Bayonne–Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port railway

Bayonne - Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port railway
Bayonne - Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port railway
	A train on the line in 2011.
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	RFF
Locale	France (Nouvelle-Aquitaine)
Termini	Bayonne station ; Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port station ;
Service
System	SNCF
Operator(s)	SNCF
History
Opened	1891 - 1898
Technical
Line length	52 km (32 mi)
Number of tracks	Single track
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	1.5 kV DC
Route map
	Legend

Last updated October 01, 2023

The Bayonne - Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port railway is a French 52-kilometre long railway line, that connects the Bayonne to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, running through the foothills of the Pyrenees. The railway was opened fully in 1898.

Route

The Bayonne - Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port railway leaves the Bayonne station in a southerly direction. It crosses the river Adour south of Bayonne town centre, and then splits with the Toulouse-Bayonne railway and Bordeaux-Irun railway. It continues through valleys within the Pyrenees until it reaches Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port station, its south-eastern terminus.

History

The line opened in 3 sections between 1891 and 1898 as follows:

Bayonne - Cambo-les-Bains on 19 January 1891
Cambo-les-Bains - Ossès on 20 August 1892
Ossès - Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port on 11 December 1898

Between 1930 and 1931 the line was electrified to 1.5 kV DC, however in May 2010 the line was de-electrified to reduce the costs of renewing the electrical equipment.

As of 2014 no trains run south from Cambo-les-Bains and a rail replacement bus service is used from this station onwards to SJPP. The rails are rusty and there are weeds growing up between the crossties. The line hugs a river valley and in places is only 20 feet above the Nive river. At one point, where the line crosses the river on a truss bridge, the ballast has been washed away over a distance of about 30 feet and the rail and crossties are suspended in mid-air. There is a collection of driftwood at this point; evidence of flood damage (probably at this location: 43.256303, -1.320315).

The line was reopened on November 22nd 2015.

Services

The Bayonne - Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port railway is used by the following passenger services:

TER Nouvelle-Aquitaine regional services between Bayonne and Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port

Related Research Articles

Lower Navarre is a traditional region of the present-day French département of Pyrénées-Atlantiques. It corresponds to the northernmost merindad of the Kingdom of Navarre during the Middle Ages. After the Spanish conquest of Iberian Navarre (1512–24), this merindad was restored to the rule of the native king, Henry II. Its capitals were Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and Saint-Palais. In the extreme north there was the little sovereign Principality of Bidache, with an area of 1,284 km² (496 sq mi) and a decreasing population of 44,450, 25,356.

Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France. It is close to Ostabat in the Pyrenean foothills. The town is also the old capital of the traditional Basque province of Lower Navarre. Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port is also a starting point for the French Way Camino Francés, the most popular option for travelling the Camino de Santiago.

Ossès is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.

Halsou is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France. Halsou-Larressore station has rail connections to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, Cambo-les-Bains and Bayonne. The town's mayor is Philippe Masse, elected in 2020.

Cambo-les-Bains is a town in the traditional Basque province of Labourd, now in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France. It lies on the south-western bank of the river Nive. Cambo-les-Bains station has rail connections to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and Bayonne.

Villefranque is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France. It is part of the traditional Basque province of Labourd. Villefranque station has rail connections to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, Cambo-les-Bains and Bayonne.

Ustaritz is a town in the traditional Basque province of Labourd, now a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, southwestern France. It is located on the river Nive some 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) inland from Bayonne. Ustaritz station has rail connections to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, Cambo-les-Bains and Bayonne.

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Bidarray is a commune of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in southwestern France. It is located in the former province of Lower Navarre. Bidarray-Pont-Noblia station has rail connections to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, Cambo-les-Bains and Bayonne.

The arrondissement of Bayonne is an arrondissement of France in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. It has 122 communes. Its population is 293,590 (2016), and its area is 2,267.7 km² (875.6 sq mi).

The Nive is a French river that flows through the French Basque Country. It is a left tributary of the river Adour. It is 78.9 km (49.0 mi) long. The river's source in the Pyrenees in Lower Navarre. The river Nive was made famous by the Le petit Nicolas series.

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Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port or Donibane Garazi is a railway station in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France. The station was opened in 1898 and is located at the end of the Bayonne - Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port railway line. The station is served by TER (local) services operated by the SNCF.

Ustaritz or Uztaritze is a railway station in Ustaritz, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France. The station was opened in 1891 and is located on the Bayonne - Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port railway line. The station is served by TER (local) services operated by the SNCF.

Cambo-les-Bains or Kanbo Geltokia is a railway station in Cambo-les-Bains, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France. The station was opened in 1891 and is located on the Bayonne - Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port railway line. The station is served by TER (local) services operated by the SNCF.

Ossès-Saint-Martin-d'Arrossa or Ortzaize-Arrossa is a railway station in Saint-Martin-d'Arrossa, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France. The station was opened in 1892 and is located on the Bayonne - Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port railway line. The station is served by TER (local) services operated by the SNCF.

The railway from Bordeaux to Irun is an important French 235-kilometre long railway line, that connects the southwestern city Bordeaux to northern Spain. The railway was opened in several stages between 1841 and 1864.

The communauté d'agglomération du Pays Basque, is the agglomeration community, an intercommunal structure, centred on the cities of Bayonne and Biarritz. Also referred to as the French Basque Country, or Northern Basque Country, it is located in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, southwestern France.

References

↑ "RFF - Network map" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 18, 2011.
↑ "RFF - Map of electrified railway lines" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-05-16. Retrieved 2011-02-09.

43°22′24″N1°24′58″W / 43.3732°N 1.4161°W / 43.3732; -1.4161

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[1] "RFF - Network map" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 18, 2011.

[2] "RFF - Map of electrified railway lines" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-05-16. Retrieved 2011-02-09.

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