Train du Centre Var - ATTCV starts 2016 traffic season in spring colours

X 2204 enters a Carnoules-les-Platanes station filled with flowers

Sunday April 3 is the first day this year 2016 with regular tourist traffic between Carnoules-les-Platanes and Brignoles. Railcar X 2204 in its original colours was selected for this introductory journey, leaving Carnoules-les-Platanes with passengers at 15.00. Some photos below from the journey.

Railcar X-2204

"Ville de Brignoles"

This is the latest arrival and the youngest railcar in the railcar collection. It was built in 1985 and arrived at ATTCV in March 2012.

X-2204 "Brignoles" from Carnoules

The Centre Var Tourist Train services start from a "station" (which rather is a halte or a stop) at Carnoules-les-Platanes. There is no station building, in fact no building at all, except for an old stone building at the narrow road leading to the halte.

But between this building and the rails you find quite a few impressive trees, in French called platanes. Hence the name of the halte.

With "Ville de Brignoles" from Carnoules to Brignoles

Railcar X-2204 had for many years provided passenger service on the Nice to Breil-sur-Roya railway line in the southern Alps before it arrived to ATTCV in March 2012. It was after some restoration work at the ATTCV depot in Besse-sur-Issole, in particular refresh of exterior paint, put back on the rails.

It made its (second) "maiden voyage" in February this year under - for this part of Provence - extreme conditions: Snowstorm!

In April 2013 - proudly showing its original colours - it was at Brignoles station by the mayor of Brignoles baptized to (Ville of) Brignoles (see earlier post). It has afterwards been used for the ATTCV tourist train between Carnoules-les-Platanes and Brignoles.