Chemins de Fer de la
Corse - CFC
-
Page
1: Autorails & Trailers
-
- This page is the first
in a series devoted to postcards and photographs of the Chemins
de Fer de la Corse (CFC). This page shows autorails and trailers.
CFC - Page 2 is devoted to diesel locomotives
and stations.
Map
of the island's railways.
Casamozza-Porto-Vecchio
is now closed.
Ajaccio-Propriano
and Port-Vecchio-Bonifacio were proposals only.
- Brief History of Corsican
Railways:-
- In 1877, the decision
to build a metre gauge railway in Corsica was taken, starting
with the Bastia-Ajaccio route. For a long time its completion
was considered impossible, due to the difficult terrain. 1888
saw the inauguration of the Bastia-Corte and Ajaccio-Bocognano
sections. The remainder opened in sections until completion in
1894.
-
- At the beginning of the
First World War, the Corsican network covered 295 kilometres
of track. The network was further extended at the beginning of
the Second World War, and the western line linking Porto-Vecchio
was inaugurated. Unfortunately, the Second World War destroyed
a lot of the infrastructure, and halted the railway's expansion.
Thereafter, the Chemins de fer de la Corse fought for its existence
over many years. In 1955, the fight against the closure of the
La Balagne line (from Ponte-Leccia as far as Calvi) mobilised
the railway workers and the Corsican population. In 1959, and
again in 1972, popular support fought for keeping open the remaining
232 km of track. The railcars of CFC seem to be known as "Les
Micheline" locally, although I understood this name to refer
to the pneumatic-tyred railcars once used in France. I do not
think any operated in Corsica
The succession of private operators running the railway ended
in 1983. Decentralisation laws enabled Corsica to run its own
regional transport systems. The SNCF took over the management
of the network. In September 2001, the Corsican authorities gave
SNCF the responsibility of operating the railway as a public
service. Working together, the State, the Corsican authorities
and SNCF have jointly produced a modernisation plan aimed at
ensuring the rail service's future. Over 110 million euros are
to be committed towards improvements, with new
new railcars and renovation of existing rolling stock will
take place. The new
railcars will allow
a reduction in journey times (Ajaccio-Bastia in 2h 30), and service
frequencies will be increased.
-
-
- Sections on this Page:-
- Autorails
- Renault ABH 8 - postcards
-
Autorails
- Renault ABH 8 - images
- Autorails
- CFD X 2000
- Autorails
- Soulé X 97500
- Autorails
- AMG 800
- Autorails
- Trailers
-
- Sections on Page 2:-
- Diesel
Locomotives - CFC
- Diesel
Locomotives - CFG
- Stations
- Station
- Bastia
- Station
- Calvi
- Station
- Corte
- Station
- Ile Rousse
- Station
- Vivario
- Lines
- Ajaccio-Corte
- Lines
- Calvi-Ile Rousse
-
- Associated Pages:-
- CFC - Page
1 - CFC
autorails and trailers - this page!
- CFC - Page
2 - CFC
diesel locomotives and stations
- Chemin de fer de Provence - Nice-Digne Narrow Gauge
- Simplon Postcards
Home Page
-
Renault ABH 8 Autorails
- The CFC retains two 40-seat
Renault ABH 8 autorails built in 1949. Similar
Renault Class ABH1 autorails remain on the Chemin
de fer de Provence.
In April 2004, ABH 8 autorail 204 was at Calvi, for summer use
along the coast.
Roc-é-Mare
postcard 2403 of Renault ABH 8 "La Micheline" autorail
at Calvi.
Roc-é-Mare
postcard 2399 of Renault ABH 8 "La Micheline" autorail
on the beach at Calvi.
Superiore
postcard C5040 of Renault ABH 8 "La Micheline" autorail
on the beach at Calvi.
La Corse
postcard 43.16.31 of Renault ABH 8 "La Micheline" autorail
on the beach at Calvi.
Renault
ABH 8 "La Micheline" autorail 204 at Calvi.
Photos: © Ian Boyle, 11th April 2004
Images link to larger copies
CFD X 2000 and X 5000
Autorails
-
- CFC maintains five 48-seat
CFD X 2000 autorails, built in 1975/76. Two were in use on the
Calvi section in April 2004, one on the Bastia trains and one
on the short workings to Ile Rousse, marketed as the Tramways
de la Balagne. Two further X 5000 autorails were delivered
in 1982/83.
-
-
- F.A.C.S.
postcard 504 of an X2000 autorail on the quay at Ajaccio.
-
-
- U.Segnu
postcard 930 of an X5000 autorail.
