Yellow train
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Yellow train line (Train Jaune in french and Tren Groc in catalan) is a railway which runs from Villefranche-de-Conflent through to Mont-Louis in France. It was started in 1903 and the section to Mont-Louis was completed in 1910. An extension to Latour-de-Carol was finalised in 1927.
It is 63km long and climbs to 1593m at Bolquere, which is the highest railway station in France. There are 19 tunnels and two bridges. The trains are powered by electricity, collected via a third rail. The power comes from hydro-electric generators on the River Têt.
There are open and closed cars. The open cars are a favourite with tourists and dramatic views are possible as the train climbs along the twisting track. The maximum speed of the train is 55 kilometres per hour.
It is named after its colours, yellow and red, that come from the catalan flag.
