| Cherbourg | |
| Address: | Cherbourg, Manche, Normandy, France |
| Coordinates: | 49.6333°N -1.6214°W |
| Line: | Mantes-la-Jolie–Cherbourg railway |
Gare de Cherbourg is the railway station of the city of Cherbourg, Normandy, France. It is the western terminus of the Mantes-la-Jolie–Cherbourg railway.
On 5 September 1850, the president Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte visited Cherbourg and demanded the continuation of work on the Arsenal. He also demanded the construction of a railway line linking Cherbourg to Paris. The construction of the line was approved in 1852. The station was opened on 4 August 1858 by Napoleon III who arrived on the imperial train from Paris.
At the time of opening, the trip to Paris took ten hours and cost 22.85 FrF for a third class ticket and 41.55 FrF for a first class ticket.
Queen Victoria visited the city and its station the same day and took part in the grandiose celebrations. The third dock of the Cherbourg Arsenal, 1 200 000m³ in size, was opened and a steam ship immediately sailed from it.
At the end of the day, a statue of Napoleon I on a horse by Armand Le Véel was unveiled.
Cherbourg station is served by regional trains to Lison, Caen and Paris.[1]