Montenvers Railway
Encyclopedia
The Montenvers Railway or Chemin de fer du Montenvers is a rack railway
line in the Haute-Savoie
region of France
. The line runs from a connection with the SNCF
, in Chamonix
, to the Hotel de Montenvers station, at the Mer de Glace
, at an altitude of 1913 m (6,276.2 ft).
The line is 5.1 km (3.2 mi) long and has a rail gauge
of . It is a rack
and adhesion
railway, using the Strub design to overcome a height difference of 871 m (2,857.6 ft). Except for the terminal stations, which are operated in adhesion mode, the line has a gradient varying from 11% to 22% and is equipped with rack rail. The line is electrified using an overhead line
at 11000 V
and 50 Hz
ac
, and service is provided by 6 electric railcars and 3 diesel locomotives. Trains run at 14 to 20 km/h (8.7 to 12.4 mph) and take 20 minutes for the journey.
The line is operated by the Compagnie du Mont-Blanc which also manages the Mont Blanc Tramway
and many ski lift
s in the Mont Blanc
region. The first section of the line opened in 1908 and the line was completed in 1909. The line was worked by steam locomotive
s until it was electrified in 1953.
On 25 August 1927, the locomotive derailed on one of the viaducts killing 15 people and injuring 40 others.
Rack railway
A rack-and-pinion railway is a railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail...
line in the Haute-Savoie
Haute-Savoie
Haute-Savoie is a French department in the Rhône-Alpes region of eastern France. It borders both Switzerland and Italy. The capital is Annecy. To the north is Lake Geneva and Switzerland; to the south and southeast are the Mont Blanc and Aravis mountain ranges and the French entrance to the Mont...
region of 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...
. The line runs from a connection with the SNCF
SNCF
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...
, in Chamonix
Chamonix
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc or, more commonly, Chamonix is a commune in the Haute-Savoie département in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. It was the site of the 1924 Winter Olympics, the first Winter Olympics...
, to the Hotel de Montenvers station, at the Mer de Glace
Mer de Glace
The Mer de Glace is a glacier located on the northern slopes of the Mont Blanc massif, in the Alps. At long and deep, it is the longest glacier in France.-Geography:...
, at an altitude of 1913 m (6,276.2 ft).
The line is 5.1 km (3.2 mi) long and has a rail gauge
Rail gauge
Track gauge or rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the heads of the two load bearing rails that make up a single railway line. Sixty percent of the world's railways use a standard gauge of . Wider gauges are called broad gauge; smaller gauges, narrow gauge. Break-of-gauge refers...
of . It is a rack
Rack railway
A rack-and-pinion railway is a railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail...
and adhesion
Rail adhesion
The term adhesion railway or adhesion traction describes the most common type of railway, where power is applied by driving some or all of the wheels of the locomotive. Thus, it relies on the friction between a steel wheel and a steel rail. Note that steam locomotives of old were driven only by...
railway, using the Strub design to overcome a height difference of 871 m (2,857.6 ft). Except for the terminal stations, which are operated in adhesion mode, the line has a gradient varying from 11% to 22% and is equipped with rack rail. The line is electrified using an overhead line
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
at 11000 V
Volt
The volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force. The volt is named in honor of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta , who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.- Definition :A single volt is defined as the...
and 50 Hz
Hertz
The hertz is the SI unit of frequency defined as the number of cycles per second of a periodic phenomenon. One of its most common uses is the description of the sine wave, particularly those used in radio and audio applications....
ac
Alternating current
In alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....
, and service is provided by 6 electric railcars and 3 diesel locomotives. Trains run at 14 to 20 km/h (8.7 to 12.4 mph) and take 20 minutes for the journey.
The line is operated by the Compagnie du Mont-Blanc which also manages the Mont Blanc Tramway
Mont Blanc Tramway
The Mont Blanc Tramway or Tramway du Mont-Blanc is a mountain railway line in the Haute-Savoie department of France.The spectacular views of Mont Blanc provided by the tramway make it very popular with tourists...
and many ski lift
Ski lift
The term ski lift generally refers to any transport device that carries skiers up a hill. A ski lift may fall into one of the following three main classes:-Lift systems and networks:...
s in the Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc or Monte Bianco , meaning "White Mountain", is the highest mountain in the Alps, Western Europe and the European Union. It rises above sea level and is ranked 11th in the world in topographic prominence...
region. The first section of the line opened in 1908 and the line was completed in 1909. The line was worked by steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s until it was electrified in 1953.
On 25 August 1927, the locomotive derailed on one of the viaducts killing 15 people and injuring 40 others.
External links
- Compagnie du Mont Blanc page for the Montervers - Mer de Glace train
- “Mer de Glace” (Chamonix - Montenvers line) pictures Building history