Martigny–Orsières Railway

Martigny–Orsières
standard gauge
Minimum radius	175 m (574 ft)
Electrification	until 1949: 8 kV 15 Hz AC overhead catenary since: 15 kV/16.7 Hz AC overhead catenary
Maximum incline	4.0%
Route map Legend km elev SBB line from Lausanne TMR line from Le Châtelard 0.00 Martigny 467.2 m SBB line to Brig 2.90 Martigny-Bourg 483.9 m 4.07 Martigny-Croix carriage shed 503.1 m Tunnel no. 1 (52 m) Tunnel no. 2 (81 m) 7.80 Bovernier 613.8 m Monnaie tunnel (128 m) 13.11 Sembrancher 716.6 m Tunnel no. 5 (103 m) Tunnel no. 6 (117 m) Tunnel no. 7 (100 m) Pouta Revenne tunnel (133 m. since 1990) 16.49 La Douay 818.3 m 19.34 Orsières 901.7 m depot and workshop Sembrancher bridge (370 m) 1.71 Etiez 756.1 m high point 837.5 m 6.18 Le Châble 820.3 m Aerial cable cars to Verbier and Mayens-de-Bruson Source: Swiss railway atlas[1]

The Martigny–Orsières Railway (Chemin de fer Martigny–Orsières; MO) was a railway company in the

The MO was granted a concession to build a

The line was converted to SBB's 15 kV AC railway electrification system on 4 March 1949. This meant that traction vehicles of the SBB could also be used on the MO. The branch line from Sembrancher to Le Châble was opened on 5 August 1953 and served the construction of the Mauvoisin power station. The cement trains were hauled by SBB locomotives.

Originally goods traffic dominated operations on the MO. Since the 1970s, growing tourism has led to increased passenger traffic.

Two ABDe 4/4 railcars (6 and 8) collided front on at Martigny-Bourg on 1 September 1984.

To start operations, MO procured two BCFe 4/4 passenger railcars (1–2) and two CFe 4/4 luggage railcars (11–12) with folding seats for passenger services. All four vehicles had the same electrical equipment with repulsion motors. The railcars were completely rebuilt with the conversion of the power system in 1949. BCFe 4/4 passenger railcars (3–4) were converted from the two baggage railcars.

The railcars were supplemented with ABDe 4/4 5 in 1955. A comprehensive renewal of the rolling stock took place from 1962 to 1965. The MO procured three ABDe 4/4 EAV (Eidgenössischen Amt für Verkehr—"Federal Office of Transport") railcars (6–8), three associated Bt control cars (31–33) and two standard passenger coaches (Einheitspersonenwagen). In 1983, a fourth, identical railcar was acquired from the

The NINA railcar RABe 527 511–513, which had already been procured by the successor company TMR, has been in use on the MO lines since 2002.

• 
  BCFe 4/4 1 passenger coach
• 
  CFe 4/4 11 luggage waggon
• 
  Push-pull train with ABDe 4/4
• 
  B 52 unitary coach

Operations

The hourly Saint-Bernard Express takes 26 minutes to get from Martigny to Le Châble,^[7] from where it is possible to take the Postauto or the cable car to the resort of Verbier.

In Sembrancher, a second set provides connections to Orsières.^[7] From there, TMR bus services continue to Champex, Val Ferret or the Great St Bernard Pass.

References

Footnotes