Chemins de Fer de l'État

The Chemins de fer de l'État ("State Railways"), often referred to in France as the réseau de l'État ("State network"), was an early French railway company.

La Rochelle's station.

History

The company was established by state order of the Third Republic on 25 May 1878 to take over ten small failing railway companies operating in the area between the rivers Loire and Garonne. On 18 November 1908, the État absorbed the Chemins de fer de l'Ouest and in 1934 took over the Paris-Orléans company's lines in southern Brittany. At its greatest extent its operating area comprised all the territory west of a line extending from Dieppe by way of Paris to Bordeaux. On 1 January 1938 the État merged with all the other French railway companies to form the Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Français (SNCF), becoming that company's Région Ouest. The État then took a seat on the SNCF's Board of Directors, as did all the other companies until 1982 when all traces of the constituents of the SNCF disappeared.

Ligne Paris-Bordeaux

One of the PO's flagship lines was Paris-Orléans-Bordeaux. The État wished to create a competing line to the PO's. The PO line served Tours, Poitiers, and Angoulême, while the État decided to serve Chartres, Courtalain, Saumur, Niort, and Saintes, almost parallel to the competing line.

Thanks to purchases and exchanges made in 1878 with the PO, by 1884, the État operated:

• Chartres - Courtalain
• Bessé-sur-Braye - Château-sur-Loir
• Saumur - Montreuil-Bellay
• Montreuil-Bellay - Saint-Jean-d'Angély
• Saint-Jean-d'Angély - Saintes
• Saintes - Cavignac

Courtalain-Bessé-sur-Braye was opened in 1885 as well as Château-sur-Loir-Saumur-Cavignac. At La Grave d'Ambarès a junction with the PO was built, and État trains linked Paris and Bordeaux on 11 July 1886.

The last line portion was the hardest to build. On 1 July 1893, an extension via Lormont was opened, Three years later, on 1 August 1896 Bordeaux-État was opened, welcoming trains from Paris.

The État's line was 610 km while the PO's was 582 km. These were the only competing lines in France. This lasted until 1938, date of the creation the SNCF, when the PO line was kept.

The Dautry era

Raoul Dautry became managing director of the Etat in 1928. His desires were to reconquer the railway company's clientele, especially due to the popularity of the car.

Dautry began many modernisation projects, including infrastructure, stations and the opening of new lines (mainly Paris-Chartres by Gallardon). The electrification of the Paris-Le Mans line represents the biggest of his constructions, the line was at the time the most modern line in France.

Another one of his influences was the purchase of 600 new passenger cars. 50 of the cars were luxurious cars and were used on the new eletrified line.

As early as 1929, the Etat began experimenting with DMUs with a first order of Renault trains. In 1931, an agreement is reached between Michelin and the Etat, authorising trials of the Micheline train. By 1933, the trains were used for expresses between Paris and Deauville.

During the summer of 1937, the French Government ruled in favour of the nationalisation of the French railways. As a sign of disagreement, Dautry resigned, he was later elected into the SNCF's managing council.

