Former railway station

Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Saint-Pierre station, built between 1889 and 1890 on the island of La Réunion, marked the southern terminus of the island's only railway line, inaugurated in 1881 and operational as early as 1882. This building, remarkable by its colonial architecture (canned columns, shingle roof, lamprequins), symbolized the development of transport in the late nineteenth century in this overseas department. Its initial location on Hubert-Delisle Boulevard was moved from 1890 to the port, highlighting its key role in local economic exchanges.

Ranked a historic monument in 2012, the station experienced several reallocations: municipal library, then coffee (the Café de la Gare), while retaining original elements such as its columns. The site, integrated into the tourist area of the port, is today a place of sociability where domino players and visitors find themselves. Its inclusion in the general inventory of cultural heritage attests to its heritage value, combining industrial memory and contemporary dynamism.

Historical sources, including the work of Eric Boulogne (Le Petit Train long, 1992), document its importance in the Réunion rail network, which has now disappeared. The loss of the inscription "Saint-Pierre" on its facades recalls the transformations suffered by the building, while its communal property guarantees its preservation. The Merimée database and local archives (such as GPS coordinates: 17 Hubert-Delisle Boulevard) complete the technical data on this emblematic heritage.

External links