OVER ONE NUNDRED YEARS OF HISTORY
In the heart of a protected natural environment, this railroad line, over one hundred and thirty years old, traces the history of the anthracite mines, the beginnings of hydroelectricity and the rise of tourism. After an 11-year hiatus, the Petit Train de la Mure set off again in July 2021 under the impetus of the Département de l’Isère, accompanied by EDEIS, in charge of construction and operation, but also thanks to the support of institutional partners.
The story of the Petit Train began on July 24, 1888
Inauguration of the Saint-Georges-de-Commiers to La Mure section, then operated with steam traction.
1903
Electric traction tests over 6.635 km. The Petit Train de la Mure is the world’s first high-voltage DC electrified train.
1988
End of transport of Dauphiné anthracite, a coal of exceptional quality.
1989
A purely tourist operation begins.
2010
Tourist activity interrupted by a landslide in the middle of the trail.
2021
The Petit Train is back!
ROLLING STOCK
Rehabilitation of vintage vehicles
Among French tourist railroads, the Chemin de Fer de La Mure holds a special position. The large number of second-hand vehicles acquired in Switzerland between 1986 and 1999 make the line from Saint Georges-de-Commiers to La Mure the most “Swiss” of the tourist railroads. The original La Mure train was green. The red color was introduced with the development of tourism on the line.
The locomotives
Three SECHERON locomotives have been renovated and put back into service in this new operation. These locomotives handled all freight traffic between 1933 and 1988.
The M.O.B. cars
The passenger cars, 6 in all, were purchased from the Swiss M.O.B metric gauge network. Completely repainted, the cars were refurbished in the ACC-M workshops in Clermont-Ferrand. They were delivered between October 2020 and March 2021.
Strolling cars
This is an open-air car dating from 1988, with a capacity for 32 passengers.
Photo library