Line openings

Date	Section	Length (km)
07/01/1856	Poitiers - Niort[1]	78
07/09/1857	Niort - La Rochelle[1]	66
24/09/1866	Cholet - La Poissonnière[2]	43
30/12/1866	Nantes - La Roche-sur-Yon[3]	76
28/12/1868	Niort - Cholet[2]	124
22/10/1867	Rochefort - Angoulême[4]	68
25/03/1869	Beillant - Pons[4]	15
26/01/1870	Pons - Jonzac[4]	19
14/03/1871	La Roche-sur-Yon - La Rochelle[4]	103
27/03/1871	La Roche-sur-Yon - Bressuire[4]	84
06/11/1871	Jonzac - Montendre[4]	21
28/10/1872	Chartres - Orléans[4]	75
20/11/1872	Barbezieux - Châteauneuf[5]	18
10/05/1873	Bressuire - Thouars[4]	30
11/08/1873	Thouars - Chinon[4]	47
10/10/1873	Saint-Mariens-Saint-Yzan - Blaye[4]	24
16/10/1873	Montendre - Saint-Mariens-Saint-Yzan[4]
29/12/1873	La Rochelle - Rochefort[4]	30
15/05/1874	Neuville-de-Poitou - Montreuil-Bellay[4]	85
19/10/1874	Saint-Mariens-Saint-Yzan - Coutras[4]	17
19/04/1875	Joué-lès-Tours - Chinon[4]	43
29/08/1875	Pons - Royan[6]	46
11/09/1875	Nantes - Pornic[4]	57
30/01/1876	Saumur - Montreuil-Bellay[4]	18
25/03/1876	Sainte Pazanne - Machecoul[4]	13
01/04/1876	Chartres - Auneau[4]	20
07/05/1876	Chartres - Brou[4]	36
03/06/1876	St Hiliaire - Paimbœuf[4]	27
24/06/1876	Saujon - La Tremblarde[6]	23
01/02/1877	Montreuil-Bellay - Angers[4]	63
25/01/1878	Saint-Jean-d'Angély - Taillebourg[4]	18
30/12/1878	Machecoul - Challans	19
03/03/1879	Château-du-Loir - Saint-Calais[7]	45
19/09/1880	Challans - La Roche-sur-Yon	51
07/03/1881	Through Luçon	2
17/10/1881	Saint-Jean-d'Angély - Niort	48
17/10/1881	Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie - Commesquiers	13
17/10/1881	Velluire - Benet	19
20/11/1881	Blois - Pont-de-Braye	64
02/07/1882	Chinon - Port-Boulet	14
10/07/1882	Cholet - Clisson	38
23/10/1882	Niort - Montreuil-Bellay	104
27/11/1882	Chinon - L'Île-Bouchard	16
19/03/1883	Neuville-de-Poitou - Parthenay	39
02/04/1883	Patay - Courtalain-Saint-Pellerin	47
02/04/1883	Brou - Courtalain-Saint-Pellerin	17
03/09/1883	Saint-Laurent-de-la-Prée - La Pointe-de-la-fumée	8
05/11/1883	Through Marans	2
07/04/1884	Airvault - Moncontour	15
18/08/1884	Perray-Jouannet - Chalonnes	26
23/02/1885	Aiffres - Ruffec	77
23/05/1885	Courtalain-Saint-Pellerin - Bessé-sur-Braye	42
12/07/1885	Port-de-Piles - L'Île-Bouchard	21
04/03/1886	Through Nantes	4
14/06/1886	Cavignac - Cubzac	17
11/07/1886	Cubzac - La Grave-d'Ambarès	5
11/07/1886	Through Bordeaux	2
11/07/1886	Château-du-Loir - Saumur	67
11/07/1886	Through Saumur	5
19/09/1886	Châtellerault - Loudun	48
01/05/1887	Arrou - Nogent-le-Rotrou	41
29/05/1887	Libourne - Marcenais	19
05/06/1887	Parthenay - Bressuire	31
17/02/1889	Tonnay-Charente - Pointe-du-Chapus	31
18/05/1890	Fontenay-le-comte - Vouvant-Cezais	14
18/05/1890	Vouvant-Cezais - Breuil-Barret	15
01/04/1891	La Rochelle - Port de la Pallice	7
02/01/1893	Sargé - Montoire	22
01/07/1893	La Grave-d'Ambarès - Gare de Bordeaux Benauge	12
15/10/1893	Montoire - Châteaurenault	21
29/07/1894	Châteaurenault - Tours	35
31-05-1896	Voves - Toury	29
01/08/1896	Junction to Gare de Bordeaux Etat	1
02/01/1898	Thorigné - Montmirail	22
10/12/1899	La Loupe - Brou	43
28/05/1900	Vouvant-Cezay - Chantonnay	25
12/07/1900	Montmirail- Courtalain	28
12/07/1900	Thorigné - Connerré-Beillé	6
05/11/1907	Barbezieux - Saint-Mariens-Saint-Yzan	51
11/06/1911	Saint-Jean-d'Angély - Saintes	25
01/07/1912	Saintes - Saujon	27
15/05/1930	Massy - Chartres	71

