Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The railway infrastructures of Saint-Denis and La Possession constitute the remains of a former Réunion railway network, built at the end of the 19th century. They include tunnels (including 12 km, longer from Europe at its inauguration), 41 metal bridges, 14 masonry bridges, as well as rails and signs. The network, 126 km long, initially linked Saint-Benoît to Saint-Pierre via Saint-Denis, marking a major technological advance for the island.

Construction began in 1878 after decades of reflection, the project being complex and costly. The first train arrived at Saint-Denis on August 9, 1881, and the island tour was completed at the end of 1881. The official inauguration took place on 11 February 1882. The network closed gradually between 1957 (South connection) and 1976 (Saint-Denis-La Possession section), despite an aborted tram-train project in 2007-2010. The remains have been protected since March 14, 2014.

This railway played a key role in the economic development of La Réunion, facilitating exchanges between coastal municipalities. Its decline is due to road competition and changes in transport policies. Today, the infrastructure, owned by the department, is classified for its heritage and technical value, illustrating 19th-century engineering in an island context.

The protected elements include all the remains between Saint-Denis (Souther Boulevard) and La Possession, covering tunnels, bridges and rails. Their preservation allows us to study the history of transport in Reunion and the logistical challenges posed by the volcanic relief of the island. The Saint-Denis-La Possession tunnel, in particular, remains a symbol of this pioneering era.

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