Arras–Dunkirk railway
| Arras-Dunkirk railway | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Map of French railways in 1853 before the section from Hazebrouck to Arras was built | |||
| Overview | |||
| Status | Operational | ||
| Owner | RFF | ||
| Locale | France Nord-Pas-de-Calais | ||
| Termini | |||
| Service | |||
| System | SNCF | ||
| Operator(s) | SNCF | ||
| History | |||
| Opened | 1848-1861 | ||
| Technical | |||
| Line length | 113 km (70 mi) | ||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge | ||
| |||
The Arras–Dunkirk railway is a French railway which runs from Arras to Dunkirk. Electrified double track it is 113 kilometres (70 miles) long.
Services
As of August 2011[update] the line is used for TGV services from Dunkirk and St Omer to Paris via Hazebrouck and Arras, and for local TER Nord-Pas-de-Calais services.[2] A TERGV service between Dunkirk and Lille-Europe uses the northern section of the line before accessing LGV Nord at Cassel.
History
The line was built in two stages. In 1848 the section from a junction with the Lille-Calais railway at Hazebrouck to Dunkirk was opened. The section from Arras to Hazebrouck was opened in 1861, and this became part of the route for trains between Paris and London via Calais[3] until the Boulogne-Calais railway opened in 1867.[4]
References
- ^ "RFF - Map of electrified railway lines" (PDF).
- ^ Timetable lines 6-7 TER-SNCF 2 July 2011
- ^ "Calais to Hazebrouck, Dunkirk, Bethune, Lens, Arras, Amiens and Paris". Bradshaw's continental railway guide. February 1866. archive
- ^ "The Opening of the new railway between Boulogne and Calais". The Railway News. 12 January 1867. p. 33. archive