diverge at the throat of Lille Flandres station. It provides an alternative route between the Valenciennes and Hazebrouck lines to routes FR21/112 and FR21/113. Trains listed under route FR21/652 may alternatively run this way, though it has been the less-favoured route in recent years. The following trains ran in 2022.

D 846630/1 07:58 Jeumont - 08:55 St. Amand les Eaux - Dunkerque
D 846610/1 16:50 Dunkerque - Jeumont
D 846608/9 08:45 Jeumont - 09:39 St. Amand les Eaux - Dunkerque


Lille Flandres (Bifurcation des Sourds et Mouets) – Bifurcation du Mont de Terre – Lesquin (Bifurcation de Lesquin)

(ERA-E 26A2; ERA-R 64A3; S+W 3B1-3C2) FR24/115

No use in previous years as TER MER train ex Dunkerque ran via FR21/112 and FR21/113. This freight line on the south side of Lille links the Bethune line tracks from Lille Flandres station and the Lille Avoiding Line with the Valenciennes line. It is common with the Bif. de Lesquin – Bif. de la Justice connection between Bif. du Mont de Terre and Bif. de Lesquin.

Lines used on an occasional basis for engineering work diversions

Raccordement d'Avion: Pont de Sallaumines (Bifurcation de Sallaumines Ouest) – Avion (Bifurcation d'Avion)

(ERA-E 26B1; ERA-R 64B2; S+W 7A1) FR24/121

This east to south curve avoiding Lens is used for diversions when the Arras - Douai line is blocked and trains are shown with extended journey time. Used by diverted Lille - Amiens services on 13/14 June 2020 and 20/21 June 2020.

Raccordement de Sallaumines: Sallaumines (Bifurcation d'Epinette) – Coron de Méricourt (Bifurcation du Sallaumines)

(ERA-E 26B1; ERA-R 64B3; S+W 7A1) FR24/122

This north to east curve avoiding Lens is used for diversions when the Lille - Douai line is blocked and trains are shown with extended journey time.

Ormoy-Villers – Bifurcation Ageux – Longueil-Ste.Marie or Le-Meux-Croix-St.Ouen (Bifurcation Rivecourt)

[fiches Paris - Laon and Paris - St Quentin] (ERA-E 27A5; ERA-R 70C4-C5; S+W 15D4-15D3) FR24/123

This electrified line connects the Paris Nord - Laon and Creil - St.Quentin lines, with a triangular junction at the north end.

  • Longueil-Ste Marie to Ormoy-Villers via the south curve is used between Paris and Laon (with reversal at Ormoy-Villers) when extended journey times and bus substitution south of Ormoy-Villers apply
  • Ormoy-Villers to Le-Meux-Croix-St Ouen via the north curve is used between Paris and Compiègne or beyond when shown non-stop with a journey time of circa 51+ minutes (instead of the normal 41 minutes).

Cambrai Avoiding Line: Escaudœuvres – former Cambrai-Annexe station (Bifurcation d'Awoingt) – Wambaix (Bifurcation de Cambrai Sud)

(ERA-E 30C1; ERA-R 64C4/68A1; S+W 7B2) FR24/124

Engineering works are taking place at Cambrai station during the last two weekends in January 2024 and throughout February 2024. K40 services between Lille and St Quentin will run via this route on Saturdays during this period, as will the first two northbound trains on Sundays during this period. This route may also see more services during major renovation work on the Cambrai - Douai line until April 2025.

See also