Saint-Gervais–Vallorcine railway

• 1886: Granting of the concession for the Cluses–Chamonix line to the PLM (first concession for a general interest electric line in France)
• 3 July 1893: Authorisation for the PLM to build the Saint-Gervais to Chamonix section as metre gauge
• June 1899: Start of works on the first section
• 25 July 1901: Opening to Chamonix, 19 km or 11.81 mi (official opening on 12 July)
• 25 July 1906: Extension to Argentière
• 1 November 1907: Boring of the Col des Montets tunnel
• 1 July 1908: Junction with the Martigny–Châtelard Railway
• 1958: Introduction of Z 600 EMUs
• 1997: Introduction of Z 800 EMUs
• 2006: Introduction of Z 850 EMUs; frequency increase between Argentière and Vallorcine
• 17 July 2009: Official opening of Chamonix-Aiguille-du-Midi station

• Track gauge: 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in).
• Profile: uphill from the Saint-Gervais-Le Fayet (altitude: 580.95 m or 1,906 ft 1⁄16 in) to the col des Montets tunnel (altitude 1,365 m or 4,478 ft 4+3⁄16 in) then downhill to the border (altitude 1,100 m or 3,608 ft 11+1⁄16 in). The steepest grade, between Servoz and les Houches is 9% over 2,000 m (6,561 ft 8+3⁄16 in), a record for an adhesion railway. On the steepest sections (4% and more), it had a central rail for braking (and keeping trains immobile in case of electric black-outs), through jaws gripping the rail; it was removed around 1980.
• Electrification through top-contact third rail at 850 V (580 V originally) direct current.
• Main structures:
  • Three viaducts, including the Sainte-Marie viaduct in the Houches over the Arve
  • Several anti-avalanche galleries
  • Col des Montets tunnel, 1,883 m (6,177 ft 9+7⁄8 in) long.
• Control: A command post, named PC Éclair (ECLAIR, or “lightning”, standing for Exploitation Centralisée des Lignes Assistée par Informatique et Radio, which translates to Centralised Control of the Lines Assisted by Computers and Radio), installed in 1991 at Saint-Gervais station, allows centralised control with the help of radio and computers.

A Z 800 trainset at Le Buet.

• Three Z 850 electric multiple units (EMUs) made by Stadler. Three additional trainsets were slated to arrive before 2008.
• Five Z 800 105-seat EMUs, delivered in 1997 by ADTranz and Vevey Technologies in a joint purchase with the Martigny-Châtelard. This 1000 kW stock, composed of two motor cars, can run at 70 km/h (43.5 mph); it is rack and pinion equipped, and has pantographs in addition to 3rd rail equipment, so that it run to Martigny.
• Eight Z 600 EMUs and four additional trailers (some out of service), used in busy periods.
• Snowploughs:
  • Z 691 (electric)
  • Beilhack CN4 (diesel)
• The original Z 200 motor cars have been retired.
• Service wagons: Flats (U 20201 - U 20203) and ballast-carrying (U 20204 and U 20205 (?)).

Line between Argentière and Montroc

This line carries about 500,000 passengers per year, with wide variation: from 500 people per day in the least busy periods up to 10,000 per day in summer and 2500 per day in winter for the ski season. The customer base is quite diverse, from international travellers connecting with the TGVs, to local transportation, most notably for schoolchildren. It is a tourist line and a public service at the same time.

Through trains between Saint-Gervais and Martigny run under the “Mont-Blanc Express” brand.

Since 2005 travel has been free between Servoz and Vallorcine for those with a Chamonix residency card and for valley inhabitants.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Saint-Gervais-Vallorcine Line.

• Train du Mont-Blanc, dedicated to the line (in French)
• Photos-trains (in French) has pictures of rolling stock