The Nyon–St-Cergue–Morez Railway (NStCM; ) is a narrow gauge railway in western Switzerland which nowadays operates between Nyon, on the northern shore of Lake Geneva and the French border at La Cure, the La Cure–Morez section having closed in 1958. The railway reaches a height of above sea level at the Col de la Givrine and it is the highest in the Jura Mountains.

History The line, built to gauge, was opened in three sections, the first from Nyon, a town on the shores of Lake Geneva, to the Jura mountain resort village of Saint-Cergue on 12 July 1916, then to the French border at La Cure, opened on 18 August 1917. The third section, built by the French Company Chemins de fer électriques du Jura (CFEJ), taking the line over the border was opened to the French town of Morez on 7 March 1921 giving a total length of . In effect, this small line linked the Swiss railways' main line from Geneva to Lausanne with that of the Chemins de fer de Paris à Lyon et à la Méditerranée (PLM) (from 1938 this was the SNCF). With the exception of the period from 1940 to 1948 this enabled direct services to operate on a daily basis, although wintertime conditions often made this a difficult feat. Because of its steep gradients the line was electrified from the outset at the unusual, if not unique, 2,200 Volts DC. The French section from La Cure to Morez closed on 28 September 1958.

The line Originally the line commenced outside the main station in Nyon and after passing below the Swiss Federal Railways main line it climbed steadily, steeply in places taking large curves to ease the gradient, to the mountain resort of St. Cergue. From here it runs alongside the road through the Col de la Givrine, with a summit of . Above sea level, to the village of La Cure, nowadays its upper terminus. It was here the line crossed the French border and again running alongside the road, passing the village of Les Rousses it duly arrived in the streets of Morez. The line then descended steeply to terminate in front of the PLM station.

Locomotives and Rolling Stock No.TypeSeats: 2nd+1st Builders DetailsDate BuiltNotes. 1 ABDe4/4 20+5 SWS/BBC 1916Sold 1982, Chemin de fer de la Mure 2 ABDe4/4 30+6 CGV/BBC 19361961 ex-CFEJ No.2:Withdrawn 1986 3 ABDe4/4 18+6 D&B/BBC 19241961 ex-CFEJ No.1:Scrapped after accident 1980 5 ABDe4/4 20+5 SWS/BBC 1916Sold 1986, Chemin de fer de la Mure 6 ABDe4/4 20+5 SWS/BBC 1916Withdrawn 198310 ABDe4/4 10+5 SWS/BBC 1918Sold 1992, Chemin de fer de la Mure11 ABDe4/4 10+5 SWS/BBC 1918Sold 1992, Chemin de fer de la Mure201Be4/4 40ACMV/BBC 1985 202Be4/4 40ACMV/BBC 1985203Be4/4 40ACMV/BBC 1985204Be4/4 40ACMV/BBC 1985205Be4/4 40ACMV/BBC 1986211BDe4/4 24ACMV/ABB 1991baggage area but fewer seats 221BDe4/4 40 1936Ex-LEB No.22, 1991231BDe4/4 32SWS/SAAS 1953Ex-CJ No.606, 2003232BDe4/4 32SWS/SAAS 1953Ex-CJ No.607, 2007251XTm2/2 Beilhack/Deutz1984Fitted with Hiab lifting equipment.261Tm2/2 O&K/Deutz 1958Type MV4A, Wks No.25845. Rebuilt 1996.301Bt 52ACMV/BBC 1985driving trailer302Bt 52ACMV/BBC 1985driving trailer303Bt 52ACMV/BBC 1985driving trailer304Bt 52ACMV/BBC 1985driving trailer305Bt 52ACMV/BBC 1986driving trailer331Bt 48SIG/SAAS 1952driving trailer, ex-CJ No.705341B 66SWS 1949ex BTI B41 in 1978 ex BD B41 in 1969342B 66SWS 1949ex BTI B42 in 1978 ex BD B42 in 1969381D SWS 1913ex-YSteC DZ 62 ex PTT (RhB) Z4° 76 ex 88 1955 rebuilt with bogies ex Z° 26 ex 321

all motor coaches are double cab all driving trailers are single cab B 341-342 are MU-wired for push-pull operation with Be4/4 201–205, BDe4/4 211 and Bt 301–305

Abbreviations ACMV : Ateliers de constructions mécaniques de Vevey BBC : Brown, Boveri & Cie BD : Bremgarten-Dietikon Bahn BTI : Biel-Taufelen-Ins Bahn CJ : Chemins de fer du Jura LEB : Chemin de fer Lausanne-Echallens-Bercher RhB : Rhätische Bahn SAAS : S.A. Ateliers Sécheron, Geneva SWS : Schweizerische Wagons & Aufzügefabrik YSteC : Chemin de fer Yverdon – Ste. Croix

Modernisation The earliest section to open, that in Switzerland, continued after the closure of the French section and in the 1980s was part of a modernisation programme. The overline line voltage was changed from 2,200 Volts DC to the more common 1,500 Volts DC and automatic block signalling was installed. Work to modernise the infrastructure and implement the voltage change took place throughout 1984 and 1985. The St. Cergue–La Cure section was changed to the new, reduced voltage in mid-October 1985 and the Nyon–St. Cergue section followed on 5 December 1985. As part of this modernisation, new rolling stock was purchased, and arrived starting in autumn 1985. These were new automotrice (powered driving railcars) and matching voitures pilote (driving trailers). During the transitional phase in the line voltage, the old cars were able to continue in service after the reduction in voltage, but at reduced speed. The old stock ran for the last time on 20 December 1985, and from 21 December all service was operated by the new trains.

Plans were put forward in 1999 to extend the line some over the French border to the village of Les Rousses but this did not prove cost effective to the communities involved and was rejected. In 2004, the Nyon terminus was moved to a two platform underground station on the north side of the main line approached by escalators from the station underpass.

Preservation The original “automotrice”, of which 7 were built, were heavy duty vehicles and could haul several trailer cars. Two of these have survived, restored to working order, at the Chemin de Fer de la Mure near Grenoble. Two other examples were sold to the same railway but have yet to be restored. Some trailer cars have also survived including No. B7 which has been restored at the Blonay–Chamby museum railway near Montreux and another example at the Chemin de Fer Voies Ferrees du Velay in Haute Loire. The vehicles carried a dark red livery.

Gallery

References

External links

https://www.nstcm.ch/