THERE is a train station that serves Villefranche-du-Périgord and the surrounding villages, although services are limited and there is no onward public transport.
The station is approximately 4 kms by road from Villefranche-du-Périgord, and whilst it is possible to walk into the village it will take around 45 minutes.
The hotels closest to Villefranche-du-Périgord station are found in the village itself and you would have to arrange your own transport to get to them.
The station is on the Niversac to Agen line, offering a route north to Périgueux and south to Agen, and is line 34 for the TER Nouvelle-Aquitaine network.
The line is just a single track so the service is limited, and in some cases will require you to get onboard at the neighbouring station in Sauveterre-la-Lémance.
The station provides a small shelter should the weather be bad, with train time information on the display panels and you can also find out times online.
The station entrance is signposted on the nearby road, and is found alongside a line of recycling bins, with a small area suitable for parking you car.
History of Villefranche-du-Périgord station
Besides the small shelter, there are no other buildings serving the railway line, the old station house is now a private home and a warehouse is now a storage point for building supplies.
The station dates back to 1863, serving the same line as it does today, and in 1912 the platform was made suitable to allow the transfer of passengers on to the local tramway service that provided a connection to Sarlat.
However, in more recent times the station at Villefranche-du-Périgord was threatened with abandonment as SNCF said passengers would have to travel to the stops further along the line to board trains.
Local protests, and regional TV coverage, forced SNCF to backtrack on the decision and they reinstated Villefranche-du-Périgord as a stop, although passenger numbers are still low.
