Martigny–Châtelard Railway

Martigny–Châtelard Railway
Overview
Type	Part rack railway
Locale	Valais
Technical
Line length	19 km (11.8 mi)
Track gauge	1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in)
Electrification	830 V DC Overhead line
Maximum incline	adhesion 7% Rack 20%
Rack system	Strub

The Martigny–Châtelard Railway, abbreviated MC, French Chemins de fer Martigny–Châtelard, is a 19 km (11.8 mi) 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 ³⁄₈ in) (metre gauge) rack railway in the canton of Valais, Switzerland. The transport company "Chemin de fer de Martigny–Châtelard" merged in 2001, the resulting Transports de Martigny et Régions now markets this line and the connecting Saint-Gervais–Vallorcine railway as Mont-Blanc Express.

Contact with the other networks

• At Martigny it connects with the Simplon line of the CFF
• At Le Châtelard (Finhaut) it connects with the Saint-Gervais–Vallorcine railway which in turn joins the standard gauge SNCF at Le Fayet station of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains. However the 3 km (1.86 mi) between Le Châtelard and Vallorcine is operated by the Chemin de Fer de Martigny au Châtelard.

Rolling stock

• Five Z 800 105-seater electric multiple units, delivered in 1997 (???) by ADTranz and Vevey Technologies, in the context of a joint purchase with the Ligne de Saint Gervais - Vallorcine. This 1000 kW stock, composed of two motorcars, could run at 70 km/h (43.5 mph); it is equipped with a rack and pinion system and pantographs (in addition to the third rail collector shoe), so that it could perform direct runs to Vallorcine and beyond without the need to change trains.

Merger with MO

This transport company merged 2001 with the Martigny–Orsières Railway and is now known as "Transports de Martigny et Régions".

References