The tortillard (the slow train)

An agreement of 19 June 1906 between the Prefect of the Seine Basse and Mr. Jean Laborie, a Parisian engineer already operating other lines in the department of Eure, in Algeria, etc., was signed and led to the creation of 2 metre-gauge lines (gauge 1 m. instead of 1,445 m. for the national tracks) connecting:

• Ouville-la-Rivière to Motteville by the Saane valley.

• Ouville-la-Rivière to Clères via the Vienne valley via Bacqueville-en-Caux and Tôtes.

The line would be common from Ouville-la-Rivière to Gueures where the branch of the 2 lines would be located.

The operation would take place at the concessionaire's own risk: if the operation is profitable, the profits would be shared between the department and the operator, if it is loss-making, the operator cannot receive aid from the department.

The Ouville-la-Rivière to Motteville line was put into service.

That of the Gueures – Clères line on 30 April 1913.

The line from Gueures to Clères followed the following route: Gueures Ville (km 0, altitude 21m); Thil-Manneville (km 1); Hermanville (km 3.9. church square); Lammerville; Bacqueville (km 8.2); Lamberville (Vienne Valley); Saint Mards (km 12.4); Beaunay (Beauval-en-Caux); Bennetot (Ste Geneviève. Crossroads RN 27); Biville-la-Baignarde (km 17.9. Ran along the RN 27 for 10 km); Tôtes station (km 21.7); Tôtes stop ; Varneville-Bretteville; Beautot (Leaves the RN 27); La Houssaye-Béranger (km 29.2. Cuts the Motteville-Serqueux line); Grugny (Asylum) ; Clères (km 34.7, altitude 111m)

It was 34.7 km long but had a difficult profile: hilly circuit, ascent of the Vienne Valley, ramp of 25% in the valley in Brennetot, ramp of 23 to 25% between Varneville-Bretteville and Clères... The journey normally took 1h30, with 16 intermediate stations.

From the start of operation, the lines encountered difficulties: the number of passengers in the 3 daily round trips (plus 1 on Sundays and holidays) was insufficient and the freight traffic was lower than expected.

Financial difficulties accumulated during the Great War. On 11 May 1925, the concessionaire proposed that the concession be bought back by the department. On 27 June, the department bought the network for 50,000 francs. Financial difficulties remained and on 1 November 1936 the Clères – Bacqueville section was suspended and then decommissioned on 24 August 1939. SATOS buses took over passenger transport.