The 33 kilometres of the Vivarais Railway linking the Rhône Valley to the Mountains of the Ardèche, were once part of the Departmental Railways network (Chemins de Fer Départementaux - CFD). In 1886 the engineers decided to construct a cost-effective narrow gauge (1 metre) railway that would follow the contours of the Doux Valley.

1000 workers armed with picks, shovels and a soupcon of dynamite, toiled like slaves. They put their backs and those of their donkeys into the construction of supporting walls, 8 viaducts and 4 tunnels along 20 km of difficult terrain. The railway was opened on the 12th of July 1891. Steam locomotives hauled mixed trains of passengers, goods (mostly wood) and the post.