Voie ferrée d'intérêt local
Encyclopedia
In France, a is a secondary railway constructed by a local administrative division
, serving sparsely-populated rural areas. These areas were beyond the economic reach of the networks of the , which were concessions
of the ("Big Companies")By is meant the principal railway companies, analogous to the Big Four British railway companies
:
These were nationalised on 1 January 1938, forming the SNCF
. who ran their lines for profit.
. The first VFILs saw the light of day in this department in 1859, when the provisions of the Act of 21 May 1836 came into force, defining the prefecture's powers of the over highways. Arousing the envy of other departments, this economical mode of transportation was the object of an inquiry that led to a law being passed on 12 July 1865. This authorised departments and communes
to implement VFILs, either themselves or through concessions
, with the State's assistance and control. Local collectives had a great deal of autonomy over both technical and financial planning. But the system was open to abuse: the law, in providing State subsidies of start-up capital, encouraged speculation
; in many cases, schemes started using this capital were later abandoned because of technical difficulties.
The State had to restore good order to an anarchic situation and, in 1878, Charles de Freycinet
, the new Minister of Public Works, endowed France with a comprehensive system of railways. He introduced rail transport, if not to every chef-lieu
, at least to the regions still unconnected by train. De Freycinet then commissioned a two-part plan, known as the Plan Freycinet:
To breathe new life into VFILs, it was necessary to enact a new law clarifying the situation. This act became law on 11 June 1880 and fixed problems with State subsidies, guaranteeing, under certain conditions, to regulate the connections with the Big Companies.
The secondary railways then grew spectacularly, from just 2187 km (1,358.9 mi) of route in 1880 to 17653 km (10,969.1 mi) in 1913. This expansion was somewhat anarchic, and once again it became being necessary to change legislation so that it encompassed both railways proper and tramways
that piggybacked on normal streets. This was done with the law of 31 July 1913, designating them both under the name VFIL and establishing a new, more-logical classification distinguishing railways and urban tramways.
The Inter-war period saw new laws (of 1 October 1926 and 17 April 1927, for example) which, with their measures of decentralisation and removal of red tape
, tried to ease the financial difficulties of companies already closing their lines and often replacing them with road transport.
Though the VFILs made up a baby boom
, their lives were brief; only two or three generations will ever have seen them in use. In 1928 the various networks had achieved their largest size, 20291 km (12,608.3 mi). In the Second World War many lines closed, victims of both the road and their own slowness. Not long after the end of the war, from the early 1950s, the survivors fell one by one. But a few still survive, sometimes as heritage railways such as the Chemin de Fer de la baie de Somme.
The development of secondary railways happened at the same time throughout Europe. In Belgium, the SNCV created infrastructure and rolling stock to respond to the same need, but they evolved differently for many different reasons (construction by a single national body, the higher population density
, a greater number of connections, partial electrification, and so on) and their development culminated around 1950.
On the secondary railways, everything was designed to achieve savings, which was not necessarily a guarantee of poor workmanship and mediocre service.
Lines were generally narrow gauge, varying from 0.6 metre (Calvados network) to 1 metre as was more common. Sometimes, when needs must, for example for a route running from a large railway, standard gauge
of 1.435 metre was adpoted (the Ligne Montérolier-Buchy - Saint-Saëns in Seine-Inférieure, for example).
For financial reasons, routes followed the terrain as much as possible, with gradients as steep as 9:10 to 1:1 (45% to 50%) compared to no more than 1:4 (25%) on more traditional lines, with the exception of some mountain railway
s. Curves could have radii of less than 30 m (98.4 ft). The rail tracks used were very light; generally of the Vignole type, with mass being 9 to 35 kg (19.8 to 77.2 lb) per metre depending on the distance. In many cases, lines were laid over road shoulders
, which reduced the need to buy land and, above all, limited the number of new bridges and tunnels. But these measures severely limited the maximum operational speed, generally to less than 30 km/h (18.6 mph).
