Chemin de fer Aigle-Leysin

-gauge cog-wheel railway using the Abt rack system. Nowadays it is joined in Aigle's main railway station by express trains of the Swiss Federal Railways together with thse of three other, local, narrow-gauge railways: the Aigle-Ollon-Monthey-Champéry (AOMC), the Aigle-Leysin (AL) and the Aigle-Sépey-Diablerets (ASD).

History

The Aigle-Leysin line is 6.5 km. long and rises 1047 m.(3245 ft.) from its terminus in newly constructed platforms (2007) at the main line station in Aigle to its summit at the Grand Hotel at Leysin. The first 1 km. of the route is through the streets of Aigle from the railway station to the railway depot where the train reverses to enable the powered vehicle to be at the rear of then train for the uphill journey. From this point the line becomes a rack (cog-wheel) railway and climbs steeply through the vineyards, the steepest gradient being 1 in 4.3 (23%).

The operating voltage of the line has changed four times, increasing from 600v. d.c. at opening, first to 650v. d.c., then in 1946 to 1300v. d.c. and later, to the present operating voltage of 1500v. d.c.

Mergers

In 1975 the four local railway companies, Aigle-Leysin (AL); Aigle-Ollon-Monthey-Champéry (AOMC); Aigle-Sépey-Diablerets (ASD) and Bex-Villars-Bretaye (BVB) merged to form a single operating company, known as the Transports Publics du Chablais (TPC). This brought about increased co-operation between the companies in the provision of community based services.

Federal involvement

In 1985, the Federal Government informed AL, and other privately operated railways, that it would cease all funding the following year, however they renewed a federal concession for a further period of 50 years. An agreement was signed between the Canton of Vaud, the communities served by the railway and the AL and its partners to renew rolling stock and upgrade the track.

In the mid 1990's, faced with greatly increased operating costs, the Canton of Vaud and the communities served by the railway petitioned the Federal Government to revoke its 1985 decision. The Federal Government did so and in 1996, recognizing the importance of this regional line as a public transportation carrier, awarded the line with a contract to provide a public transportation service. This brought about, in 1999, the founding of Transports Publics du Chablais as the parent body of local public transportation with the four local railway companies as founding members.

Locomotives, Railcars and Rolling Stock

The line owns just two locomotives. Their class He2/2, built by SLM /SIG in 1915 is presently out of service and being rebuilt (September 2007) to its original condition. They also have a 1949-built class Te2/2.The "automotrice" (railcars) are, with the exception of No.201 which is a class Arseh2/4, of class BDeh2/4. The company also owns 5 "Voiture Pilote"(driving trailers) of class Bt and retains 2 older coaches, class B2 for historic trains.

Further reading

For changes to the railway and development of the regional transport system in the area after 1999 see Wikipedia site Transports Publics du Chablais