Gare de Bellegarde
Encyclopedia
Bellegarde station is a train station
served by TGV
, TER Rhône-Alpes and Rhône Express Regional
located in Bellegarde-sur-Valserine
, in the département of Ain
, France
. It hosts about 75,000 travelers per year.
The first station building opened in 1858 to allow a stop on the line between Seyssel and Geneva
. The wooden building was destroyed by fire and requiring the construction of a new building in 1907. Over the years, other lines reached to the station, causing passenger numbers to grow. The first TGV service was in 1981 between Paris Gare de Lyon and Geneva
. From a simple railway station, the site underwent a major restructuring in 2010 to become an interchange.
This was triggered by the decision to renovate the Ligne du Haut-Bugey
.
, and kilometer 64,523 of the Ligne du Haut-Bugey
. Its altitude is 378m.
was part of a project to reduce the travel time from Paris to the Swiss border from 6 days to 12 hours, was finalized when a law was passed on 10 June 1853 by Napoleon III concerning the commitment by the treasury to the construction of a railway to the frontier of Geneva. The Seyssel-Geneva section was opened on 18 March 1858 with a halt in Bellegarde where the station building was in the style of a Swiss chalet. The station was designed as a last junction before the frontier, avoiding lines connecting French territory passing through Swiss territory. It was thus used for customs controls on people and goods.
A new service was inaugurated when, on 30 August 1880, the llne from Longeray to Thonon via Annemasse and Evian was opened. This service was operated by the Chemins de fer de Paris à Lyon et à la Méditerranée
(PLM) company. Two years later on 1 April 1882, the Cluse-Bellegarde section of the Ligne du Haut-Bugey
opened. This section completed the line from Bourg en Bresse to Bellegarde operated by Compagnie des Dombes et du Sud-Est. In 1883, the PLM acquired the Compagnie des Dombes, and from then on, Bellegarde was exclusively served by the PLM.
On 1 August 1904, a fire completely destroyed the station building. A new building was constructed on the site of the old one and opened in 1907. This in turn was severely damaged by fire in the night of the 9 April 2003.
took over the operation of the Culoz-Bellegarde line from the PLM, and over time created new links to western Switzerland. Bellegarde station became connected to the whole of France.
As technology evolved with time, different types of railcar passed through Bellegarde, An X2700 class RGP2 passed through on its inaugural trip from Lyon-Perrache
to Geneva
on 30 June 1954. The following year, on 16 December 1955, the Culoz - Bellegarde section was electrified with 1.5 kV DC. From 10 June 1959, the Alpazur connection (Genève - Bellegarde - Grenoble - Veynes-Dévoluy - Digne) returning via the ligne des Alpes was operated with X4200 class panoramic railcars. Then on 31 May 1964, a first-class express train le Rhodanien was put on the line linking Geneva to Marseille. 1969 saw the arrival Catalan-Talgo
trains on the creation of a Trans-Europ-Express link between Geneva and Barcelona via Bellegarde, Chambéry et Grenoble on 1 June. In 1972, passenger trains were making up to 12 return journeys per day between Geneva and Grenoble. On 1 October 1972, X4500
class railcars went into service on the Valence - Geneva route via Grenoble, Chambéry et Bellegarde, then on 28 September 1975, first generation turbotrains (so-called 'ETGs') took over. They were so successful that they soon needed to be coupled in pairs to meet the demand.
on 22 September 1981, the completion of the autoroutes from Lyon to Geneva and the opening of the Mont Blanc Tunnel
all greatly improved access to Bellegarde, enabling the town to develop through industrial restructuring which allowed Bellegarde to maintain unemployment below the national average. Two daily services between Paris and Geneva were created, making Bellegarde the first town with less than 20,000 inhabitants to get a daily TGV link to Paris, although night trains to Paris were discontinued at the same time. However the advent of TGV services coincided with the decline of the Geneva – Barcelona Trans-Europ-Express; on 23 May 1982 the Catalan Talgo was replaced by a EuroCity
service. and the IC 5642/3 train took over the name le Rhodanien. It linked Geneva to Marseille via Bellegarde, Chambéry, Grenoble, Valence and Avignon. In summer 1983, a TGV Paris – Geneva/Annecy was created, with trains being split or joined at Culoz. In the 1980s, as with many other French stations, services to Bellegarde were generally reduced or cancelled. After summer 1984, the La Rochelle – Saint-Gervais service was stopped. In 1985, Z 7500
, Z 9500
and Z 9600
railcars were introduced on the Lyon – Genève/Evian/Saint-Gervais services, then in 1987, the Class BB 25200 locomotives (made available by the introduction of BB 22200
locos) were used with push-pull Corail trains between Lyon and Geneva. Service reductions continued in the 1990s, and apart from the long-distance service from Hendaye/Irun to Geneva , only regional TER services were left. In 2001, the Corail Lunéa Rhône-Océan Lyon–Quimper service was extended to Geneva with a stop in Bellegarde.
