Heritage railways in Provence

Historic Provence

Even if you are a train enthusiast, heritage railways may not be the first thing you think about when you hear the words Provence or French Riviera. In your mind will rather pop up visions of unending sunshine, nice temperatures, blue water, blue skies, rosé wine and fields of blue lavender.

Heritage railways are almost without exception run by associations established by interested individuals. Heritage railway associations usually as their objectives to collect, maintain and in operation show historic rail vehicles, often on abandoned tracks.

GECP  (Groupe d'Etude pour les Chemins de fer de Provence) was established in 1975, head-quartered in the village Puget-Thénier, where the association's workshops and rail vehicles are located at the Puget-Thénier station. It has since offered the public journeys in carriages pulled by steam locomotives (the Train des Pignes steam train) between  Puget-Thénier and neighbouring stations along the Nice – Digne one meter narrow-gauge line. As the Nice – Digne has daily traffic with railcars, the timetable for the association's trains is adapted to the schedules for the railcar trains. The Train des Pignes usually operates on Sundays from May to October. SatelliteMap

Train des Pignes meets scheduled railcar at Annot station

ATTCV (Association Train Touristique du Centre Var) (websites in French and English) was established in 1994, head-quartered in Carnoules. The association has its collected railcars and other rail equipment stored at the former Besse-sur-Issole station on the Gardanne – Carnoules standard gauge line. Since 2001 it operates a tourist train service on Sundays and Wednesdays from April to October between Carnoules-les-Platanes and Brignoles, with extension to Saint Maximin when necessary administrative and other conditions are met. SatelliteMap

The Train des Alpilles was created in 2001 and is managed by the Bouches-du-Rhône Transport Department (exception!). The rolling stock is located at the Arles station. Tourist trains run four days per week from June to September on the standard gauge line from Arles to Fontvielle (7 km). SatelliteMap

NOTE - The Train des Alpilles has now ceased

Besides being geographically differently located, at the eastern limit, in the center and at western limit of Provence, respectively, the three heritage railways may be of interest to different passenger groups:

• The Train du Centre Var attracts railcar enthusiasts and those wishing to see vineyards and a hilly green landscape passing by.
• The Train des Pignes is more of interest to steam enthusiasts and those looking for a Alpine landscape experience and living/staying not too far from the eastern part of Provence.
• The Train des Alpilles addresses a young audience, on the plains around Arles. 

They all three offer an interesting and un-forgettable break to your Provence or Riviera visit or vacation.

Notes:

1. The name “Train des Pignes” was originally given to the two one meter lines Nice – Meyrargues and Nice – Digne. The latter is still in use, but the former was disbanded in 1950, after having had three major bridges destroyed by the retiring German Army in August 1944 (but not finding the funding for their reconstruction).
2. The 1 km long 600 mm narrow-gauge railway, erected on the now disbanded standard gauge Aubagne – La Barque railway line's trackbed, located at the La Barque-Fuveau station on the Gardanne – Carnoules line is a part of the Provencal Transport Museum (Musée Provençal des Transports). It has heritage equipment collected from mining sites, but is not further addressed in this context.