SNCF Paimpol-Guingamp due to close soon ...multi-millionaire wanted.

The ex reseau Breton now standard gauge presently owned by the SNCF known for it's outstanding beauty and summer steam service is rumoured seriously to be on the line for closing. Now is the time to react, there is a huge potential with this line which the SNCF are uncapable and unable to exploit correctly due to their set-up. Guingamp is on the TGV route and Paimpol is at the sea with outstanding countryside between. Not far from Roscoff for the ferry, motorway and fantastic seaside resorts all aound, an exceptional area...So...are there any multi millionaires looking for a good deed to do ?http://sd-1.archive-host.com/membres/images/14202062814161885/Le_telegramme_27-02-2015.jpg

 

Grim news. I travelled on this line last year, and there was a steam operation over the top half - Paimpol to Pontrieux - which has been a regular feature in the summer for some years. Sorry, my means don't stretch much further than buying a ticket to ride!

John

 

A trip behind 231k8 was slightly surreal including crepes,music,long tender first running and little interest in the loco by perticipants in a trip where the local authority sold tickets...... A few years ago and v enjoyable(+ high cost to operate with an Ajecta crew). You could also go on the remaining RB branch to Carhaix. Standard gauge but all the twists and turns of the former metre gauge . And yes- empty!
The Paimpol branch was one of the v last steam worked passenger branches in France .....
Well worth a visit and v good for families. Various locos have been hired over the years.The 231k seemed slightly out of place but a good opportunity to look at it!
Ray Mason

 

As I understand it, SNCF operate the diesel railcar service under contract for CFTA, which was the long standing owner. A translation of the French Wikipedia page suggests that CFTA themselves lease the line from SNCF's infrastructure department. The following is the "interesting" translation of the piece on the subject of the line's future:

"There are plans to renovate the line, at a cost of 30m euros. This renovation should be undertaken in 2016 for completion scheduled for September 2017. However, the financing plan is not complete. Financial assistance, beyond the competence of each, local authorities (region, General Council, communities of the municipalities, cities concerned,) is recorded. The only unknown, to fully fund the rehabilitation of the road remains the intervention of the State, owner of the way through SNCF Networks (formerly Réseau Ferré de France RFF). At several meetings, where all stakeholders were at the table, railway network was represented. Initially the principle of SNCF network position was to indicate that there would be no financial intervention, which resulted in the will of SNCF network to permanently close the online Guingamp -> Paimpol. At the last meeting the representative of SNCF network was mandated to identify communities that participate in the financing SNCF network without specifying an amount.

Passenger transport is thus under threat. This line is much used by people with no means of locomotion, by many high school students, that they are in school or on Guingamp Paimpol, the maritime high school Pierre Loti example.

A class for the maintenance of the line Guingamp - Paimpol was formed by citizens and elected officials, in the territory of Pontrieux community. This group aims to aggregate beyond Pontrieux community all users of that line concerned about its likely demise. A call to rally was launched by this group for 04/07/15 at 11:30 am in Pontrieux station."

This suggest that this isn't a new story, the threat of closure has been about for a while and is possibly a means of obtaining local money for essential repairs, which appears to be making some progress, but with some way to go. I suspect a "deal" of spending available money to keep the line in operation will be a first stage, while a longer term solution may need a national policy on regional lines as SNCF battles with similar debt issues to those worrying at least newspaper reporters in respect of Network Rail!

Steven

 

Went on this line couple of times when calling into Paimpol on my yacht. ( the coast scenery around there and Brehat is fantastic) Very French in that the run around was done by running through the pointwork and everybody hanging out of the coach end verandas, walking all over the track etc. However even then the track was a little 'old' with not many actually fastening the rails to what was left of the sleepers. Probably nothing done since the line was regauged in the 60s.

Sadly this line's troubles are not unique in France, all the little branches to small coastal ports in Normandy and Brittany are under threat such as Fecamp, Dives, Paimpol, Lannion, Roscoff, Quiberon. Some have already gone such as St Valery en Caux, Etretat, Honfleur, Carteret, Concarneau, The latter still has all the track signalling under the weeds. Most of the terminus stations on these closed lines still have the SNCF booking offices open which I always find surreal.

Honfleur and Concarneau are real tourist honeyspots even more so than Paimpol and if the French cannot make a tourist railway pay here then not much hope for others elsewhere. The trouble is outside of the French holiday 6 week madness in July and August the rest of the time its like being in ghost towns when you visit, great when I am sailing into these little places out of season but no good as a business model for the likes of railways, little family restaurants etc.

Brian

 

I was hoping to visit in the summer. The Bing Translation of the French language version of their website says 'Due to technical problems, Vapeur du Trieux will not flow in 2015. Please excuse us', whilst the English language version says 'Have a trip back in time: come and discover the Trieux Valley between Paimpol and Pontrieux on board a steam train! From May 1st till September 13th, 2015'. I suspect the French version reflects the actual position which is very sad.

 

Let's hope that steam will run this summer, but it doesn't look very promising. For years I meant to do the steam trip, and finally did it last year - a 2-8-2T which may have been one of the Paris suburban locos in the late 60s - but I may stand to be corrected on that. Yes, Carhaix is also worth a trip - I did that too, by railcar and at Callac we crossed another railcar. I suppose this line too is under threat.

John

 

I did the Paimpol - Pontreiux trip back in 2000 whilst on a family holiday in Brittany. Great day out. I do hope it survives.