Coudekerque-Branche–Fontinettes railway
Encyclopedia
The Coudekerque-Branche–Fontinettes railway runs along the coast in France
from a junction near Gare de Coudekerque-Branche in Dunkirk to a junction near Gare des Fontinettes
in Calais
. It is 41.159 kilometres (25.6 mi) long and unelectrified single track for much of its length, except for the first 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from Dunkirk which is double track electrified with 25kV 50Hz. Line speeds are from 80 km/h (49.7 mph) to 120 km/h (74.6 mph).
There is a movable bridge over the Aa
at Gravelines to allow navigation of the river.
, an irregular service of 3 to 5 trains run each day.
The whole length of the line was doubled in 1915, to be resingled along much of its length in 1960. The first ten kilometres of the line from Coudekerque was electrified in 1962 and the marshalling yard (triage de Grande-Synthe) at Grande-Sythe built between 1962 and 1965.
There are plans to electrify the line by 2014.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
from a junction near Gare de Coudekerque-Branche in Dunkirk to a junction near Gare des Fontinettes
Gare des Fontinettes
Les Fontinettes railway station is a railway station in Calais, France.It is situated on a triangular junction where the Coudekerque-Branche–Fontinettes railway, Lille–Fontinettes railway and Boulogne–Calais railway all meet...
in Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
. It is 41.159 kilometres (25.6 mi) long and unelectrified single track for much of its length, except for the first 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from Dunkirk which is double track electrified with 25kV 50Hz. Line speeds are from 80 km/h (49.7 mph) to 120 km/h (74.6 mph).
There is a movable bridge over the Aa
Aa River (France)
The Aa is an 89 km long river in northern France. Its source is near the village Bourthes. It flows through the following départements and cities:* Pas-de-Calais: Saint-Omer.* Nord: Gravelines....
at Gravelines to allow navigation of the river.
, an irregular service of 3 to 5 trains run each day.
History
The line was built by Compagnie du Nord-Est and opened 10 August 1876. Operations were transferred on 5 June 1883 to Compagnie des chemins de fer du Nord.The whole length of the line was doubled in 1915, to be resingled along much of its length in 1960. The first ten kilometres of the line from Coudekerque was electrified in 1962 and the marshalling yard (triage de Grande-Synthe) at Grande-Sythe built between 1962 and 1965.
There are plans to electrify the line by 2014.