Locomotives of the État

Wheel arrangement	État No. (1st series)	État No. (2nd series)	SNCF No.	Manufacturer Serial numbers	Year made	Quantity made	Quantity preserved	Year(s) withdrawn	Comments
Tender locomotives
2-4-0	2029–2099, 2500–2528	120-036 – 120-116	120 A 36 – 116
2-4-2	2078–2505	121-029 – 121-037	121 B 29 – 37
2-4-2	2602–2620	121-051 – 121-069	121 C 51 – 69			19
4-4-0	2701–2706
4-4-2	2951–2960	221-101 – 221-110	221 A 101 – 110			10
0-6-0	3061–3100 3500–3569	030-031 – 030-130	030 A 56 – 123	Fives-Liile, SACM, Cail, Batignolles	1875–1882	100
2-6-0		130-602 - 130-636	130 A 602 – 636
4-6-0	3701–3755	230-001 – 230-055	230 B 1 – 55			55
4-6-0		230-141 – 230-230	230 D 141 – 320
4-6-0		230-321 – 230-370	230 D 232, 341, 365
4-6-0		230-371 – 230-385	230 H 371 – 385			15
4-6-0		230-781 – 230-800	230 J 781 – 800			20			Rebuilt to 230 L 781 – 800
4-6-0	3801–3883	230-801 – 230-883	230 G 801 – 883			83
4-6-2		231-011 – 231-060	231 B 11 – 60		1910	50
4-6-2		231-501 – 231-783	231 C 501 – 783	Fives-Lille, Batignolles, North British, Schneider	1914–21	284			Also classes 231 D, E, F, G, H and J.
2-8-0		140-101 – 140-370	140 C 101 – 370	Schneider, SACM, Five-Lille North British, Nasmyth, Wilson & Co.	1913–20	270
2-8-0		140-501 – 140-600, 140-1001 – 140-1045	140 H 501 – 600, 1001 – 1045			145
2-8-2		141-001 – 141-250	141 B 1 – 250	Schneider, SACM (191–205)	1921–23	250	1		Also class 141 C, D and E
4-8-2		241-001 – 241-049	241 A 1 – 19			49			Identical to Est 241.002 – 241.041
4-8-2		241-101	241 B 101	Fives-Lille	1932	1			Prototype; rebuilt to 242 A 1 in 1940
2-10-0		150-001 – 150-010	150 A 1 – 10			10			Identical to Est 150.001 – 150.195
Tank locomotives
2-6-2T		32.551 – 32.620	131 TA 501 – 620			120
0-8-0T		40.001 – 40.143	040 TA 1 – 143		1914–22	143	2
2-8-2T		42.001 – 42.020	141 TC 1 – 20	Fives-Lille	1923	20	1
2-8-2T		42.101–42.140	141 TD 101 – 140			40			Copies of Est 141.701 – 141.742

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} Taken over by the CF de l'Etat on 10 February 1884.
2. ^ ^{a b} Taken over by the CF de l'Etat on 20 February 1884.
3. ^ Taken over by the CF de l'Etat on 25 January 1884.
4. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w} Taken over by the CF de l'Etat on 1 July 1878.
5. ^ Taken over by the CF de l'Etat on 1 January 1894.
6. ^ ^{a b} Taken over by the CF de l'Etat on 1 January 1881.
7. ^ Taken over by the CF de l'Etat on 10 March 1884.

External links

• Advertising bookmarks of the Chemin de fer de l'État