Provins: station history
Served by: Transilien P.
Did you know?
A Seine-et-Marne station, terminus of Transilien line P, where the railway arrived by a seven-kilometre branch completed in April 1858, built by the Compagnie de l'Est. The first station was entirely of wood, designed as temporary and easy to destroy in case of conflict; its timber came from the first Épernay station. It was replaced in 1979 by a smaller, more practical and sturdier building. The station is at 91 m altitude, at kilometre point 94.996; the tracks have buffer stops, except the one along the building, used for freight.
Anecdote
Several rail link projects failed in the 19th century, and Napoleon III is said to have deliberately kept the Paris - Mulhouse line away from Provins, partly for political reasons. The line was extended to Villiers-Saint-Georges in 1902, and passenger traffic towards Esternay was closed in 1952. The wooden station is said to have been built to welcome a visit by Napoleon III. The American filmmaker Darryl Zanuck offered to dismantle it and rebuild it in the United States, but the offer was refused. Since 1983, the AJECTA has run tourist trains towards Longueville.
Around Provins
- Grange aux Dîmes, 1000 m away — A former 13th-century merchant's house, recreating the atmosphere of the Champagne fairs.