Ligne du Haut-Bugey

The project has upgraded existing tracks to enable higher speeds by both TGV and regular trains. While the result of the ‘Projet du Haut-Bugey’ is not a true Ligne à grande vitesse (HSL)—the line remains a ligne classique— but is still an important element in the TGV network, linking the LGV Sud-Est to Geneva. The reopened line has reduced journey times between Paris and Geneva due to both a shorter distance and higher speeds. The improved line now allows TGV trains to shorten their route to Geneva by 47 kilometres, reducing the Paris–Geneva journey time by about twenty minutes to just over three hours.[10] In addition, the non-TGV services between Mâcon and Geneva via Bourg-en-Bresse and Bellegarde-sur-Valserine have been improved. Following completion, the project significantly increases freight capacity on the Ambérieu–Culoz section of the Lyon-Geneva line, as passenger trains use the Haut-Bugey line instead.

The upgraded line has been electrified at 25 kV 50 Hz AC, matching other high-speed lines in France. The right-of-way has been rebuilt, the infrastructure renovated, and many level crossings removed completely. A special effort has been made for environmental protection, particularly at the lakes of Nantua and Sylans, and to utilise rail noise screening.

A new station has been created at Nurieux-Volognat, near to the industrial basin of Oyonnax, and substantial works have taken place at Bellegarde-sur-Valserine, including building new tracks at the north-west end of the station (to allow trains from Geneva to turn onto the Haut-Bugey line without reversing), also new platforms for the Geneva-Paris TGV service and a new bus station with a car park.

Unusual engineering works on the line include the road-rail Cize-Bolozon viaduct, carrying the railway on the high level and the road on the low level and the overhead conductor rail used in the Bolozon I and Bolozon II tunnels and the open track in between. There are few examples of overhead conductor rails in France and this is the first at 25 kV.[11]

Although the project is entirely in France, one third of the budget has been provided by Switzerland, owing to the expected benefit for Geneva. The project budget was €341 million,[12] of which €23M is for the Bellegarde station and €318M for the line, funded by

• €214M, France: AFITF (Transport Infrastructure Finance Agency of France) and Réseau Ferré de France (RFF).
• €110M, Switzerland.
• €17.45M, Rhone-Alpes Région, Department of Ain, Department of Haute-Savoie, town of Bellegarde

In April 2009, RFF was reported to have postponed the opening of the line to September 2010, due to an unexpectedly harsh winter.[13] Finally, commercial service began on 12 December 2010[14]

The Haut-Bugey line links Bourg-en-Bresse to Bellegarde-sur-Valserine. Leaving Bourg-en-Bresse station, in the town centre, the line heads South through residential areas. It passes beneath the RN75 via an underpass built as part of the renovation of the line, then the RN79 by level crossing. A bridge carries the line over the A40 motorway to the first slopes of the Revermont in the commune of Ceyzériat. The hilly nature of the terrain required the line to take a steep and sinuous course, crossing and recrossing the route départementale several times. After the villages of Villereversure and Simandre-sur-Suran the land flattens out. The Racouse tunnel takes the line through the second ridge of the Revermont, then the Cize-Bolozon viaduct crosses the river Ain to Bolozon station. Then comes a long climb up the slopes of Mont Berthiand culminating in the Mornay tunnel after which the line runs flat and straight to Nurieux-Volognat station. The line winds through the village of Port then along the south bank of the lake of Nantua to Nantua station. A short climb through le Neyrolles along the Sylans lake to the village of Charix, then plunges down the valley of the river Semine to Bellegarde.

Before the renovation there were 58 level crossings.[15] In 2007 this number was reduced to 40, all of which were made automatic with warning lights and barriers.

At Bourg-en-Bresse, there are junctions with the Besançon - Bourg-en-Bresse line and the Mâcon - Ambérieu lines. At Montréal-la Cluse, the line to Andelot-en-Montagne branches off to the North. At Bellegarde-sur-Valserine, the line joins the Lyon- Geneva line.

The line near Bolozon

On average, 1666 concrete sleepers were laid per kilometre.[16] These are either monobloc, or bi-bloc depending on curve radius and specific characteristics of the location. In certain places, tropical hardwood sleepers are used. The rails were laid in 180m lengths and fixed to the rails using Pandrol's "fast-clip" system. The rails are welded continuously.

Profile of the line

The line goes through several geographically different sectors. After leaving the Bresse plain near Ceyzériat, the hilly nature of the Revermont and the Haut-Bugey[17] requires tight curves (down to 300m radius, even 292m radius in the Bolozon 2 tunnel and Bellegarde station). The 347 m difference between the lowest point (altitude 240m in Bourg) and the highest (587m at Charix-Lalleyriat)[18] also requires steep gradients (however, the steepest gradient, 35‰, on the line is not in the mountains, but the road underpass near Bourg station).

There are 10 tunnels along the 65 km route, now that the la Crotte tunnel has been converted to a cutting. Their total length is 7.3 km, the longest are Mornay (2589 m) and Racouze (1689 m).

Haut bugey speed diagram

The first section between Bourg-en-Bresse and Ceyzériat is relatively flat and straight, allowing the maximum speed of 120 km/h.[19] After Ceyzériat, there are tight curves and many level crossings, limiting the speed to 90 km/h. Crossing the Cize-Bolozon viaduct, the speed falls to 80 km/h, then picks up again to 90 through the Bolozon and Mornay tunnels. After that the limit rises to 120 km/h as far as Brion. The rest of the line is limited to 90 km/h except between les Neyrolles and St Germain de Joux which can be taken at 100 km/h.

