Chemin de fer de La Mure

Chemin de Fer de La Mure
A train on the upper viaduct at Loulla (Isère)
Overview
Termini	St.-Georges-de-Commiers La Mure (Isère)
History
Opened	1888
Closed	2010 (see text)
Technical
Line length	30 km (19 mi)
Track gauge	1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge
Electrification	2400 V DC Overhead line
Highest elevation	925 m (3,035 ft)
Route map Legend km Lyon–Grenoble–Marseille railway line towards Grenoble 0,8 Tunnel de Ravinson (383 m) 0,0 St-Georges-de-Commiers (316 m) Lyon–Grenoble–Marseille railway line towards Marseille (Saint-Pierre-de-Commiers) Ruisseau des Commiers 4,8 Tunnel de Molard (89 m) Boucle de Pré-Baron 5,5 Tunnel de Pré-Baron (235 m) 6,5 Tunnel de Commiers (129 m) 7,047 Notre-Dame-de-Commiers (478 m) 7,2 Tunnel du Bessat ou des Amoureux (89 m) 9,3 Tunnel de Pierre-Avillaire (88 m) 9,8 Tunnel des Ripeaux (438 m) 11,3 Viaduc du Pivou 11,7 First tunnel des Chalanches (153 m) 12,0 Second tunnel des Chalanches (299 m) 13,1 Tunnel de Serguignou (309 m) 13,5 Tunnel de Brondes (401 m) Point de vue du Grand balcon 14,3 Viaduc de la Rivoire 14,4 Tunnel de la Rivoire (50 m) 14,7 Tunnel de Gervaison (85 m) 16,013 La Motte-les-Bains (705 m) 15,6 Tunnel des Baux (30 m) 17,0 Viaduc de Vaulx (170 m) 19,0 Tunnel de la Tuilerie (135 m) 18,1 /19,6Viaducs de Loulla (85 m / 110 m) 19,7 Tunnel de Loulla (39 m) Notre-Dame de Vaulx (Mine) Ruisseau de Vaulx 22,0 Tunnel de Comberolle (214 m) 22,649 La Motte-d'Aveillans (867 m) 23,9 Tunnel de la Festinière (1071 m) 26,5 Peychagnard-Le Crey (916 m) Le Villaret (889 m) 30,096 La Mure (881 m) La Mure - Hôtel-de-Ville Le Breuil La Faurie Ruisseau de la Nantette Roizon Viaduc de la Roizonne Siévoz Viaduc de la Bonne Pont-du-Prêtre Valbonnais Malbuisson Saint-Laurent-en-Beaumont St-Pierre-de-Méaroz – Les Égats Les Souchons La Salle-en-Beaumont Les Marcoux Quet-en-Beaumont Sainte-Luce Le Cardaire Pont et boucle de la Sézie Corps

The Chemin de Fer de La Mure (La Mure railway) is a former coal-carrying electrified railway in (and owned by) the Department of Isère near the city of Grenoble, France, which lost its regular public passenger service from 2 February 1950 (although miners' trains continued until autumn 1962). It lost most of its freight traffic – apart from anthracite coal – in 1952, and even the anthracite ceased from 18 October 1988. However, the local tourist office had been chartering seasonal tourist passenger trains from 8 September 1968 and these developed steadily over the years, the line becoming one of the finest tourist railways in Europe with views over dams and lakes, and mountain scenery. Since 1 February 1998 the concession to operate the line and its tourist trains has been held by CFTA, now Veolia. The line can be reached easily by road from Grenoble, or by trains on the SNCF line towards Gap.

On 26 October 2010, shortly before the end of the season, a landslide destroyed the Viaduc de la Clapisse and parts of a tunnel entrance.^[1] In June 2017, the General Council of the Department of Isère announced that the company Edeis had been chosen to repair the railway and take over its operation, with the aim of having it operational again for the 2020 season.^[2] Half the line eventually reopened in July 2021, from the top at La Mure as far as the viewpoint at Le Grand Balcon.