page_title: Ligne du Haut-Bugey
section_title: Motive Power
hierarchical_section_title: Ligne du Haut-Bugey / Operations / Motive Power
caption_attribution_description: English: TGV near Sylans lake Français&#160;: TGV Sud-Est près du lac de Sylans
context_page_description: The Haut-Bugey line is a railway line in France. It is 65 kilometres in length and connects Bourg-en-Bresse with Bellegarde, travelling through the Jura Mountains. With steep grades, tight curves, and a long poorly ventilated tunnel it was a challenging line to operate.
  For a century and a quarter after its opening in 1877, it served local interests only, suffering a slow decline. However, in 2006, it had a new lease of life as its renovation was chosen as the most cost-effective way to shorten the journey time from Paris to Geneva. The line was closed in 2006 for complete reconstruction and electrification. The upgraded line was inaugurated on 2 December 2010 featuring 25 kV AC electrification, replacement of 18 level-crossings with bridges, avalanche protection and daylighting a tunnel. Today the line enables a faster link between the French TGV network and Geneva, giving a Paris to Geneva journey time of just over three hours.
context_section_description: Motive power began with steam, was replaced by diesel locomotives then diesel railcars before electrification brought the TGVs.
  The DSE used 120-T and 030-T tank engines.  Later in the 19th century, the PLM used 120 and 030 Bourbonnais, some of which were still in service in Bourg in 1950.  But these locos were not powerful enough for the steep grade; most trains had to be double headed.  Later and up until the second war, 140B, 140F, 230A came in.  After the war 140L and 140J were used. The last was scrapped in 1961.  The 141Rs so prevalent on the SNCF network, saw no service on the Haut-Bugey line as their axle weight was too heavy for the rails, although they did exceptionally run up to Nantua on trains unloading rubble from the Cret d'Eau tunnel.
  As of 1955, BB 63000 (ex 040-DE) were often to be found hauling both passenger and freight trains. Then came the BB 66000 (ex 040-DG) and finally the BB 67300 which handled freight services up to the mid 1990s.
  There was also an abundance of diesel railcars, in particular first the ABJ, 90 hp FNC and X5500/5800 classes. Several different railcars were in service from the mid-1980s.  The 300 hp X3800 series 'Picassos' ran from Bourg to Bellegarde until the 1980s and were then replaced by X2100s between la Cluse and Bellegarde.  They could be found coupled to X2800 (a powerful 825 hp railcar designed to haul several carriages and operate on steep gradients). These railcars were still in service up to closure of the line.  Occasionally, new generation X 73500 railcars were used to complement the X2800s.
  There are some records of special trains.  On 25 September 1983, a Trans-Europ-Panorama railtour made up of Rheingold coaches hauled by a BB67000 and BB66000 ran through from Bellegarde to Bourg.  Three preservation railcars ran most of the rail tours in the 90s and up to 2005: X3943 "Bourg-Oyonnax", Agrivap's panoramic X-4208 and above all the X-4039 ABFC's 'Picasso' X4039 which ran for the last time from Bourg to Brion on 13 February 2005.  X4208 came back for a VIP tour prior to the reopening on 2 June 2010.
  Since the line was reopened, three multiple units are to be seen:  TGV Sud-Est, TGV Duplex providing 9 rotations each day between Geneva and Paris (up from 7 per day before the reopening) and one diesel B 81500 providing the TER service from Bourg to St Claude.
  There has been talk of Eurostar opening services from London to Geneva and Thalys reopening the Brussels - Geneva service closed in 2003.
caption: TGV Sud-Est by the lac de Sylans
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