Bex-Villars-Bretaye

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Bex-Villars-Col de Bretayne railway is a metre gauge line operating between the towns in its title, situated in the Chablais region of south west Switzerland. It is, in fact, two lines, one adhesion worked between Bex and Villars, the other, linking Villars to Col de Bretayne being worked on the Abt rack system.

[edit] History

The line was authorised to be built in three sections between 1897 and 1911 but was opened in stages as they were completed : Bex to Bevieux was opened in 1898, from there to Gryon in 1900, to Villers the following year and to Chesieres in 1906. The final section to reach Col de Bretayne was completed in 1913. Passengers making the full journey are requied to change trains at Villers, from the adhesion worked line to that on the rack system.

The route rises from 427m (1324 ft.) above sea level at Bex to 1820m (5642 ft) at the top station, a total climb of 1393m (4318 ft).

[edit] Rolling Stock

The railway is operated, in the main, by railcars although they do operate two electric locomotives of class HGe4/4, No.31, built in 1953 and No.32 of 1964 and a 1898 built locotracteur of class Te2/2. The goods wagons used on the line would not be out of place in a museum as most date back to the 1900 - 1910 period.