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
Route map
	Legend

Last updated August 11, 2024

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 22, 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

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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.

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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.

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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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