Saint-Gervais–Vallorcine railway

Connections

• At Saint-Gervais-les-Bains Le Fayet, with the standard gauge SNCF line from Aix-les-Bains via Annecy and la Roche-sur-Foron ; and the Mont Blanc Tramway rack railway.
• At Chamonix, with the Montenvers Railway, a rack railway.
• In Switzerland, at Le Châtelard, with the Martigny-Châtelard rack railway, which continues to Martigny where it connects with the Lausanne–Brig line of the CFF.

  Technical information

• Track gauge:.
• Profile: uphill from the Saint-Gervais-Le Fayet to the col des Montets tunnel then downhill to the border. The steepest grade, between Servoz and les Houches is 9% over, a record for an adhesion railway. On the steepest sections, it had a central rail for braking, through jaws gripping the rail; it was removed around 1980.
• Electrification through top-contact third rail at 850 V direct current.
• Main structures:
• * Three viaducts, including the Sainte-Marie viaduct in the Houches over the Arve
• * Several anti-avalanche galleries
• * Col des Montets tunnel, long.
• Control: A command post, named PC Éclair, installed in 1991 at Saint-Gervais station, allows centralised control with the help of radio and computers.

  Rolling stock

• Three Z 850 electric multiple units made by Stadler. Three additional trainsets were slated to arrive before 2008.
• Five Z 800 105-seat EMUs, delivered in 1997 by ADTranz and Vevey Technologies in a joint purchase with the Martigny-Châtelard. This 1000 kW stock, composed of two motor cars, can run at ; it is rack and pinion equipped, and has pantographs in addition to 3rd rail equipment, so that it run to Martigny.
• Eight Z 600 EMUs and four additional trailers, used in busy periods.
• Snowploughs:
• * Z 691
• * Beilhack CN4
• The original Z 200 motor cars have been retired.
• Service wagons: Flats and ballast-carrying.

  Activity

History

• 1886: Granting of the concession for the Cluses-Chamonix line to the PLM
• July 3, 1893: Authorisation for the PLM to build the Saint-Gervais to Chamonix section as metre gauge
• June 1899: Start of works on the first section
• July 25, 1901: Opening to Chamonix, 19 km
• July 25, 1906: Extension to Argentière
• November 1, 1907: Boring of the col des Montets tunnel
• July 1, 1908: Junction with the Martigny-Châtelard
• 1958: Introduction of Z 600 EMUs
• 1997: Introduction of Z 800 EMUs
• 2006: Introduction of Z 850 EMUs; increase in frequency between Argentière and Vallorcine

  Stations

• Saint-Gervais-les-Bains - Le Fayet
• Chedde
• Servoz
• Vaudagne
• Viaduc Sainte Marie
• Les Houches
• Taconnaz
• Les Bossons
• Les Pélerins
• Les Moussoux
• Aiguille du Midi
• Chamonix Mont-Blanc
• Les Praz
• Les Tines
• La Joux
• Argentière
• Montroc-le Planet
• Le Buet
• Vallorcine
• Le Chatelard Frontière