The passing loops have 60 km/h limits, except track three at Nurieux (reserved for local 'TER' trains) which is limited to 30 km/h and the turnout to Oyonnax which can be taken at 80 km/h.

Before the renovation, the speed limits were lower: 90 km/h between Bourg and Ceyzériat, then 80 km/h to Bolozon and finally 65 km/h to Bellegarde. All stations were limited to 30 km/h.

Facade

Bourg-en-Bresse station was opened on 1 September 1866. It is the starting point for the du Haut-Bugey line which was opened in 1876. Bourg is the administrative seat of the Ain département. The station is an important junction and consequently sees a lot of traffic. In addition to the Paris - Geneva TGV traffic using the Haut-Bugey line, there is long distance Corail traffic from Strasbourg to Marseille, Strasbourg to Lyon and several TER lines including the line from Bourg to Lyon through the Dombes.

New platforms.

The Haut-Bugey project included construction of this new halt. In contrast to a station, a halte is not staffed and has only machines to sell tickets. Nurieux-Volognat, is close to the town of Oyonnax which sits at the heart of an industrial cluster specialising in plastics technology. There are over 550 companies with 12,000 employees in the trade.[21] The only major transport link used to be the autoroute A404 motorway.

Gare de Bellegarde: 2010 station building

The Haut-Bugey line ends in Bellegarde. it was reached on 1 April 1882.

TGV Sud-Est by the lac de Sylans

Motive power began with steam, was replaced by diesel locomotives then diesel railcars before electrification brought the TGVs[22]^,.[23]

The DSE used 120-T and 030-T tank engines. Later in the 19th century, the PLM used 120 and 030 Bourbonnais, some of which were still in service in Bourg in 1950. But these locos were not powerful enough for the steep grade; most trains had to be double headed. Later and up until the second war, 140B, 140F, 230A came in. After the war 140L and 140J were used. The last was scrapped in 1961. The 141Rs so prevalent on the SNCF network, saw no service on the Haut-Bugey line as their axle weight was too heavy for the rails, although they did exceptionally run up to Nantua on trains unloading rubble from the Cret d'Eau tunnel.

As of 1955, BB 63000 (ex 040-DE) were often to be found hauling both passenger and freight trains. Then came the BB 66000 (ex 040-DG) and finally the BB 67300 which handled freight services up to the mid 1990s.

There was also an abundance of diesel railcars, in particular first the ABJ, 90 hp FNC and X5500/5800 classes. Several different railcars were in service from the mid-1980s. The 300 hp X3800 series 'Picassos' ran from Bourg to Bellegarde until the 1980s and were then replaced by X2100s between la Cluse and Bellegarde. They could be found coupled to X2800 (a powerful 825 hp railcar designed to haul several carriages and operate on steep gradients). These railcars were still in service up to closure of the line. Occasionally, new generation X 73500 railcars were used to complement the X2800s.[24]

There are some records of special trains. On 25 September 1983, a Trans-Europ-Panorama railtour made up of Rheingold coaches hauled by a BB67000 and BB66000 ran through from Bellegarde to Bourg.[25] Three preservation railcars ran most of the rail tours in the 90s and up to 2005: X3943 "Bourg-Oyonnax", Agrivap's panoramic X-4208 and above all the X-4039 ABFC's 'Picasso' X4039 which ran for the last time from Bourg to Brion on 13 February 2005. X4208 came back for a VIP tour prior to the reopening on 2 June 2010.[26]

Since the line was reopened, three multiple units are to be seen: TGV Sud-Est, TGV Duplex providing 9 rotations each day between Geneva and Paris (up from 7 per day before the reopening) and one diesel B 81500 providing the TER service from Bourg to St Claude.

There has been talk of Eurostar opening services from London to Geneva[27] and Thalys reopening the Brussels - Geneva service closed in 2003.[28]

The steep gradients and tight curves limited speeds throughout the history of line .[29]

In 1932, eight trains ran each way, with a journey time of about 2h 30 for passenger trains. By 1952, the journey time had been shortened to 2 hours.

In 1973, ten trains ran each way. Two trains ran the whole length of the line, departing at 5.50 and 7.39am from Bourg. They covered the 65 km in 1h 40, and average of 39 km/h including stops. Five trains only ran from Bourg to la Cluse (51 minutes, 41.5 km/h). Three trains ran from la Clause to Bellegarde in 42 minutes. The last train terminated in la Cluse at 23.25. There were no night trains (although up till the mid-1960s, a night service ran from Paris-Gare de Lyon to Bellegarde).

After the closure of the La Cluse - Bellegarde section in 1990, only the Bourg - Brion section was in service in 2005. On average there 7 trains per day of which only three stopped at all stations. The average journey time was 50 minutes, similar to that of 1973 for trains stopping at all stations

The one and only daily service between Saint-Claude (Jura) and Bourg takes 44 minutes to cover the distance between Bourg and Brion, substantially higher than the 32 minutes which was suggested when the project was presented.

The TER service between Brion and Bellegarde is only provided by buses; no regional trains runs on this section any more.

The new journey times between Paris and Geneva (3h05 to 3h17, compared to 3h35 before the reopening were not well received in Switzerland, as sub 3h times had been planned.[30] However the journey times are expected to fall when the Geneva - la Plaine and Bourg - Macon sections are upgraded.[31]