Journey on historic trains
Come meander the Aa valley on 15 km of railway and in the heart of the Regional Natural Park of Caps and Marais d'Opale
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Schedules and information
Interactive map
Contact the CFTVA
The next circulations
Practical information for your trip
What are the prices? And the means of payment?
Our rates are available by clicking here.
We accept payments by bank card, cash, bank check, holiday vouchers, and online ticketing.
How to contact the CFTVA?
Telephone: 03 21 93 45 46
Email: contact@cftva62.com
Address Postal: [3 rue des Cuvelots 62380 BAYENGHEM-LES-SENINGHEM](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/50.751163,2.2508778/3+Rue+des+Cuvelots,+62380+Bayenghem-l% C3%A8s-Seninghem/@50.7306717,2.0928062,12z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m9!4m8!1m1!4e1!1m5!1m1!1s0x47dc52f502b60b73:0xc24704c6012d4246!2m2!1d2.07 48143!2d50.699948)
Arques station address: [Rue de l'Europe – Low speed access 62510 ARQUES](https://www.google.com/maps/dir//Acc%C3%A8s+Petite+Vitesse+ %26+Rue+de+l'Europe,+62510+Arques/data=!4m6!4m5!1m1!4e2!1m2!1m1!1s0x47dcfedac631a1a7:0x64516dda785350e9?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi54Zmh9db9AhW_UqQEHSmmCcwQw wV6BAgVEAQ)
How to come by train or by bus?
By bus (Lines 3 or 6)
Stop: Arques Center Ville (Place) Please note: no bus on Sundays and public holidays!
Information: http://mouveo. ca-pso.fr/
By train
The nearest station is Saint-Omer station Site TER Hauts from France
Information: https://www.sncf-connect.com/
Is the site accessible to people with reduced mobility?
Our historic rolling stock is unfortunately not suitable for wheelchair access.
Only the Picasso railcars are accessible. The space available for wheelchairs is however limited, so we thank you for want to notify us in advance at 03 21 93 45 46, or by email contact@cftva62.com
Will the train run during my visit to the region?
To find out if the train will run on the day of your visit to the Pays de Saint-Omer, here is the 2024 traffic program.
The line and its stations
Quay of Fontinettes
During certain circulations we reach this quay. Crossing the canal by the bridge offers travelers a privileged view of the lock.
Fontinettes boat lift
This boat lift was built in 1887, it operated until 1967. Unique in France, it was classified as a historical monument in 2014.
Arques train station
Arques station was built at the same time as the line in 1874. Composed of a central body and two pavilions, it serves as a ticket office for visitors and accommodation for the station master. With angle chains and cornices, it is also distinguished by its arched windows and their central key. The goods hall, formerly used for freight, is now used as a warehouse and workshop for the Association du Chemin de Fer Touristique de la Vallée de l'Aa.
Museum and train station of Blendecques
Built in 1894, Blendecques station is typical of 19th century railway architecture. Encrusted in earthenware tiles, the name of the town can be seen at the top of the building. Restored by the municipality, the station was fitted out by the Association du Chemin de Fer Touristique de la Vallée de l’Aa to present a collection of railway objects.
Quay of Helfaut Coupole
It is the only site in France that takes you underground and into space. The only visit to France that tells you the story while projecting you into the future. La Coupole, in Helfaut-Wizernes, is both a memorial site, a museum and a planetarium. I take you on a journey through space and time.
Hallines quay
On the edge of the track, an entrance indicates access to the unfinished network of underground passages which were to serve as design offices for the Germans in 1943-1944. They are open occasionally during visits to the village. It has preserved an important heritage inherited from the Dambricourts, a family of millers and papermakers at the origin of the industrial development of the valley: a neo-Gothic church built by Clovis Normand in 1873, two castles, one of which serves as bedrooms hosts, and three mills that have become residences. Their preserved waterfalls contribute to the charm of the place; that of the Pidoux mill, a paper mill site which once benefited from a private rail connection, also supplies a Sagebien wheel from 1864 which produces green energy.
Halte Esquerdes
Beyond the stations and halts, there were stops marked by simple shelters. The Esquerdes stop was therefore established without sedentary personnel. It was rebuilt in fiber cement in the 1920s.Authentic barrier guard house
This gatekeeper's house was bought by the gatekeeper (who was also a member of our association), who thus continued to occupy it throughout his retirement.
Quay of Setques
The Setques quay is the 5th built on this line by the CFTVA. Here, the railway passes at the foot of the limestone hillside, along the Aa, which covers 93km from its source at Bourthes to the North Sea at Gravelines. This geological space is protected by the Regional Natural Park of Caps et Marais d’Opale for its biodiversity.Metal bridge
It is the only crossing of the Aa by the railway, it was built using the technique of riveting.
Lumbres Station
The Lumbres cement and paper mill – the 5th in the Aa valley – are still in operation. They benefited from the proximity of the station, at the junction of the Anvin-Calais lines (metric track) and Saint-Omer – Boulogne. We find their old wooden sleepers in the fences of the fields and the riding school of the equestrian farm. The old route has been rehabilitated as a greenway, to the delight of walkers. The station now houses the Tourist Office. The Passage du Bléquin, a tributary of the Aa, must have been very useful to the old Hochart brewery.History of the line
The Saint-Omer – Boulogne line is 56 km long. It is a double track line up to Arques and single track beyond with a passing track in the stations of Blendecques, Wizernes, and Lumbres until 1916.
