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:

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))
  • 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. "History of the rolling stock". Chemins de Fer de Provence. Retrieved 2008-04-10.
  2. "Practical information". Chemins de Fer de Provence. Retrieved 2008-04-10.
  3. "Le Train Vapeur" (in French). Chemins de Fer de Provence. Retrieved 2008-04-10.

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