Ligne de Cerdagne

The Ligne de Cerdagne, usually referred to as Le Petit Train Jaune (English: Little Yellow Train, Catalan: Tren Groc), is a 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 ³⁄₈ in) gauge railway that runs from Villefranche-de-Conflent to Latour-de-Carol-Enveitg in the French Pyrenees. Construction started in 1903 and the section to Mont-Louis was completed in 1910, followed by an extension to Latour-de-Carol in 1927.[1][2]

Ligne de Cerdagne
The unusual rail suspension bridge at Pont Gisclard between Sauto and Planès
Overview
Other name(s)	Yellow Train
Status	operational
Locale	France
Stations	22
History
Opened	1910
Technical
Line length	63 km (39 mi)
Track gauge	1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) metre gauge
Electrification	850 V DC third rail
Operating speed	55 km/h (34 mph)
Highest elevation	1,593 m (5,226 ft)
Route map Villefranche-de-Conflent TER Occitanie to Perpignan Villefranche-de-Conflent Access to Fort Libéria N116 Canal de Villefranche la Têt Correc de Vall-Llobera Serdinya D27E Ribera de Vallmarsana Rue du Moulin Joncet D27 la Têt Olette Canaveilles-les-Bains Rivière de Cabrils la Têt D57 Nyer Rivière de Mantet Thuès-les-Bains Torrent de Faget Rue d'Entre Valls Thuès-Carança la Carança la Têt Pont Séjourné N116 Torrent de Canals Fontpédrouse C1 Sauto Souterrain del Pallat N116 Souterrain Terra Blanca Pont Gisclard la Têt Planès Planes Rec de Molí el Jardó D10 Mont-Louis/La Cabanasse N116 D10 Bolquère-Eyne (1593m) Rec de Bolquera Ruisseau de Ricaut Font-Romeu/Odeillo/Via D29 Galerie de Vià l'Angust Coll Rigat (1493m) Galerie de St.Vincent Estavar Chemin d'Estavar el Segre D33 Saillagouse N116 Cami de Llivia Err D33B D33E D89 Sainte-Léocadie D33E D30A Rec de Rigat Osséja D30 Cami d'Aja Bourg-Madame N116 el Segre N116 N152 Ur/Les Escaldes Riu d'Angostrina Riu de Brangoli Rue d'Ansaneres Avenue de la Campory Rue de la Halte Béna/Fanès R3 to Barcelona Rue du Train Jaune Latour-de-Carol-Enveitg Latour-de-Carol-Enveitg TER to Toulouse

It is 63 kilometres (39 mi) long and climbs to 1,593 metres (5,226 ft) at Bolquère-Eyne, the highest railway station in France. The line serves 22 stations, fourteen of which are "request stops" (i.e., the train only stops when specifically requested by passengers). There are 19 tunnels and two bridges, one of which is, unusual for a railway bridge, a suspension bridge. The line is single-track with passing loops at, for example, Mont-Louis and Fontpédrouse-Saint-Thomas-les-Bains.

The trains are powered by electricity at 850 volts DC, supplied by third rail. The power is supplied by hydro-electric generators on the River Têt. The maximum speed of the train is 55 km/h (34 mph). Two types of train are used; ones using modern, entirely closed two-car multiple units and others using old style trailer carriages and powered carriages - most are enclosed but when the weather allows, open carriages are also used. The open carriages allow dramatic views as the train traverses the twisting route and are popular with tourists. Line maintenance vehicles are stored at Villefranche-de-Conflent.

It is named after its yellow and red colours, derived from the Catalan flag. The line was constructed to provide an all-weather route from the high Cerdagne valley to the coast, but the adjacent N116 road has been progressively improved, there has been population loss in the Cerdagne and the rail link is now chiefly a tourist attraction whose long-term future is in doubt.