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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

Royat-Chamalières station, located in Puy-de-Dôme, was built in the 4th quarter of the 19th century to serve the booming Royat spa. Designed by Chief Engineer Jules Martin and his assistant Colin, it embodies the functionalist and picturesque style of the Third Republic railway buildings. Its architecture, copied on that of the stations of Plombières-les-Bains and Luxeuil-les-Bains, reflects the attention paid to the water towns by the railway companies of the time.

The architectural complex, comprising the cast iron marquises adorned with lions' heads, the entrance hall with its woodwork and granite tile, and the shelter of travellers, was inscribed in the historic monuments on 25 November 1994. Although the interior has been partially renovated, the lobby retains its original elements, such as the ceiling underlined by pilasters and a cornice. The marquise, initially covered with glass, saw its roof replaced by plastic sheet.

The station, located 456 metres above sea level on the Eygurande-Merlines line at Clermont-Ferrand, was formerly served by Intercité trains connecting Bordeaux to Clermont-Ferrand until 2014. Today, it operates as a TER Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes stop, equipped with automatons since the closing of the ticket office in 2018. Its historic role is part of the development of thermal transport, characteristic of the region in the 19th century.

Close to T2C network stops (lines B, E7, P32, P39, S10), the station maintains intermodality with a car parking. Its architecture, unique in the region after the destruction or transformation of other similar stations, bears witness to the importance attached to the aesthetics of public infrastructure under the Third Republic. The property of the building is now owned by a government institution, the SNCF.

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