Chanteperdrix viaduct, Railway bridge in Antrenas, France.
Chanteperdrix viaduct is a railway bridge in Antrenas that spans 235 meters with nine rounded stone arches, each opening roughly 20 meters wide. The structure rises about 43 meters above the valley and connects two mountain stations on the historic rail line.
The Marvejols–Neussargues line was declared of public utility in 1874 and the Chanteperdrix lot was awarded on 19 December 1878, with a planned length of 238.60 m. Work began in March 1880 and was finished by 1881 under engineer Léon Boyer. Superstructures delayed opening, and the section opened on 9 May 1887 under the Compagnie des chemins de fer du Midi.
The viaduct crosses the Chanteperdrix stream on the Béziers–Neussargues line, also called the ligne des Causses, in the Lozère department of Occitanie, not the Cévennes. Its name is that of the stream below. Trains still use the two tracks, and between Marvejols and Saint-Sauveur-de-Peyre the line passes six viaducts and four tunnels, including the 1,104 m tunnel de Sainte-Lucie.
The viaduct is best viewed from the train that regularly runs on the Béziers-Neussargues route. Choose a window seat to fully see the structure and the surrounding landscape while crossing.
The viaduct is curved, with a radius of 300 metres, and climbs toward Neussargues on a gradient of up to 27.5 mm per metre. Its nine arches have a combined opening of 180 metres, and the deck is 8 metres wide between the parapets. The 1878 tender set the length at 238.60 metres for a maximum height of just over 41 metres.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,858 contributors worldwide.
