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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The station of Cauterets, built in 1897-1898, is a wooden building prefabricated by the house Carde in Bordeaux and then reassembled on site. It was inaugurated in 1899 as a terminus of the Pierrefitte-Cauterets power line, designed to serve spas and local mines. Its eclectic architecture combines academic references and Swiss influences, with a central body framed by two symmetrical pavilions.

The railway line, which is 11.12 km in length with an elevation of 540 m, is operated by the Compagnie des chemins de fer à traction électrique de Pierrefitte, Cauterets et Luz. It closed in 1949 due to road competition and the end of mining. The station, protected in 1981, was restored in the 1990s to become a bus station and a cultural place.

The building, made of pichpin wood with Saint-André crosses, initially included a cast iron marquise and neo-Gothic decorative elements. Its ground floor welcomed travellers, while the floor served as a lodging for the station manager. Today, it also houses concerts and exhibitions, perpetuating its central role in local life.

The concession of the line was granted in 1895 to Mr.Verstraët and Lombard-Guérin, then taken over by the Electric Railway Company. The station, opened in 1899, was inaugurated in 1901 in the presence of Jean Dupuy, Minister of Agriculture. Its decline began after 1949, but its protection in 1981 marked a heritage renewal.

The station of Cauterets illustrates the technical innovation of the period, with an electrical line adapted to the mountainous relief. His works of art (viaducts, tunnels) and his prefabricated building demonstrate bold engineering. Today, it symbolizes the railway and tourist heritage of the Pyrenees.

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