Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année

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Postal Museum on the move. BB 67610 heading towards Gaillac between Montastruc-la-Conseillère and Roquesérière-Buzeton on 28th November with former postal vehicles PA 50 87 00-77 005, PEz 50 87 00-77 719 and PEz 50 87 00-77 586 in tow. See report below.

Class BB 17000 returned to Gare du Nord on 5th December when BB 17016 provided the motive power for the AAPSL (l'Amicale des Agents de Paris Saint-Lazare) Ch'ti train de Noël formed of MFPN's DEV Inox coaches. Of particular interest was the inclusion of the first vehicle, a B6 1/2Dtj, one of only four DEVs built with a van section; the other three were scrapped in the 1990s. Photo: Christophe Masse.

Authorities in Savoie now expect the Maurienne Valley line from Chambery to Modane, that carries cross-border traffic through the Frejus Tunnel from Lyon to Turin to be closed until the end of 2024. This follows the landslideon August 27th, when after days of heavy rainfall, an estimated 15,000 m3 of rocks and rubble broke away from the La Praz cliff,  collapsing onto the railway and roads below. Initially it was hoped that the line would be open by the end of October, this was then extended to summer 2024, now it seems the end of the year is more likely.

There is increasing pressure from authorities on both sides of the border to re-open the line as soon as possible. The line carries 2.7m tonnes of cross-border freight, and about a million passengers between Lyon and Turin annually. For Ambrogio Intermodal, the main Italian operator of rail freight between Spain, France and Italy traffic is now having to be diverted via Paris and Switzerland, where there is limited capacity due to the derailment in the Gotthard Base Tunnel, that is not expected to be repaired until next year.

State funding of €20 million towards the cost of providing public passenger service between Cholet and Les Herbiers was announced by transport minister Clément Beaune on 16th November. The 25km line, closed to passengers in 1939 and last used for freight in 1992, is owned by Vendée département and leased to the Chemin de fer de la Vendée preservation operation. The objective is to serve the Puy de Fou theme park which attracted 2.3 million visitors in 2022. Studies made in 2019 put the cost of upgrading to SNCF standards at €35 to €45 million though this is expected to have risen substantially. Some 300,000 leisure visitors annually might use the trains, along with 200,000 local commuting journeys.

The Thouars – Parthenay – Niort freight-only line (85km) reopened throughout on 7th December following upgrading of the 33km between Saint-Varent and Parthenay, closed since 2015 due to the poor state of the track. Reopening south of Saint-Varent cuts journey time for bulk aggregates from the Carrières Roy de Noubleau destined for southwest France. This is handled by Millet Rail from its SDF Fer depot close to the quarry at Saint-Varent. Running three times a week, these trains will now head southwards on departure from Saint-Varent rather than follow a costly 300km detour north via Thouars and Saumur to reach depots at Bassens and Langon. A revenue-earning test train ran on 4th December prior to start of regular operations this month. Annual movements are estimated at between 200,000 and 250,000 tonnes.

Nice Saint-Augustin station is to be redeveloped as Nice-Aéroport, becoming a multimodal interchange between air, TGV, TER, tram and bus services as well as private cars and cycles. Refurbished in 2022 with temporary buildings, Saint-Augustin will be rebuilt to a striking design described as Europe’s first gare bioclimatique to make the best use of heat and heavier rainfall caused by global warming, and with a low-emission footprint.

The 55km line from Laon to Hirson closed on 10th December for three years during which the line will be rebuilt. With a lack of maintenance over several decades the infrastructure is life expired and the line faces permanent closure. The work will cover replacement of all ballast sleepers and rails, renewal of 28 level crossings and repairs to 38 bridges.

A further €38.5 million has been allocated to the modernisation of the POLT and Paris – Clermont-Ferrand Intercités routes transport minister Clément Beaune announced on 22nd November at the Salon des maires et des collectivités territoriales in Paris. Upgrading of the two lines remains ‘an absolute priority’ the minister said, recalling that a total of €3.5 billion was being invested in modernisation and purchase of new rolling stock. 

