Chemin de fer Aigle-Ollon-Monthey-Champery

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The Aigle-Ollon-Monthey-Champéry Railway is a metre gauge railway operating in the Chablais region of Switzerland. It was created in 1946 by the amalgamation of the Chemin de fer Aigle-Ollon-Monthey (AOM) and the Chemin de fer Monthey-Champéry-Morgins (MCM). Today its starting point is two newly built bay (terminal) platforms at the main line station at Aigle, adjacent to the main line of the SBB-CFF-FFS. From there it serves the towns suggested by its title.

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[edit] History

From 1st January 1946 the AOM and the MCM amalgamated to form the AOMC and plans were put forward to bring the line up to date. Although not delivered until 1954, on the rolling stock side, this was to mean the construction of four new railcars of Series BDeh4/4, numbered 511-4. Passenger carrying stock has been regularly updated since this time, the last delivery, two twin-car railcars (No's 591 and 592), arriving in 2001.

Although the line to Morgins, on the MCM system, was not built there was still one section of the present day system to be added. The short, just one kilometre in length section, from the town station in Champéry to Champéry-Planachaux, a lift which forms another part in the public access to the mountains, was opened in the late 1980's.

Nowadays the line is part of a larger, regional system operated, along with local bus services, by the Transports Publics du Chablais.

[edit] The Line

The line, built to metre-gauge, is 23.14 km. (14.46 miles) in length of which 3.66 km. (2.287 miles) is operated on the Strub rack system at a maximum gradient of 13.5%. The line rises from 404 m. (1252.4 ft.) at Aigle to a summit of 1049 m. (3251.9 ft) at Champéry, a total rise of 645 m. (1999.5 ft). It is electrically operated by overhead contact at 850 V d.c..

[edit] Recent Developments

Important investment plans were developed by the AOMC in 1995 one of which involved the construction of a large maintenance workshop and stockholding facility. This work was completed and opened under the TPC, in 2001. The new dépôt at Châlex, alongside the line a short distance east of Aigle has over 26,500 sq.m. of space available for workshops and is the main stockholder for all three of the TPC narrow gauge lines. Space is also available on the site for expansion in the future should this be required.

In 2006 the TPC commenced a programme of building works at Aigle in collaboration with the CFF/SBB/FFS. This was to bring together all three of the metre gauge lines at new platforms adjacent to those of the main line company. Work was completed in early 2007 when the services were brought together, the AOCM making use of the two platforms nearest the main line. These platforms feature new lighting and public address systems and have easy access from the town's Place de la Gare.

[edit] Passenger Rolling Stock

At the present time (Spring 2007) the railway operates 12 single unit electric railcars (automotrice) (No's 101-5, 501-3, 511-14) and 2 twin unit sets (automotrice-double) (No's 591-2). To increase carrying capacity they also operate 5 driving trailer units (voiture pilote) (No's 132-4 and 531-2) and 3 passenger coaches (voiture voyager) (No's 523-5).

[edit] References

  • Official documents and stock lists of the tpc (in French) published in 2004.
  • Newsletters and publicly available material detailing changes to the local lines, temporary bus replacements etc.
  • Various articles published in "24 heures" (Chablais edition)
  • All updated by personal visits and observations of the line in 2006/7.