Train des pignes
The term Train des Pignes primarily signifies the four railways with metre gauge that once existed in the departments of Alpes-Maritimes (06), Var (83), Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (04) and Bouches-du-Rhône (13) in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur (PACA) région in southern France:
- Nice (06) - Meyrargues (13)
- Nice (06) - Digne-les-Bains (04)
- St.Raphaël (83) - Toulon (83)
- Cogolin (83) - St.Tropez (83)
Only the one between Nice and Digne is still in operation. Therefore, today most people when they use the term, unaware of the history, refer to the Nice-Dignes line only.
Pignes is the southern French dialect word for pine cones.
The St. Raphaël - Toulon and Cogolin - St. Tropez lines were also sometimes called Le Macaron.
History
Work to build these lines started in 1887 and the lines were opened in sections
- Nice — Meyrargues (210 kilometres (130 mi))
- Draguignan - Meyrargues (22 March 1889)
- Grasse - Draguignan (25 October 1890)
- Colomars - Grasse (7 June 1892)
- Nice — Colomars (2 June 1892)
- Nice — Digne (150 kilometres (93 mi))
- Nice — Colomars (2 June 1892)
- Colomars - Puget-Théniers (8 August 1892)
- Puget-Théniers - St. André-les-Alpes (3 July 1911) (from 1892 to 1911 passengers were transferred by stagecoach, a trip that took 6.5 hours)
- St.André-les-Alpes — Digne-les-Bains (15 May 1892)
- St.Raphaël — Toulon (103 kilometres (64 mi))
- St.Raphaël — La Foux (19 September 1889)
- La Foux - Hyères (4 August 1890)
- Hyères — Toulon (21 August 1905)
- Cogolin — St.Tropez (9 kilometres (5.6 mi))
- Cogolin — St.Tropez (1 July 1894)
The Nice-Digne line is today operated daily by Chemins de Fer de Provence with railcars, four trains per day.
Rolling stock
Former rolling stock
Railcars by Brissonneau & Lotz and Renault were used.[1]
Current rolling stock
The current rolling stock in use is:-[1]
- X301 - X306 Railcars build by CFD. X301 - X304 entered into service in 1972, and X305 -X306 entered into service in 1977.
- X351 Railcar built by Soulé, with trailer XR351. Entered into service in 1984.
- XR1736 Railcar, renovated at the workshops at Lingostière in 2006.
New rolling stock is due to be introduced in 2008 which will have better facilities for disabled passengers.[2]
Steam train
A group of voluntary rail enthusiasts in an association called Groupe d'Etude pour les Chemins de fer de Provence (GECP) operate a steam train (sometimes also called Train des Pignes) between Puget-Théniers and Annot on the Nice — Digne line every weekend from May to October, occasionally with an extended overnight trip to Digne-les-Bains.[3]
References
- 1 2 "History of the rolling stock". Chemins de Fer de Provence. Retrieved 2008-04-10.
- ↑ "Practical information". Chemins de Fer de Provence. Retrieved 2008-04-10.
- ↑ "Le Train Vapeur" (in French). Chemins de Fer de Provence. Retrieved 2008-04-10.
External links
- Chemins de Fer de Provence homepage.
- GECP (French)
- Gallery of steam train photographs
- Scenic railways in France