In 1991, a project to bring Paris and Geneva closer was launched: to build a high speed line alongside the A40. This operation, named the LGV des Titans was estimated at 12 billion francs (2 billion euros) which was much too expensive, so was abandoned in 1997 in favour of less costly projects. It was decided to upgrade the Ligne du Haut-Bugey
instead.
in 1858. The line came from Paris and Geneva via Arlod and from Geneva via the Crêt d'Eau tunnel. At the end of the 19th century, three other lines reached Bellegarde, the Longeray-Léaz - Le Bouveret line via the Crédo tunnel in 1880, the Ligne du Haut-Bugey
in 1882 and the Collonges-Fort-l'Écluse – Divonne-les-Bains railway serving the Pays de Gex in 1899.
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
served by TGV
TGV
The TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....
, TER Rhône-Alpes and Rhône Express Regional
Rhône Express Regional
The Geneva RER or Rhône Express Regional) is a commuter railway service which runs between Geneva Cornavin Station, Switzerland and La Plaine and Bellegarde-sur-Valserine in France. It forms part of the Lyon-Geneva Railway...
located in Bellegarde-sur-Valserine
Bellegarde-sur-Valserine
Bellegarde-sur-Valserine is a commune in the Ain department in eastern France.-Geography:Bellegarde is located at the confluence of the Valserine and the Rhône....
, in the département of Ain
Ain
Ain is a department named after the Ain River on the eastern edge of France. Being part of the region Rhône-Alpes and bordered by the rivers Saône and Rhône, the department of Ain enjoys a privileged geographic situation...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It hosts about 75,000 travelers per year.
The first station building opened in 1858 to allow a stop on the line between Seyssel and Geneva
Gare de Cornavin
Genève-Cornavin is Geneva's main railway station, located in the centre of the city...
. The wooden building was destroyed by fire and requiring the construction of a new building in 1907. Over the years, other lines reached to the station, causing passenger numbers to grow. The first TGV service was in 1981 between Paris Gare de Lyon and Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
. From a simple railway station, the site underwent a major restructuring in 2010 to become an interchange.
This was triggered by the decision to renovate the Ligne du Haut-Bugey
Ligne du Haut-Bugey
The Haut-Bugey line is a railway line in France. It is 65 kilometres in length and connects Bourg-en-Bresse with Bellegarde, travelling through the Jura Mountains...
.
Position on the railway network
A junction station, situated at kilometer 134,252 of the Lyon–Geneva railwayLyon–Geneva railway
The Lyon - Geneva railway is an important route in the national rail network. It connects not only Geneva but also feeds the Maurienne railway and the Geneva to Valence via Grenoble line...
, and kilometer 64,523 of the Ligne du Haut-Bugey
Ligne du Haut-Bugey
The Haut-Bugey line is a railway line in France. It is 65 kilometres in length and connects Bourg-en-Bresse with Bellegarde, travelling through the Jura Mountains...
. Its altitude is 378m.
Before the creation of the SNCF
Railway history started in Bellegarde-sur-Valserine in the middle of the 19th century. In 1830, the first studies of a Bellegarde-Geneva line were done. The decision on construction of the Lyon–Geneva railwayLyon–Geneva railway
The Lyon - Geneva railway is an important route in the national rail network. It connects not only Geneva but also feeds the Maurienne railway and the Geneva to Valence via Grenoble line...
was part of a project to reduce the travel time from Paris to the Swiss border from 6 days to 12 hours, was finalized when a law was passed on 10 June 1853 by Napoleon III concerning the commitment by the treasury to the construction of a railway to the frontier of Geneva. The Seyssel-Geneva section was opened on 18 March 1858 with a halt in Bellegarde where the station building was in the style of a Swiss chalet. The station was designed as a last junction before the frontier, avoiding lines connecting French territory passing through Swiss territory. It was thus used for customs controls on people and goods.
