The Village's Treasures

With the various railroad projects underway, many villages and towns hoped to secure a stop within their territories. Thus, on August 26, 1866, the mayor of Heudreville informed his town council of plans for rapid transportation links between the Eure, Iton, and Seine valleys and the various commercial centers of Louviers, Le Neubourg, Elbeuf, Rouen, and Pacy-sur-Eure.

On December 14, 1871, the mayor obtained authorization to sell land to the Orléans Railroad Company. The line opened on May 1, 1873. There were many destinations to choose from: Paris via Bueil, Acquigny, Louviers, Elbeuf, Rouen, Evreux via Acquigny, and Le Neubourg via Evreux. Market and fair days were particularly popular (the 11 a.m. train to Louviers returned around 4 p.m.).

Freight traffic: The station handled a variety of goods, including fertilizer, grain, sugar beets, livestock, bales of coconut husks for the Vigier factory, as well as wood and coal. Frequency of service: 2 to 3 round trips per day, depending on the direction.

Steam trains typically traveled at a speed of 38 km/h. In 1938, the first 36-seat railcar began operating at a speed of 52 km/h.

Passenger service on the Louviers-Bueil section of the line ceased at Heudreville on July 10, 1950. The tracks were removed beginning in late 1978, and the route will eventually become a greenway for recreational use.