For the 2021 European Heritage Days, SNCF is giving Nevers the go-ahead! The railway workers of the city are happy to present all the behind-the-scenes of the railway, its operation, and its history.
Through the three major railway sites of Nevers and Varennes-Vauzelles, connected by historic train shuttles, visitors are invited to travel back in time, and understand how the railway in Nevers has evolved since 1850.
At Nevers station, visitors are greeted in the lobby of the station, ready for the occasion. On the first platform, an exhibition tracing 170 years of railway history neversoise presents photos and ancient objects that will reveal the railway and railway memory in the open. The A-Way will house a rigorously restored 1930s steam train to provide the travelling ambience of nearly a century ago. The 1917 steam locomotive will be visitable, offering a unique experience of the technologies of the past. For the most curious, and on reservation only, the switch station is open to guided tour groups: what to discover behind the scenes of the station, by this real tower of railway control. From the train station of Nevers depart shuttles by car to the two other railway sites: the rotunda of Technicentre Bourgogne-Franche Comté as well as that of Technicentre Industriel.
At Technicentre Industriel Nevers-Languedoc, guided tours are by registration only. They make it possible to discover this temple of the know-how of the railways unique in France, its various workshops and all the railway trades that – in the shadows – operate the trains. All the parts that make up the trains and that enable them to function, safety and passenger comfort are created and assembled in this establishment that employs nearly 1,000 people in the Greater Nevers area.
The historic site of the SNCF depot of Nevers now houses the regional Technicentre Bourgogne-Franche Comté. The historic buildings open their doors as a signposted open tour, as well as the brand new TER building. The highlight of the visit: the passage under the majestic 52-lane rotunda where SNCF diesel locomotives are stationed, as well as some historic vehicles dating back to the 1950s. They join Nevers from all over France for the occasion.
In short, what to discover in Nevers all the secrets of these trains that transport users in their daily movements.