Narrow-gauge railways of France

The French National Railways used to run a considerable number of 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge lines, a few of which still operate mostly in tourist areas, such as the St Gervais-Vallorcine (Alps) and the "Petit Train Jaune" (little yellow train) in the Pyrenees. The original French scheme was that every sous-prefecture should be rail connected. Extensive 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in) gauge lines were also built for the sugar-beet industry in the north often using ex-military equipment after the First World War. Decauville was a famous French manufacturer of industrial narrow-gauge railway equipment and equipped one of the most extensive regional 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in) narrow-gauge railway, the Chemins de fer du Calvados. Corsica has a narrow-gauge network of two lines following the coast line, that are connected by one line crossing the island through highly mountainous terrain. The petit train d'Artouste, a tourist line in the Pyrenees, uses 500 mm (19+3⁄4 in) gauge.

Narrow-gauge funiculars

1,300 mm (4 ft 3+3⁄16 in)

• Funiculars of Lyon

1,200 mm (3 ft 11+1⁄4 in)

• Funiculaire du Perce-Neige
• Funival

1,100 mm (3 ft 7+5⁄16 in)

• Funiculaire de Thonon-les-Bains

600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)

• Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat funicular;^[1][2] operating

1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in)

750 mm (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in)

• CF Economiques Forestiers des Landes (1907-34)

700 mm (2 ft 3+9⁄16 in)

• Chemin de fer d'Abreschviller [fr]; 6.1 km, operating

600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)

500 mm (19+3⁄4 in)

• Chemin de Fer Touristique du Tarn; original gauge 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
• Jardin d'Acclimatation railway
• Petit train d'Artouste

400 mm (15+3⁄4 in)

• Train de l'Andorge en Cevennes

See also

• Decauville
• Trench railways
• Voie ferrée d'intérêt local
• Voie Sacrée, see Le Chemin de Fer Meusien

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links

Media related to Narrow gauge railways in France at Wikimedia Commons