Bayonne–Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port railway
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.
| Bayonne - Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port railway | |
|---|---|
 A train on the line in 2011. | |
| Overview | |
| Status | Operational |
| Owner | RFF |
| Locale | France (Nouvelle-Aquitaine) |
| Termini | Bayonne station Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port station |
| Service | |
| System | SNCF |
| Operator(s) | SNCF |
| History | |
| Opened | 1891 - 1898 |
| 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] |
Route
The Bayonne - Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port railway leaves the Bayonne station 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 Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port station, its south-eastern 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 Nouvelle-Aquitaine regional services between Bayonne and Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
References
- "RFF - Network map" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 18, 2011.
- "RFF - Map of electrified railway lines" (PDF).
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ligne de Bayonne à Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. |