Latour-de-Carol-Enveitg station

Latour-de-Carol-Enveitg is a railway station in Enveitg, Occitanie, France close to the border with Spain. It is the current terminus of three lines. France’s SNCF operates TER (local) services on the Portet-Saint-Simon–Puigcerdà railway (from Toulouse-Matabiau) and on the Ligne de Cerdagne known as Petit Train Jaune (from Villefranche-de-Conflent, with connections to Perpignan). (more photos of the Petit Train Jaune here). Spain’s Renfe Operadora runs Rodalies de Catalunya trains from L’Hospitalet de Llobregat on the Barcelona commuter rail line R3. SNCF also runs Intercités de Nuit night trains to Paris.

Latour-de-Carol is one of the few stations in the world with three different gauges (another being Montreux railway station). However Montreux has a rack and pinion option. The line to Toulouse-Matabiau is 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge; the line to Barcelona is 1,668 mm (5 ft 5 21⁄32 in) Iberian gauge; and the Cerdagne line to Villefranche-de-Conflent is 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) metre gauge. The three lines each have a different voltage supply: 1500 V DC (overhead France), 3000 V DC (overhead Spain), and 850 V DC (3rd Rail, Ligne de Cerdagne), respectively. The cumulation of three different gauges combined with three different electrification systems makes this station unique.

Platform 1 also features the longest covered platform in France. The tracks to the border (report here) are both guages however it appears as it only the Spanish line is operating. Platform 6 at the station appears unused. When most people think about cross border railway links between France and Spain the closed Canfranc International railway station comes to mind. However, Latour de Carol and the Cerbère and Portbou line (report here) are currently operating.