This article may be a rough translation from French. It may have been generated, in whole or in part, by a computer or by a translator without dual proficiency. (April 2024) |
Tonkin Railway | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Overview | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Owner | SBB (in Switzerland) SNCF (in France) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Locale | Switzerland, France | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Services | In Switzerland: Voyageurs RegionAlps (since 2003), SBB local freight; In France: Voyageurs PLM (until 1938), Fret local (until 1988), Touristique (until 1998) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
History | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Opened | 1859 – 1886 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Closed | 1998 (partial closure) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Technical | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Track gauge | Standard-gauge railway (1,435 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Electrification | 15 kV - 16.7 Hz in Switzerland, 25 kV - 50 Hz in France (not electrified between Évian and St-Gingolph) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Signalling | Absolute block signalling | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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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.