The Chemins de fer du Jura (CJ), the railways of the Jura

Canton of Jura

The Republic and Canton of the Jura , also known as the Canton of Jura or Canton Jura, is one of the cantons of Switzerland. It is the newest of the 26 Swiss cantons, located in the northwestern part of Switzerland. The capital is Delémont...

 canton

Cantons of Switzerland

The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...

 in northern Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

, came about as the result of an amalgamation, in 1944, of four independent companies connecting Porrentruy to Bonfol, Saignelégier to La Chaux-de-Fonds, Glovelier to Saignelégier and Tavannes to Tramelan and Le Noirmont. The lines extend for a total of 84.8 km of which just over 73 km is metre gauge

Metre gauge

Metre gauge refers to narrow gauge railways and tramways with a track gauge of . In some African, American and Asian countries it is the main gauge. In Europe it has been used for local railways in France, Germany, and Belgium, most of which were closed down in mid 20th century. Only in Switzerland...

, the remaining 11 km, the first named, between Porrentruy and Bonfol, being standard gauge. Nowadays the CJ also operates local bus services throughout the area.

History

The first company to open a line in the region was the Chemin de fer Tavannes-Tramelan in 1884, the metre gauge line linking the villages in its name. This line was extended under the guise of the Chemin de fer Tramelan-Les Breuleux-Le Noirmont to reach Le Noirmont and the whole was electrified in 1913. In 1927 the two companies amalgamated to form the Chemins de fer Tavannes-Le Noirmont.

On 7 December 1892 the longest of the region's line, the Chemin de fer Saignelégier-La Chaux-de-Fonds (SC) was opened linking the places noted in its title. The line, with a length of 25 km (15.5 mi) ran from Saignelégier (Place d'Armes) to La Chaux-de-Fonds, the final kilometre being laid along the streets to the town centre.

To these lines was added that between Porrentruy

Porrentruy

Porrentruy is a Swiss municipality and seat of the district of the same name located in the canton of Jura.-Geography:The municipality lies on both sides of the Allaine River, in Ajoie at the foot of the Jura Mountains on the north...

 and Bonfol

Bonfol

Bonfol is a municipality in the district of Porrentruy in the canton of Jura in Switzerland.-References:The nature preserve Etangs de Bonfol is located close to the village....

 in 1901, between Glovelier

Glovelier

Glovelier is a municipality in the district of Delémont in the canton of Jura in Switzerland.-External links:...

 and Saignelégier in 1904, both of these being laid to (standard gauge

Standard gauge

The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...

) and finally, in 1910 the (metre gauge

Metre gauge

Metre gauge refers to narrow gauge railways and tramways with a track gauge of . In some African, American and Asian countries it is the main gauge. In Europe it has been used for local railways in France, Germany, and Belgium, most of which were closed down in mid 20th century. Only in Switzerland...

) line between Bonfol and Pfetterhouse

Pfetterhouse

Pfetterhouse is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-Geography:Pfetterhouse is located in Jura Alsatian foothills, just in the border of Switzerland and Territoire de Belfort.-Origins of its name:...

, this last named being the only closure to date, seeing its last passenger train in 1970. The Chemin de fer Régional Saignelégier-Glovelier (RSG) was relaid

Gauge conversion

In rail transport, gauge conversion is the process of converting a railway from one rail gauge to another, through the alteration of the railway tracks...

 to metre gauge in 1953.

Following the amalgamation of the companies in 1943 a plan to restructure the rail system was put together and over the period from 1946 to 1953 it was put into action. Within this plan was the total electrification of the system which was completed in 1953, some 40 years after the first electric traction had run on the lines.