A new service was inaugurated when, on 30 August 1880, the llne from Longeray to Thonon via Annemasse and Evian was opened. This service was operated by the Chemins de fer de Paris à Lyon et à la Méditerranée
Chemins de fer de Paris à Lyon et à la Méditerranée
The Compagnie des chemins de fer de Paris à Lyon et à la Méditerranée was a French railway company ....
(PLM) company. Two years later on 1 April 1882, the Cluse-Bellegarde section of the Ligne du Haut-Bugey
Ligne du Haut-Bugey
The Haut-Bugey line is a railway line in France. It is 65 kilometres in length and connects Bourg-en-Bresse with Bellegarde, travelling through the Jura Mountains...
opened. This section completed the line from Bourg en Bresse to Bellegarde operated by Compagnie des Dombes et du Sud-Est. In 1883, the PLM acquired the Compagnie des Dombes, and from then on, Bellegarde was exclusively served by the PLM.
On 1 August 1904, a fire completely destroyed the station building. A new building was constructed on the site of the old one and opened in 1907. This in turn was severely damaged by fire in the night of the 9 April 2003.
After 1938 : the creation of the SNCF
Upon its creation in 1938, the SNCFSNCF
The SNCF , is France's national state-owned railway company. SNCF operates the country's national rail services, including the TGV, France's high-speed rail network...
took over the operation of the Culoz-Bellegarde line from the PLM, and over time created new links to western Switzerland. Bellegarde station became connected to the whole of France.
As technology evolved with time, different types of railcar passed through Bellegarde, An X2700 class RGP2 passed through on its inaugural trip from Lyon-Perrache
Gare de Lyon-Perrache
Gare de Lyon-Perrache station is a large railway station in the quarter Perrache, in the 2nd arrondissement of Lyon, France. It is situated on the Paris–Marseille railway, and it is the western terminus of the Lyon–Geneva railway and the southeastern terminus of the Moret–Lyon railway. It was built...
to Geneva
Gare de Cornavin
Genève-Cornavin is Geneva's main railway station, located in the centre of the city...
on 30 June 1954. The following year, on 16 December 1955, the Culoz - Bellegarde section was electrified with 1.5 kV DC. From 10 June 1959, the Alpazur connection (Genève - Bellegarde - Grenoble - Veynes-Dévoluy - Digne) returning via the ligne des Alpes was operated with X4200 class panoramic railcars. Then on 31 May 1964, a first-class express train le Rhodanien was put on the line linking Geneva to Marseille. 1969 saw the arrival Catalan-Talgo
Talgo
Talgo is a Spanish manufacturer of railway vehicles. It is best known for a design of articulated railway passenger cars in which the wheels are mounted in pairs, but not joined by an axle, and being between rather than underneath the individual coaches...
trains on the creation of a Trans-Europ-Express link between Geneva and Barcelona via Bellegarde, Chambéry et Grenoble on 1 June. In 1972, passenger trains were making up to 12 return journeys per day between Geneva and Grenoble. On 1 October 1972, X4500
SNCF Class X 4500
The SNCF Class X 4500 diesel multiple units were built by ANF between 1963-1970. The X4500 class are one of four classes of similar design known as "Caravelles" as when built the engine sound reminded railwaymen of the contemporary French SE210 'Caravelle' jet airliner. X4500 are identical to the...
class railcars went into service on the Valence - Geneva route via Grenoble, Chambéry et Bellegarde, then on 28 September 1975, first generation turbotrains (so-called 'ETGs') took over. They were so successful that they soon needed to be coupled in pairs to meet the demand.