Signalling
was itself minimal because of the small number of journeys (generally six a day before the First World War, and a few infrequent freight trains each week, fewer after 1914). Road users were warned of Level crossing
s by simple traffic sign
s saying , which would be joined, in the 1930s, by the Cross of St Andrew; without exception there were no barriers. Stations were built in the same style, of small dimensions: a little waiting room and, attached to it, a modest ticket hall leading to a platform long enough to serve the most populous locality. A simple shelter or just a signpost marked out halts or flag stops.
The locomotive
s and other rolling stock
also had this scaled-down appearance when compared with those of the larger networks. The steam locomotives were often tank engines, generally having three axles, with or without Bissel bogie
s front or rear. They were comparatively light, weighing from 8 tonne unladen weight. Later, petrol and diesel multiple unit
s appeared, looking like buses on rails. Overall, these machines formed short trains, composed of at most about a dozen small carriages or wagons, often far fewer.
Routes were quite short, some tens of kilometres, with operational speed below 20 km/h (12.4 mph). The slowness and rudimentary comfort of the secondary railways have passed into folk stories; anecdotes abound of unsavoury episodes, passengers getting off the train to push it up a steep hill, children jump-starting cars to run alongside the breathing machine. Their users gave them nicknames: ("twisters"), ("bangers"), ("cuckoos"), (imitative, as on the Boisleux Marquion line), and so on.
Administrative division
An administrative division, subnational entity, or country subdivision is a portion of a country or other political division, established for the purpose of government. Administrative divisions are each granted a certain degree of autonomy, and are required to manage themselves through their own...
, serving sparsely-populated rural areas. These areas were beyond the economic reach of the networks of the , which were concessions
Concession (contract)
A concession is a business operated under a contract or license associated with a degree of exclusivity in business within a certain geographical area. For example, sports arenas or public parks may have concession stands. Many department stores contain numerous concessions operated by other...
of the ("Big Companies")By is meant the principal railway companies, analogous to the Big Four British railway companies
Big Four British railway companies
The Big Four was a name used to describe the four largest railway companies in the United Kingdom in the period 1923-1947. The name was coined by the Railway Magazine in its issue of February 1923: "The Big Four of the New Railway Era".The Big Four were:...
:
- Chemin de Fer du NordChemin de Fer du NordChemin de Fer du Nord , often referred to simply as the Nord company, was a rail transport company created in September 1845, in Paris, France. It was owned by among others de Rothschild Frères of France, N M Rothschild & Sons of London, England, Hottinger, Laffitte and Blount...
- Chemins de fer de Paris à Lyon et à la MéditerranéeChemins de fer de Paris à Lyon et à la MéditerranéeThe Compagnie des chemins de fer de Paris à Lyon et à la Méditerranée was a French railway company ....
- Chemin de Fer de Paris à Orléans et du MidiChemin de Fer de Paris à Orléans et du MidiThe Chemin de Fer de Paris à Orléans et du Midi, often abbreviated to PO-Midi, was an early French railway company. It was formed in 1934 following the merging of the Chemin de Fer de Paris à Orléans and the Chemin de Fer du Midi....
- Chemins de fer de l'EstChemins de fer de l'EstThe Compagnie des chemins de fer de l'Est , often referred to simply as the Est company, was an early French railway company. The company was formed in 1853 by fusion from Compagnie de Paris à Strasbourg, operating the Paris-Strasbourg line, and Compagnie du chemin de fer de Montereau à Troyes...
- Chemins de Fer de l'État
- Chemins de Fer de l'OuestChemins de Fer de l'OuestThe Compagnie des chemins de fer de l'Ouest , often referred to simply as L'Ouest or Ouest, was an early French railway company.- Birth of the company :...
- Réseau Ferroviaire d'Alsace-Lorraine
These were nationalised on 1 January 1938, forming the SNCF
SNCF
The SNCF , is France's national state-owned railway company. SNCF operates the country's national rail services, including the TGV, France's high-speed rail network...
. who ran their lines for profit.
Birth
The concept of a VFIL came from Monsieur Migneret, the Prefect of Bas-RhinBas-Rhin
Bas-Rhin is a department of France. The name means "Lower Rhine". It is the more populous and densely populated of the two departments of the Alsace region, with 1,079,013 inhabitants in 2006.- History :...