-
-
-
-
-
- X2000
autorail at Bastia.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, August 2001.
-
-
- X2000
autorail at Bastia.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, August 2001.
-
-
- Autorail
2002 at Calvi, on Bastia service.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 11th April 2004.
-
-
- Autorail
2002 at Calvi, arriving from Bastia.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 11th April 2004.
-
-
- Autorail
2002 at Calvi, arriving from Bastia.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 11th April 2004.
-
-
- Autorail
2002 at Calvi, leaving for Bastia.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 11th April 2004.
-
-
- Autorail
2002 at Calvi, leaving for Bastia.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 11th April 2004.
-
-
- Autorail
2005 at Calvi, arriving from Ile Rousse.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 11th April 2004.
-
-
- Autorail
2005 at Calvi, arriving from Ile Rousse.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 11th April 2004.
-
-
- Autorail
2005 at Calvi, arrived from Ile Rousse.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 11th April 2004.
-
-
- Autorail
2005 at Calvi, prior to taking Ile Rousse service.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 11th April 2004.
-
-
- Autorail
2005 at Calvi, prior to taking Ile Rousse service.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 11th April 2004.
-
-
- Autorail
2005 at Calvi, prior to taking Ile Rousse service.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 11th April 2004.
-
-
- Autorail
2005 at Calvi, prior to taking Ile Rousse service.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 11th April 2004.
-
-
- Autorail
2005 at Calvi, prior to taking Ile Rousse service.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 11th April 2004.
-
-
- Autorail
2005 at Calvi, prior to taking Ile Rousse service.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 11th April 2004.
-
-
- Autorail
2005 at Calvi, prior to taking Ile Rousse service.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 11th April 2004.
-
-
- Autorail
2005 at Calvi, prior to taking Ile Rousse service.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 11th April 2004.
-
-
- Autorail
2005 at Calvi, prior to taking Ile Rousse service.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 11th April 2004.
-
-
- Autorail
2005 at Ile Rousse, after arriving from Calvi.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 11th April 2004.
-
-
- Autorail
2005 at Ile Rousse, after arriving from Calvi.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 11th April 2004.
-
-
- Autorail
2005 at Ile Rousse.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 11th April 2004.
-
-
- Autorail
2005 at Ile Rousse.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 11th April 2004.
-
-
- Autorail
2005 at Ile Rousse.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 11th April 2004.
-
-
- Autorail
2005 at Ile Rousse.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 11th April 2004.
-
-
- Autorail
2005 at Ile Rousse.
- The
short workings from Calvi to Ile Rousse are marketed as the Tramways
da la Balagne, with local authority financial support.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 11th April 2004.
-
-
- Interior
of autorail 2005.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 11th April 2004.
-
-
- Interior
of autorail 2005.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 11th April 2004.
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Autorails - Soulé
X 97500 and X 9700
-
-
- In 2005, the primary railcars
of CFC are the seven 44-seat Soulé X 97500 railcars built
between 1989 and 1997. They work with six 54-seat Soulé
XR 9700 trailers built at the same time, and maintain the main
Bastia-Corte-Ajaccio services until the arrival of the new AMG 800 autorails in 2007.
-
-
- Sarl.Desjobert.Desjo
postcard 17-018 of Soulé X 97500/9700 railcars.
-
-
-
- Sarl.Desjobert.Desjo
postcard 17-018 of Soulé X 97500/9700 autorails on the
beach at Calvi.
- This
is also described as "La Micheline" on the card.
-
-
-
- Soulé
autorail 9702 at Ajaccio, about to leave for Corte and Bastia.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 28th July 1995.
-
-
- Soulé
autorail 9702 at Corte.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 28th July 1995.
-
-
- Soulé
autorail 9702 at Corte.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 28th July 1995.
-
-
- Soulé
autorail 9702 at Corte.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 28th July 1995.
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Autorails - AMG 800
-
- In 2007, new AMG 800 panoramic
autorails will be introduced on the Bastia-Corte-Ajaccio route,
reducing journey times to 2hr 30min. Each unit will have a capacity
of 103 people in a length of 40m. Three units will be able to
operate in multiple in normal service, providing 309 seats. Two
Deutz V8 BF8M diesels of 440 kW will drive the train through
Voith hydraulic transmissions, giving a speed of 83 kmph and
improved hill-climbing compared to the existing Soulé
stock, which can then be transferred to the Bastia-Calvi route.
12 large
diesel
engines from CFG
arrived in Corsica in November 2004 to assist with the track
improvements.
-
-
- Artist's
impression of the new panoramic railcars.
-
-
- Plan
of the new panoramic railcars.
-
