The Ligne de Cerdagne, often called the Yellow Train (French: Train Jaune, Catalan: Tren Groc), is a metre gauge railway that 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, followed by an extension to Latour-de-Carol in 1927.[1]
It is 63 kilometres (39 mi) long and climbs to 1,593 metres (5,226 ft) at Bolquère-Eyne, the highest railway station in France. There are 19 tunnels and two bridges, one of which is, unusual for a railway bridge, a suspension bridge. The trains are powered by electricity at 850 volts DC, supplied by 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 enjoying dramatic views as the train climbs the twisting track. The maximum speed of the train is 55 kilometres per hour (34 mph).
It is named after its yellow and red colours, derived from the Catalan flag.
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In 1911 railway workers reported a fireball on the third rail between kilometres 28 and 40. A similar phenomenon occurred again when a train was hit by one of these fireballs during a thunderstorm. Lightning rods were installed where these events had occurred, and the phenomena have not been repeated.