. The first VFILs saw the light of day in this department in 1859, when the provisions of the Act of 21 May 1836 came into force, defining the prefecture's powers of the over highways. Arousing the envy of other departments, this economical mode of transportation was the object of an inquiry that led to a law being passed on 12 July 1865. This authorised departments and communes
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
to implement VFILs, either themselves or through concessions
Concession (contract)
A concession is a business operated under a contract or license associated with a degree of exclusivity in business within a certain geographical area. For example, sports arenas or public parks may have concession stands. Many department stores contain numerous concessions operated by other...
, with the State's assistance and control. Local collectives had a great deal of autonomy over both technical and financial planning. But the system was open to abuse: the law, in providing State subsidies of start-up capital, encouraged speculation
Speculation
In finance, speculation is a financial action that does not promise safety of the initial investment along with the return on the principal sum...
; in many cases, schemes started using this capital were later abandoned because of technical difficulties.
The State had to restore good order to an anarchic situation and, in 1878, Charles de Freycinet
Charles de Freycinet
Charles Louis de Saulces de Freycinet was a French statesman and Prime Minister during the Third Republic; he belonged to the Opportunist Republicans faction. He was elected a member of the Academy of Sciences, and in 1890, the fourteen member to occupy seat the Académie française.-Early years:He...
, the new Minister of Public Works, endowed France with a comprehensive system of railways. He introduced rail transport, if not to every chef-lieu
Chef-lieu
A chef-lieu is a town or city that is pre-eminent, from an administrative perspective, in any given sub-division of territory in France and some French-speaking countries.-In Algeria:...
, at least to the regions still unconnected by train. De Freycinet then commissioned a two-part plan, known as the Plan Freycinet:
- Plan A, signed into law on 17 July 1879, comprised the Big Companies' lines (the and others of medium importance).
- Plan B, never signed into law, listed the concessions made under the provisions of the law of 12 July 1865, and their integration with the larger networks. These provisions did nothing to address regulated routes either projected or wished for by the departments to provide secondary connections (broadly, branch lineBranch lineA branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
service).
Rise and fall of the secondary railways
The secondary railways then grew spectacularly, from just 2187 km (1,358.9 mi) of route in 1880 to 17653 km (10,969.1 mi) in 1913. This expansion was somewhat anarchic, and once again it became being necessary to change legislation so that it encompassed both railways proper and tramways
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
that piggybacked on normal streets. This was done with the law of 31 July 1913, designating them both under the name VFIL and establishing a new, more-logical classification distinguishing railways and urban tramways.
The Inter-war period saw new laws (of 1 October 1926 and 17 April 1927, for example) which, with their measures of decentralisation and removal of red tape
Red tape
Red tape is excessive regulation or rigid conformity to formal rules that is considered redundant or bureaucratic and hinders or prevents action or decision-making...
, tried to ease the financial difficulties of companies already closing their lines and often replacing them with road transport.
Though the VFILs made up a baby boom
Baby boom
A baby boom is any period marked by a greatly increased birth rate. This demographic phenomenon is usually ascribed within certain geographical bounds and when the number of annual births exceeds 2 per 100 women...
, their lives were brief; only two or three generations will ever have seen them in use. In 1928 the various networks had achieved their largest size, 20291 km (12,608.3 mi). In the Second World War many lines closed, victims of both the road and their own slowness. Not long after the end of the war, from the early 1950s, the survivors fell one by one. But a few still survive, sometimes as heritage railways such as the Chemin de Fer de la baie de Somme.
The development of secondary railways happened at the same time throughout Europe. In Belgium, the SNCV created infrastructure and rolling stock to respond to the same need, but they evolved differently for many different reasons (construction by a single national body, the higher population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
, a greater number of connections, partial electrification, and so on) and their development culminated around 1950.
Economical construction and operation
Lines were generally narrow gauge, varying from 0.6 metre (Calvados network) to 1 metre as was more common. Sometimes, when needs must, for example for a route running from a large railway, standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
of 1.435 metre was adpoted (the Ligne Montérolier-Buchy - Saint-Saëns in Seine-Inférieure, for example).
