Vivarais closure - any news?

I've scoured the internet and can't find any real news about what's happening down there. It would appear that the supporting society has run some works trains to keep the line clear but little else. Any one have any hard news about the likelihood of it reopening any time soon?

Steve A

 

I am off to Tournon next week, and will see if I can find anything out.

 

Look forward to reading what you find out. Have been following press cuttings in le blog de tchou tchou (yes, really),
but this stopped abruptly at the beginning of November. Other forums pop up from time to time with news, search mastrou
to find them, use babelfish to get rough translation.

SNCF agreed to extend permission for mixed gauge operations on its main line until 2015/16 to give time to relocate sidings, terminals and workshops from Tournon to St Jean de Muzols, seems the area identified for this has recently been subject to serious floods.......I dont understand the ownership/operating licence debate but it is clear that it cannot sustain the wage bill of an almost completely paid staff railway, and provide a margin of profit to an operating company licensed to operate the railway. Much more volunteer input required at all levels I think - I hope this can be encouraged but it is a highly politicised debate. If and when trains are restored, 2011 soonest evidently, likely to run to Boucieu le roi only.

Track works required, locos out of ticket, etc, it's a sad story - let's hope for the best. And some news......

 

Hope to hear further current news from forum participants, in the meantime have been looking at regional newsletter http://www.ledauphine.com and searching (rechercher) mastrou, the word that will find the vivarais railway (I think it means little mouse, perhaps a reference to the billard railcars scuttling across the ardeche scenery in times past?).

What I read there, via the rough babelfish translation offered by altavista.com, suggests that 8 million euros is the figure required to relaunch the service at earliest 2011, of which 50% is best option that the "departement" layer of government will supply, the balance to come from private investors......this is dated 06 Feb 09, 3 potential investors looking at possibilities. 250k euro from a more local layer of government, "conseil general".

320,000 euro are owed to a contractor who worked on the line in 2007-8, a tribunal recently held in Aubenas has recognised the debt and formally elevated it to a priority case but told the contractor he must wait until the formal winding up of the former company's affairs are concluded. In response the contractor, a small business itself, is threatening to lift the track of the railway for scrap to cover the debt as he he is desparate for the money now or at least sooner than the conclusion of the formal winding-up........

Having read of the many demands on the multi layers of local government for funding elsewhere in the region to support local industries it seems possible that some local opinion at least is already bidding farewell to the railway and the possibilty of its demise could become reality! Equally at this delicate stage little is being openly said that I can find by the pro-railway lobby, this is clearly a huge crisis for the railway at the worst of times, and no doubt much is happening behind the scenes.

I find it unthinkable that this railway, the first in France of the tourist steam railways in my view, could either be extinguished or crippled in this manner and would welcome any news on this subject via the forum or PM.

 

The website SGVA (Vivarais supporting Society) can be found here

http://www.trainduvivarais.org/

Has news of current activities and an English translation option.

Work to clear the easier sections of line is ongoing working out of Lamastre,
Tournon and St Jean de Muzols.

 

38 photos of the railway in happier times (2005) here:

http://andrewsoverseastransport.fotopic ... 66537.html

Cheers

AN

 

Is there any update on the situation there?

 

Progress of sorts. This info is courtesy of the SNCF Society journal and correspondent Graham Skinner. Recommend you join the society to do so go to http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/peclegg/sncf/ In October the Conseil Generale de l'Ardeche approved a budget of 4.8m euros for purchase and renovation of the infrastructure. Rhone Alpes region also promises some cash. Other cash is also being promised by Lamastre commmune to renovate its station etc. This may welllead to closure of Tournon shed and removal of all stock to Lamastre (conjecture). Apparently a consortium Les Courriers Rhodanien Kleber Roussillon is to be appointed to operate the line with funding sought from department/region state. Latest rumours in local press suggest autorail and/or velo rail service in 2011 and steam in 2010
2, but IMHO dont hold your breath......
Hope this helps
Avec meilleures salutations !
Ian

 

Thank you! Great news it seems. Hopefully I can visit when the steam service gets up and running again.

 

Bonsoir
Some positive news from the CFV: agreements are being signed allowing for "provisional occupation" while all the official paperwork is being done. Some news of the more concrete developments under http://trainduvivarais.org/spip.php?article192
The SNC CFV (new operator) is a subsidiary of Kleber Rossillon, a (South) France operator of tourist attractions.
Sofar they seem to be doing it right with the rolling stock that has been refurbished, but it seems we should not expect steam back before 2013.
By the way THE forum for French NG "happenings" is Passion Métrique: http://www.passion-metrique.net/forums/viewforum.php?f=2&sid=9c758b43cd66016079a2833115e63198

 

I have now put the 2005 photos on my smugmug site:

Vivarais Railway, 2005 - andrewstransport's Photos

What a shame this lovely line is taking so long to reopen.

Andrew N

 

Normally this line reopen next summer (with railcars) and in 2013 with steam ....but it is curtailed because the dual gauge (SNCF standard gauge/Vivarais metric guage too expensive to maintain this one) no more departures from Tournon, alas, and the shed and works will be probably demolished
regards
noel

 

A crying shame indeed as anybody who visited before closure will realise.

Does this signal the demise of the last length of dual gauge mainline track in France (or even Europe)?

 

I quite agree that losing the dual gauge section is a great pity, but better than losing the whole line. There are a few pictures on my Flickr site :

France 2004 - Chemin de Fer du Vivarais - a set on Flickr

There is still a short standard gauge / metre gauge dual gauge section on the Rhätische Bahn between Chur and Domat/Ems.

 

There is also a usuable mixed gauge section on the Somme system