Tonkin Railway

Tonkin Railway
Viaduct de la Morge at Saint-Gingolph in 2019.
Overview
OwnerSBB (in Switzerland)
SNCF (in France)
LocaleSwitzerland, France
Service
ServicesIn Switzerland: Voyageurs RegionAlps (since 2003), SBB local freight; In France: Voyageurs PLM (until 1938), Fret local (until 1988), Touristique (until 1998)
History
Opened1859 – 1886
Closed1998 (partial closure)
Technical
Track gaugeStandard-gauge railway (1,435 m)
Electrification15 kV - 16.7 Hz in Switzerland, 25 kV - 50 Hz in France (not electrified between Évian and St-Gingolph)
SignallingAbsolute block signalling
Route map

Évian-les-Bains
St-Gingolph

The Tonkin Railway, or South Lake Geneva railway, is a partly disused line connecting the Swiss cities of Saint-Maurice and Geneva via the French communes of Évian-les-Bains, Thonon-les-Bains and Annemasse, crossing the France–Switzerland border twice.

As of 2024, the railway line is operational in the Chablais region between Évian-les-Bains and Geneva and in the canton of Valais between St-Maurice and St-Gingolph (Saint-Gingolph–Saint-Maurice railway). However, the 17.8 km (11.1 mi) long section between Saint-Gingolph and Évian-les-Bains, along the southeastern shore of Lake Geneva (Lac Léman), has been out of service since 1998. Several associations are currently campaigning for its reopening.