For financial reasons, routes followed the terrain as much as possible, with gradients as steep as 9:10 to 1:1 (45% to 50%) compared to no more than 1:4 (25%) on more traditional lines, with the exception of some mountain railway
Mountain railway
A mountain railway is a railway that ascends and descends a mountain slope that has a steep grade. Such railways can use a number of different technologies to overcome the steepness of the grade...
s. Curves could have radii of less than 30 m (98.4 ft). The rail tracks used were very light; generally of the Vignole type, with mass being 9 to 35 kg (19.8 to 77.2 lb) per metre depending on the distance. In many cases, lines were laid over road shoulders
Shoulder (road)
A hard shoulder, or simply shoulder, is a reserved area by the verge of a road or motorway. Generally it is kept clear of motor vehicle traffic...
, which reduced the need to buy land and, above all, limited the number of new bridges and tunnels. But these measures severely limited the maximum operational speed, generally to less than 30 km/h (18.6 mph).
Signalling
Railway signal
A signal is a mechanical or electrical device erected beside a railway line to pass information relating to the state of the line ahead to train/engine drivers. The driver interprets the signal's indication and acts accordingly...
was itself minimal because of the small number of journeys (generally six a day before the First World War, and a few infrequent freight trains each week, fewer after 1914). Road users were warned of Level crossing
Level crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
s by simple traffic sign
Traffic sign
Traffic signs or road signs are signs erected at the side of roads to provide information to road users. With traffic volumes increasing over the last eight decades, many countries have adopted pictorial signs or otherwise simplified and standardized their signs to facilitate international travel...
s saying , which would be joined, in the 1930s, by the Cross of St Andrew; without exception there were no barriers. Stations were built in the same style, of small dimensions: a little waiting room and, attached to it, a modest ticket hall leading to a platform long enough to serve the most populous locality. A simple shelter or just a signpost marked out halts or flag stops.
Small trains
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
s and other rolling stock
Rolling stock
Rolling stock comprises all the vehicles that move on a railway. It usually includes both powered and unpowered vehicles, for example locomotives, railroad cars, coaches and wagons...
also had this scaled-down appearance when compared with those of the larger networks. The steam locomotives were often tank engines, generally having three axles, with or without Bissel bogie
Bissel bogie
A Bissel truck is a very simple and commonly used way of designing a carrying axle on a steam locomotive to enable it to negotiate curves more easily. The design uses a single-axled bogie, usually known as a pony truck, whose pivot is towards the centre of the locomotive...
s front or rear. They were comparatively light, weighing from 8 tonne unladen weight. Later, petrol and diesel multiple unit
Multiple unit
The term multiple unit or MU is used to describe a self-propelled carriages capable of coupling with other units of the same or similar type and still being controlled from one driving cab. The term is commonly used to denote passenger trainsets consisting of more than one carriage...
s appeared, looking like buses on rails. Overall, these machines formed short trains, composed of at most about a dozen small carriages or wagons, often far fewer.
Routes were quite short, some tens of kilometres, with operational speed below 20 km/h (12.4 mph). The slowness and rudimentary comfort of the secondary railways have passed into folk stories; anecdotes abound of unsavoury episodes, passengers getting off the train to push it up a steep hill, children jump-starting cars to run alongside the breathing machine. Their users gave them nicknames: ("twisters"), ("bangers"), ("cuckoos"), (imitative, as on the Boisleux Marquion line), and so on.
See also
- Branch lineBranch lineA branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
- Narrow gauge railway
- Main French VFIL locomotive builders: Corpet-LouvetCorpet-LouvetCorpet-Louvet was a steam locomotive manufacturer based in Paris, France.-History:Founded in 1855 as Anjubault, based in the Avenue Phillippe-Auguste in Paris, the firm was taken over by Lucien Corpet in 1868. Corpet's daughter Marguerite married Lucien Louvet, the engineer of the Compagnie...
• Pinguely - Main French railcar builders: Établissements Billard • De Dion-BoutonDe Dion-BoutonDe Dion-Bouton was a French automobile manufacturer and railcar manufacturer operating from 1883 to 1932. The company was founded by the Marquis Jules-Albert de Dion, Georges Bouton and his brother-in-law Charles Trépardoux....