The arrival of the TGV
The introduction of TGV services to Bellegarde-sur-ValserineBellegarde-sur-Valserine
Bellegarde-sur-Valserine is a commune in the Ain department in eastern France.-Geography:Bellegarde is located at the confluence of the Valserine and the Rhône....
on 22 September 1981, the completion of the autoroutes from Lyon to Geneva and the opening of the Mont Blanc Tunnel
Mont Blanc Tunnel
The Mont Blanc Tunnel is a road tunnel in the Alps under the Mont Blanc mountain, linking Chamonix, Haute-Savoie, France , and Courmayeur, Aosta Valley, Italy . It is one of the major trans-Alpine transport routes, particularly for Italy, which relies on the tunnel for transporting as much as...
all greatly improved access to Bellegarde, enabling the town to develop through industrial restructuring which allowed Bellegarde to maintain unemployment below the national average. Two daily services between Paris and Geneva were created, making Bellegarde the first town with less than 20,000 inhabitants to get a daily TGV link to Paris, although night trains to Paris were discontinued at the same time. However the advent of TGV services coincided with the decline of the Geneva – Barcelona Trans-Europ-Express; on 23 May 1982 the Catalan Talgo was replaced by a EuroCity
EuroCity
EuroCity, abbreviated EC, denotes an international train service within the European inter-city rail network. In contrast to trains with the "IC" label, "EC" trains are international trains that meet certain criteria. The EuroCity label replaces the older Trans Europ Express name for...
service. and the IC 5642/3 train took over the name le Rhodanien. It linked Geneva to Marseille via Bellegarde, Chambéry, Grenoble, Valence and Avignon. In summer 1983, a TGV Paris – Geneva/Annecy was created, with trains being split or joined at Culoz. In the 1980s, as with many other French stations, services to Bellegarde were generally reduced or cancelled. After summer 1984, the La Rochelle – Saint-Gervais service was stopped. In 1985, Z 7500
SNCF Class Z 7500
The SNCF Class Z 7500 electric multiple units were built by Alsthom between 1982-1983....
, Z 9500
SNCF Class Z 9500
The SNCF Class Z 9500 electric multiple units were built by Alsthom between 1982-1983.They are, together with the Z 9600 units, the dual-voltage version of the Z2 family.They are operated by TER Franche-Comté, TER Bourgogne and TER Rhône-Alpes.Many units still run in their original livery and have...
and Z 9600
SNCF Class Z 9600
The SNCF Class Z 9600 electric multiple units were built by Alsthom between 1984-1987. They are part of the Z2 type of electric multiple units, all similarly styled. The other Z2 classes are Z 7300, Z 7500 and Z 9500. This class operate in the Loire and the Alps. The class wear several liveries....
railcars were introduced on the Lyon – Genève/Evian/Saint-Gervais services, then in 1987, the Class BB 25200 locomotives (made available by the introduction of BB 22200
SNCF Class BB 22200
The BB 22200 is a class of electric locomotives in service with the French railways SNCF, built by Alsthom between 1976-1986. They are a dual voltage version of the BB 7200 and BB 15000 classesThe designation "22000" is in fact the sum of 7200 and 15000.From 1994 nine BB 22200 units were used for...
locos) were used with push-pull Corail trains between Lyon and Geneva. Service reductions continued in the 1990s, and apart from the long-distance service from Hendaye/Irun to Geneva , only regional TER services were left. In 2001, the Corail Lunéa Rhône-Océan Lyon–Quimper service was extended to Geneva with a stop in Bellegarde.
In 1991, a project to bring Paris and Geneva closer was launched: to build a high speed line alongside the A40. This operation, named the LGV des Titans was estimated at 12 billion francs (2 billion euros) which was much too expensive, so was abandoned in 1997 in favour of less costly projects. It was decided to upgrade the Ligne du Haut-Bugey
Ligne du Haut-Bugey
The Haut-Bugey line is a railway line in France. It is 65 kilometres in length and connects Bourg-en-Bresse with Bellegarde, travelling through the Jura Mountains...
instead.
Lines which converge on Bellegarde
Several lines meet at Bellegarde station. The first line to arrive was the Lyon–Geneva railwayLyon–Geneva railway
The Lyon - Geneva railway is an important route in the national rail network. It connects not only Geneva but also feeds the Maurienne railway and the Geneva to Valence via Grenoble line...
in 1858. The line came from Paris and Geneva via Arlod and from Geneva via the Crêt d'Eau tunnel. At the end of the 19th century, three other lines reached Bellegarde, the Longeray-Léaz - Le Bouveret line via the Crédo tunnel in 1880, the Ligne du Haut-Bugey
Ligne du Haut-Bugey
The Haut-Bugey line is a railway line in France. It is 65 kilometres in length and connects Bourg-en-Bresse with Bellegarde, travelling through the Jura Mountains...
in 1882 and the Collonges-Fort-l'Écluse – Divonne-les-Bains railway serving the Pays de Gex in 1899.