Bayonne–Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port railway
| Bayonne - Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port railway | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 A train on the line in 2011. | |||
| Overview | |||
| System | SNCF | ||
| Status | Operational | ||
| Locale | France (Aquitaine) | ||
| Termini |
Gare de Bayonne Gare de Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port | ||
| Operation | |||
| Opened | 1891 - 1898 | ||
| Owner | RFF | ||
| Operator(s) | SNCF | ||
| Technical | |||
| Line length | 52 km (32 mi) | ||
| Number of tracks | Single track [1] | ||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge | ||
| Electrification | 1.5 kV DC[2] | ||
| |||
The Bayonne - Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port railway is a French 52-kilometre long railway line, that connects the Bayonne to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, running through the foothills of the Pyrenees. The railway was opened fully in 1898.
Route
The Bayonne - Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port railway leaves the Gare de Bayonne in a southerly direction. It crosses the river Adour south of Bayonne town centre, and then splits with the Toulouse-Bayonne railway and Bordeaux-Irun railway. It continues through valleys within the Pyrenees until it reaches Gare de Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, its south-western terminus.
History
The line opened in 3 sections between 1891 and 1898 as follows:
- Bayonne - Cambo-les-Bains on 19 January 1891
- Cambo-les-Bains - Ossès on 20 August 1892
- Ossès - Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port on 11 December 1898
Between 1930 and 1931 the line was electrified to 1.5 kV DC, however in May 2010 the line was de-electrified to reduce the costs of renewing the electrical equipment.
As of 2014 no trains run south from Cambo-les-Bains and a rail replacement bus service is used from this station onwards to SJPP. The rails are rusty and there are weeds growing up between the crossties. The line hugs a river valley and in places is only 20 feet above the Nive river. At one point, where the line crosses the river on a truss bridge, the ballast has been washed away over a distance of about 30 feet and the rail and crossties are suspended in mid-air. There is a collection of driftwood at this point; evidence of flood damage (probably at this location: 43.256303, -1.320315).
Line has been reopened on November, 22nd, 2015.
Services
The Bayonne - Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port railway is used by the following passenger services:
- TER Aquitaine regional services between Bayonne and Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
References
- ↑ "RFF - Network map" (PDF). Archived July 18, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ "RFF - Map of electrified railway lines" (PDF).