Culoz–Modane railway

Culoz–Modane railway
Overview
System	SNCF
Status	Operational
Locale	France (Rhône-Alpes)
Termini	Gare de Culoz Gare de Modane
Operation
Opened	1856-1871
Owner	RFF
Operator(s)	SNCF
Technical
Line length	135 km (84 mi)
No. of tracks	Double track[1]
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) Standard gauge
Electrification	1500 V DC[2]
Route map Legend Line from Lyon 101.4 Culoz 101.4 Line to Geneva   103.3 River Rhône 104.4 Vions-Chanaz 108.3 Chindrieux 123.3 from Annecy 123.6 Aix-les-Bains-Le Revard 128.3 Viviers-du-Lac 137.2 from Saint-André-le-Gaz 137.7 Chambéry-Challes-les-Eaux 150.9 Montmélian 150.9 Line to Grenoble 162.4 Saint-Pierre-d'Albigny 164.1 to Bourg-Saint-Maurice   165.9 River Isère 166.8 Chamousset 175.2 Aiguebelle 185.4 Épierre 198.1 Sainte-Avre - La Chambre 208.1 Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne-Arvan 220.4 Saint-Michel-Valloire 236.0 Modane Line to Turin

The Culoz–Modane railway (sometimes called Ligne de la Maurienne) is a 135 kilometres (84 miles) long railway running from Culoz, near Chambéry, through Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to Modane in France. Together with the Italian Turin–Modane railway it is often called "Fréjus Railway" or "Mont Cenis Railway".

Despite running under the Fréjus Pass, it is sometimes called using the name of the Mont Cenis, the pass where the route most used at that time was. The Mont Cenis pass was more famous than the Fréjus pass, so the railway took the former name, even if it runs throughout the latter. To add confusion, a different railway used to run over the Mont Cenis pass.

It is operated by the SNCF, and the line from Modane to Turin that connects with it is operated by FS.

History

The section between Culoz and Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne was opened between 1856 and 1858, when Savoie was part of the Kingdom of Sardinia. The line was extended to Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne in 1862.^[3] The remaining section between Saint-Michel and Modane and the tunnel towards Italy were opened in October 1871.

On 12 December 1917, a troop train derailed at speed at Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne killing several hundred soldiers; see Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne derailment.

Description

The 20 kilometres long section between St. Michel to Modane on the north side of the Mont Cenis Tunnel has a maximum inclination (gradient) of 3%, an average inclination of 2.1% and a smallest curvature radius of 350 metres. The erection of support structures in difficult areas with danger from landslides, and of tunnels with a total length of 4624 metres was necessary. The 41 kilometres long section between Bardonecchia and the south terminus of the Mont Cenis Tunnel has a maximum inclination of 3 per cent, an average inclination of 2.05% and a smallest curvature of radius of 450 metres. On this section 18 bridges and 26 tunnels with a total length of 8115 metres were built.

In 1925 the railway between Modane and Chambery was electrified with 1.5 kV DC, using a third rail. This was the highest voltage ever used on a third rail system in Europe. In 1976 the third rail was replaced by an overhead wire.

See also

• The Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne rail disaster at Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne on 12 December 1917 is detailed at Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne derailment.
• Mont Cenis Pass Railway, a railway built as a temporary link before the complete opening of the Fréjus railway (Culoz-Modane-Turin)

Further reading

• Sylvain Meillason, Mont Cenis/Fréjus route: ready for relaunch, Today's Railways Europe, June 2009, Gives history, map and current plans.

References

1. ^ RFF - Network mapPDF
2. ^ RFF - Map of electrified railway linesPDF
3. ^ Direction Générale des Ponts et Chaussées et des Chemins de Fer (1869) (in French). Statistique centrale des chemins de fer. Chemins de fer français. Situation au 31 décembre 1869. Paris: Ministère des Travaux Publics. pp. 146–160. 

External links

• The Mont Cenis Railway and Tunnel, Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. CCLIV, July 1871, Vol. XLIII.
• http://www.bahnbilder.de/name/galerie/kategorie/Frankreich~Galerien~Region+Mt.+Cenis+Linie.html