Locomotive and Rolling Stock

Standard Gauge

No.	Class	Builders Details.	Date Completed	Seats 1/2	Notes
501	Tm	Moyse/Deutz Deutz AG Deutz AG is an engine manufacturer, based in Cologne, Germany.-History:The company was founded by Nikolaus Otto, inventor of the four-stroke internal combustion engine, in 1864 as N. A...	1967
509	Xm	Beilheck/Deutz	1985
577.101	BDe4/4	SWS/MFO	1968	0/56	Reb.1998
577.102	BDe4/4	SWS/BBC	1980	0/48
587.111	De4/4	SWS/BBC/CJ	1980
50 36 29-03 921	Bt	SWS/MFO/SIG	1963		Reb.1996

Metre Gauge

No.	Name	Class	Builders Details.	Date Completed	Seats 1-2	Notes
7		C	SIG	1913	0-32	Belle Epoch
70		BCe2/4	SWS/BBC/CJ	1913	4-32	Belle Epoch
401		De4/4	SIG/SAAS	1952
402		De4/4	SIG/SAAS	1952
411		De4/4	SIG/FFA/BBC	1953		Reb.1986
601		BDe4/4	SIG/SAAS	1953	0-32
603		ABDe4/4	SIG/SAAS	1953	9-16
604		BDe4/4	SIG/SAAS	1953	0-32
606		BDe4/4	SIG/SAAS	1953	0-32	Sold to NStCM,2003
607		BDe4/4	SIG/SAAS	1953	0-32
608		BDe4/4	SIG/SAAS	1953	0-32
611		BDe4/4	FFA/SIG/BBC	1985	0-39
612		BDe4/4	FFA/SIG/BBC	1985	0-39
613		BDe4/4	FFA/SIG/BBC	1985	0-39
614		BDe4/4	FFA/SIG/BBC	1985	0-39
621		BDe4/4	SIG/SWS/SAAS/CJ	1990	0-16
631	Pourilere	ABe2/6	Stadler Stadler Rail Stadler Rail AG , based in Bussnang, Switzerland, is a Swiss manufacturer of rail passenger cars.In 1942 Ernst Stadler founded the Stadler Engineering Office which later became Stadler Rail.- Factories :... /BT	2001	9-68
632	Mont Soleil	ABe2/6	Stadler/BT	2001	9-68
633	La Gruere	ABe2/6	Stadler/BT	2001	9-68
634	Tabeillon	ABe2/6	Stadler/BT	2001	9-68
641		ABe4/4	SWS/SAAS/CJ	1973	12-24	Reb.2000
642		ABe4/4	SWS/SAAS/CJ	1973	12-24	Reb.2000
702		Bt	SWS/SAAS	1952	0-48
704		Bt	SWS/SAAS	1952	0-48
711		ABt	FFA/BBC	1985	12-39
712		ABt	FFA/BBC	1985	12-39
713		ABt	FFA/BBC	1985	12-39
714		ABt	FFA/BBC	1985	12-39
721		BDt	FFA/BBC	1986	0-32
722		BDt	FFA/BBC	1986	0-32
751		B	FFA	1986	0-64
752		B	FFA	1986	0-64
753		B	FFA	1986	0-64
754		B	FFA	1986	0-64
755		B	FFA	1986	0-64
756		B	FFA	1986	0-64

Abbreviations

• BT......Bombardier Technologies
• BBC.....Brown, Boveri & Cie
  Brown, Boveri & Cie
  Brown, Boveri & Cie was a Swiss group of electrical engineering companies.It was founded in Baden, Switzerland, in 1891 by Charles Eugene Lancelot Brown and Walter Boveri who worked at the Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon. In 1970 BBC took over the Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon...
  
  
• CJ......Chemin de fer du Jura
• FFA.....Flug- und Fahrzeugwerke Altenrhein
• SAAS....Société Anonyme des Ateliers de Sécheron, Geneva.
• SIG.....Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft
  Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft
  Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft , or SIG, is the former name of SIG Holding AG, a Swiss company that has been active in various businesses during its more than 150 years of operation. Since the year 2000 the Society has undergone strategic refocus, concentrating on its core compentence in...
  
  , Heuhausen am Rheinfall
• SWS.....Schweizerische Wagon & Aufagefabrik, Schlieren

External links

• Website der Compagnie des chemins de fer du Jura SA (CJ) (French)