Culoz-Modane railway

Culoz–Modane railway
Overview
System	SNCF
Status	Operational
Locale	France (Rhône-Alpes)
Termini	Gare de Culoz Gare de Modane
Operation
Opened	1856-1871
Owner	RFF
Operator(s)	SNCF
Technical
Line length	135 km (84 mi)
Number of tracks	Double track
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	1500 V DC
Route map Line from Lyon 101.4 Culoz 101.4 Line to Geneva 103.3 River Rhône 104.4 Vions-Chanaz 108.3 Chindrieux 123.3 from Annecy 123.6 Aix-les-Bains-Le Revard 128.3 Viviers-du-Lac 137.2 from Saint-André-le-Gaz 137.7 Chambéry-Challes-les-Eaux 150.9 Montmélian 150.9 Line to Grenoble 162.4 Saint-Pierre-d'Albigny 164.1 to Bourg-Saint-Maurice 165.9 River Isère 166.8 Chamousset 175.2 Aiguebelle 185.4 Épierre 198.1 Sainte-Avre - La Chambre 208.1 Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne-Arvan 220.4 Saint-Michel-Valloire 236.0 Modane Line to Turin

The Culoz–Modane railway (sometimes called Ligne de la Maurienne) is a 135 kilometres (84 miles) long railway running from Culoz, near Chambéry, through Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to Modane in France. Together with the Italian Turin–Modane railway it is often called "Fréjus Railway" or "Mont Cenis Railway".

Despite running under the Fréjus Pass, it is sometimes called the Mont Cenis Railway because, from antiquity until the Fréjus Rail Tunnel was opened in 1871, most people used the Mont Cenis Pass to get between France and Italy. From 1868 to 1871 the temporary Mont Cenis Pass Railway ran over the Mont Cenis pass to link the French and Italian railways.

The Culoz–Modane railway is operated by the SNCF, and the line from Modane to Turin that connects with it is operated by FS.

The Victor Emmanuel Railway, which included both the Culoz–Modane railway across Savoy and the Turin–Modane railway across Piedmont, was largely built in the 1850s by the Kingdom of Sardinia and named after its king, Victor Emmanuel II. The section between Culoz and Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne was opened between 1856 and 1858.

Until 1860 Sardinia included both Savoy and Piedmont. Then however, ownership of Savoy and the County of Nice passed to France. In 1862 the Culoz–Modane railway became part of the Paris-Lyon-Marseille Railway and the line was extended to Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne. The remaining section between Saint-Michel and Modane and the tunnel towards Italy were opened on 16 October 1871.

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Wikipedia