Train des Pignes

As the Train Pignes ( German: Pinienzapfenzug ) are referred to in the south of France Alpes -Maritimes, Var, Alpes -de -Haute -Provence and Bouches -du -Rhône, the four partially disused, meter gauge narrow gauge railways. These routes connected the places and Meyrargues Nice, Nice and Digne- les- Bains, Saint -Raphael and Toulon and Saint-Tropez, Cogolin and.

Only on the railway line between Nice and Digne- les- Bains still trains. Therefore, the term of the Train Pignes is now often used exclusively for this last stretch. The historic routes Saint- Raphaël -Toulon and Cogolin Saint Tropez are called Le Macaron.

Businesses, the traffic on the route from Nice to Digne- les- Bains by the Chemins de Fer de Provence.

History

After the start of construction in 1887, the tracks were removed in sections in operation:

Nice Meyrargues (210 km) Meyrargues - Draguignan (22 March 1889) Draguignan, Grasse (25 October 1890) Grasse - Colomars (7 June 1892) Colomars -Nice (2 June 1892)

Nice - Digne (150 km) Nice Colomars (2 June 1892) Colomars - Puget Théniers (8 August 1892) Puget Théniers -Saint -André- les- Alpes (3 July 1911) ( Until 1911, the leg was operated with coaches. The trip took 6.5 hours. ) Saint -André- les -Alpes- Digne- les- Bains (15 May 1892)

Saint- Raphaël -Toulon (103 km) Saint -Raphael -La Foux (19 September 1889) La Foux -Hyères (4 August 1890) Hyeres -Toulon (21 August 1905) This section was decommissioned in 1948.

Cogolin Saint Tropez (9 km) Cogolin Saint Tropez (July 1, 1894)

The closures of the three no longer existing routes carried out in middle of the 20th century, when the importance of the railroad withdrew behind the motorized private.

Relics

In some of the places formerly connected the station buildings are still preserved. For example, housed in the former railway station of Le Lavandou a post office. In large parts of the former routes roads were built after closure.

Operation between Nice and Digne- les- Bains

On the approximately 151 km long route from Nice to Digne- les- Bains operate DMUs in plan operation, not all trains go through the entire route. In addition, nostalgia trips are organized with steam locomotives.

→ see also: Chemins de Fer de Provence

Planned route new Le Lavandou - Pramousquier

To connect the eastern parts of the municipality harbor town of Le Lavandou the construction of a narrow gauge railway is largely planned along the former route. End of the road shall be adjoining to the neighboring community Rayol- Canadel- sur -Mer Pramousquier. Every connected settlements are popular tourist resorts on the coast.