Train des pignes
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The term Train des Pignes primarily signifies the four metre gauge railwayss 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.
The St. Raphaël - Toulon and Cogolin - St. Tropez lines were also sometimes called Le Macaron.
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[edit] History
Work to build these lines started in 1887 and the lines were opened in sections
- Nice - Meyrargues (210 kilometres (130 mi))
- Nice - Dignes (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))
- Cogolin - St.Tropez (9 kilometres (5.6 mi))
The Nice-Digne line is today operated daily with railcars, four trains per day.
[edit] Rolling stock
[edit] Former rolling stock
Railcars by Brissonneau & Lotz and Renault were used.[1]
[edit] 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]
[edit] 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]
[edit] References
- ^ a b History of the rolling stock. Chemins de Fer de Provence. Retrieved on 2008-04-10.
- ^ Practical information. Chemins de Fer de Provence. Retrieved on 2008-04-10.
- ^ Le Train Vapeur. Chemins de Fer de Provence. Retrieved on 2008-04-10.(French)
[edit] External links
- Chemins de Fer de Provence homepage.
- GECP (French)
- Gallery of steam train photographs
