Voies Ferrées des Landes
Encyclopedia
The Voies Ferrées des Landes (VFL) was founded in 1916 from the merger of three short line railway companies in the Landes forest
region of Gascony
, France.
The railway lines were created primarily to transport timber from the foreested area. By the beginning of the 21st century only 17 km of the peak of 361 km peak length of the railway remained in commercial use.
A section of the line between Labouheyre
and Sabres
was taken over by the Association française des amis des chemins de fer (AFAC) and now serves an agricultural museum in Marquèze.
(CF du Midi) had constructed a line between Bordeaux
and Dax
, the Landes Forest, created in the 18th century was by then producing mature trees. In 1875 the company began to support though subsidiary companies the creation of secondary lines serving agricultural roads built in the area in the 1850s.
The Chemins de fer d'intérêt local des Landes (CFILL) opened several lines in 1890, between 1905 and 1911 the Chemins de fer du Born et du Marensin (BM) opened more lines, some extending the CFILL lines further from their terminii, others were new lines branching from the Bordeaux
- Bayonne
mainline. Additionally the company Chemin der fer d'intérêt local de Soustons à Léon (SL) had opened a 22 km line extending a branch extending the CFILL in 1904.
By 1910 the combined railway lines were over 350 km long. The three railway companies served the same region, and in part were interdependent. To simplify the administration the 'CF du Midi' asked that the firms be consolidated under the name Voies Ferrées des Landes; in 1916 the three merged in 1916 to form the Société anonymes des Voies Ferrées des Landes (VFL).
The lines temporarily closed to passengers in 1939 due to a fuel shortage in the build up to the Battle of France
. After re-opening passenger services continued until 1949 after which the services ended on all but two branches. Freight services ended on many lines in 1969, and in 1979, with almost all activity ended by the end of the 1980s.
In 1947 the VFL lines became the responsibility of the département des Landes, and is now the responsibility of the Landes transport authority (:fr:Régie des Transports Landais french). Freight on the lines did not end entirely, when the company Voies Ferrées Locales et Industrielles (VFLI) was created in 1998 it took over responsibility for operations on the lines: Trains on the Laluque
/Tartas
, and a short section within the industrial area of Ychoux on the Ychoux
to Moustey
and less than 1 km in Dax
(traffic ended 2005) were still in use in the early 2000s.
and Sabres
was taken over by the non-profit organisation the Association française des amis des chemins de fer (AFAC) (Association française des amis des chemins de fer french) and now serves a site of the Écomusée de la Grande Lande (Écomusée de la Grande Lande french) located in Marquèze.
Landes forest
The Landes forest or the Landes of Gascony , in the historic Gascony region of southwestern France now known as Aquitaine, is the largest maritime-pine forest in Europe...
region of Gascony
Gascony
Gascony is an area of southwest France that was part of the "Province of Guyenne and Gascony" prior to the French Revolution. The region is vaguely defined and the distinction between Guyenne and Gascony is unclear; sometimes they are considered to overlap, and sometimes Gascony is considered a...
, France.
The railway lines were created primarily to transport timber from the foreested area. By the beginning of the 21st century only 17 km of the peak of 361 km peak length of the railway remained in commercial use.
A section of the line between Labouheyre
Labouheyre
Labouheyre is a commune in the Landes department in Aquitaine in south-western France.-See also:*Communes of the Landes department*Parc naturel régional des Landes de Gascogne...
and Sabres
Sabres, Landes
Sabres is a commune in the Landes department in Aquitaine in south-western France.-See also:*Communes of the Landes department*Parc naturel régional des Landes de Gascogne...
was taken over by the Association française des amis des chemins de fer (AFAC) and now serves an agricultural museum in Marquèze.
History
In 1854 the Chemin de Fer du MidiChemin de Fer du Midi
The Chemin de Fer du Midi, often abbreviated to CF du Midi, was an early French railway company.In 1934 it merged with the Chemin de Fer de Paris à Orléans to become part of the Chemin de Fer de Paris à Orléans et du Midi ....
(CF du Midi) had constructed a line between Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
and Dax
Dax
Dax may refer to:In French geography:* Arrondissement of Dax, an arrondissement of the Landes département of France* Town of Dax, Landes, FranceIn Star Trek:...
, the Landes Forest, created in the 18th century was by then producing mature trees. In 1875 the company began to support though subsidiary companies the creation of secondary lines serving agricultural roads built in the area in the 1850s.
The Chemins de fer d'intérêt local des Landes (CFILL) opened several lines in 1890, between 1905 and 1911 the Chemins de fer du Born et du Marensin (BM) opened more lines, some extending the CFILL lines further from their terminii, others were new lines branching from the Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
- Bayonne
Bayonne
Bayonne is a city and commune in south-western France at the confluence of the Nive and Adour rivers, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, of which it is a sub-prefecture...
mainline. Additionally the company Chemin der fer d'intérêt local de Soustons à Léon (SL) had opened a 22 km line extending a branch extending the CFILL in 1904.
By 1910 the combined railway lines were over 350 km long. The three railway companies served the same region, and in part were interdependent. To simplify the administration the 'CF du Midi' asked that the firms be consolidated under the name Voies Ferrées des Landes; in 1916 the three merged in 1916 to form the Société anonymes des Voies Ferrées des Landes (VFL).
The lines temporarily closed to passengers in 1939 due to a fuel shortage in the build up to the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
. After re-opening passenger services continued until 1949 after which the services ended on all but two branches. Freight services ended on many lines in 1969, and in 1979, with almost all activity ended by the end of the 1980s.
In 1947 the VFL lines became the responsibility of the département des Landes, and is now the responsibility of the Landes transport authority (:fr:Régie des Transports Landais french). Freight on the lines did not end entirely, when the company Voies Ferrées Locales et Industrielles (VFLI) was created in 1998 it took over responsibility for operations on the lines: Trains on the Laluque
Laluque
Laluque is a commune in the Landes department in Aquitaine in south-western France....
/Tartas
Tartas
Tartas is a commune in the Landes department in Aquitaine in south-western France.-References:* Based on the article in the French Wikipedia....
, and a short section within the industrial area of Ychoux on the Ychoux
Ychoux
Ychoux is a commune in the Landes department in Aquitaine in south-western France....
to Moustey
Moustey
Moustey is a commune in the Landes department in Aquitaine in south-western France.-See also:*Communes of the Landes department*Parc naturel régional des Landes de Gascogne...
and less than 1 km in Dax
Dax
Dax may refer to:In French geography:* Arrondissement of Dax, an arrondissement of the Landes département of France* Town of Dax, Landes, FranceIn Star Trek:...
(traffic ended 2005) were still in use in the early 2000s.
Tourism
A section on the line between LabouheyreLabouheyre
Labouheyre is a commune in the Landes department in Aquitaine in south-western France.-See also:*Communes of the Landes department*Parc naturel régional des Landes de Gascogne...
and Sabres
Sabres, Landes
Sabres is a commune in the Landes department in Aquitaine in south-western France.-See also:*Communes of the Landes department*Parc naturel régional des Landes de Gascogne...
was taken over by the non-profit organisation the Association française des amis des chemins de fer (AFAC) (Association française des amis des chemins de fer french) and now serves a site of the Écomusée de la Grande Lande (Écomusée de la Grande Lande french) located in Marquèze.