Alsace's TER network, centred on Strasbourg and operated as part of Grand Est's Fluo transport system, provides one of the greatest varieties of rolling stock in France. It is now the only location operating three different types of locomotives with BB 22200s and BB 26000s working alongside the last regular BB 67400s. The 21st century is represented by X73500, a range of diesel, electric and bi-mode AGCs and four and six car Régiolis units. With a lot of the modern units transferred in from neighbouring areas for Strasbourg's attempt at an RER network Grand Est Fluo, Alsace, Metrolor  (Lorraine) and Champagne Ardennes liveries are all on display.

The Serpent de Mer, or the Ligne Nouvelle Paris Normandie (LNPN) to give it the official name, has attracted renewed attention following consultation between SNCF Réseau and local elected officials on the detail of the Évreux – Mantes section. The origins of the project go back to the early-1990s, when a map of future TGV lines showed an LGV Normandie. This was quickly abandoned on the basis that the benefits would not justify the cost. The concept rose again in the 2000s as a proposal to reduce congestion on the Paris – Rouen main line and in 2009 the government instructed Réseau Ferré de France to start initial studies

There is limited enthusiasm for the new line from elected officials. President of the Île-de-France region Valérie Pécresse is opposed to the Paris – Mantes section on the grounds that the small saving in time does not justify the cost, estimated at over €1 billion for a 4min saving, and the money would be better spent upgrading the existing line. In the Eure département, officials are demanding that the new Evreux station should be in the town and not 'in the middle of nowhere'. Further north, officials complain of the project being imposed upon them and there is concern over the loss of buildings and agricultural land, and construction of a bridge 1km long and 30m high to span the River Eure.

SNCF has agreed to sell the roundhouse at Mohon to Les Ateliers de Vendeuvre who plan to use it to build containers and specialist wagons for heavy loads. In recent years it has been used to store exhibits from Cité du Train at Mulhouse, but there have been concerns over the poor condition of the building, with visits being prohibited due to safety concerns. Les Ateliers de Vendeuvre plan to restore, and will open it to the public for heritage and other events. 

In a ceremony attended by elected officials from the Hauts de France Region, the Somme Department and local mayors  the inauguration of the CFBS's new Quatre Seasons dining train took place at St Valery on the 24th November, followed by lunch  for the elected officials and guests during a run to Noyelles. 

The CFBS has also acquired a number of open coaches from the RhB that can added to the dining train in modular form for a range of private and corporate events throughout the year. Above. With a hundred years difference between the locomotive and rolling stock CFBS Cail No.2 waits patiently to depart from St Valery Port while the Discours  d'inauguration take place in the adjacent recently refurbished  Entrepôt de Sels.

On the 28th November the rolling stock from the Postal Museum was moved to Gaillac in two special trains. Above BB 67451/67573  are seen at Gragnague towing X 94755 and X 4647 belonging to CF Touristique du Sud des Ardennes (CFTSA), provided for braking capacity. At the very top of the page BB 67610 is seen with the three postal vehicles. Photos. Georges Turpin.

Paris tram-train route T12 carried its first passengers on 10th December. Serving the southwestern suburbs, the 20.4km line runs partly over the former RER Line C between Massy-Palaiseau and Épinay-sur-Orge, then on 10km of new-built mainly on-street alignment to Évry-Courcouronnes. There are 16 stops including interchange with Lines B and V at Massy, Line C at Épinay, and Line E at Évry. Daytime service is half-hourly, increasing to every 12min at peak times. Some 40,000 daily journeys are expected. 

© Peter Lovell & Chris Bushell. The French Railways Society 2024. With thanks to Georges Turpin, Christophe Masse, Christian Hospital and Jocelyne Bourneuf