Railway viaduct, Railway viaduct in Aurillac, France
The Viaduc ferroviaire is a railway bridge in Aurillac, in the Cantal department, carrying the line that runs between Figeac and Arvant. The structure crosses the Jordanne river valley with a series of stone arches, including smaller arches and a wider central arch, following a gentle curve along its length.
The railway line that this bridge is part of was built in the late 1800s to connect Aurillac to surrounding towns across the Massif Central. The line opened in 1891, and the viaduct was built as part of that original construction effort to cross the difficult terrain of the valley.
The railway viaduct is clearly visible from the west side near Puy Courny, where the full curve of the bridge over the valley can be taken in at a glance. The left bank of the Jordanne river in that area remains free of buildings, keeping the view open for anyone who stops there.
The viaduct can be seen from the surrounding area, and walking beneath the arches gives a direct sense of the scale of the structure. The west side offers the clearest view of the bridge as a whole, making it the best spot to take in the full shape of the crossing.
Although the line was originally designed with a double track in mind for the section between Viescamp-sous-Jalles and Aurillac, only a small part of that plan was ever carried out. The rest of the line stayed single track, which shows how the original ambitions for the route were scaled back over time.
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