le Tramway du Mont Blanc

As most people know, Mont Blanc, shared between France and Italy, is Europe's highest mountain, at 4,810 metres. At the beginning of the 20th century the grand idea was proposed to build a railway line up the French side to its summit! After works started in 1904 this was modified to the summit of l'Aiguille du Goûter at 3,863 metres. The first section, stopping at the Col de Voza was inuaugurated in 1909, the second section arrived at Bellevue in 1911.  The works were stopped in 1914 by the start of WW1 at the level of the Nid d'Aigle (Eagle's Nest). The works did not resume and this remains the terminus at 2,380 metres.

The line, the Tramway du Mont-Blanc or TMB, the highest in France, is a 'train à crémaillère' or rack railway using the Strub system, of which the starting place is le Fayet, adjacent to the SNCF station of St Gervais les Bains at 580 metres altitude. Intermediate stops are Saint-Gervais (792 metres), Motivon (1,400 metres), Col de Voza (1,653 metres) et Bellevue (1,794 metres). At the bottom and at these crossing stations adhesion only is used; the rack is used on 85% of the trajectory. The journey, involving an average gradient of 15% and a maximum gradient of 24%, takes 1 hr 15 mins.  In winter the terminus is reduced to Bellevue, although even in summer the traveller can encounter snowy conditions at Nid d'Aigle.

In 1956 the steam lokeys were replaced by electric traction at 11 kV, 50 Hz AC. The line is worked by three motor coach/trailer units which are named Anne, Marie and Jeanne after the three daughters of the line's owner at the time of electrification.

A little above the terminus is a 'restaurant-refuge' at 2,412 metres. The Nid d'Aigle is considered as the start of the Voie Royale or Royal Route to reach the Mont Blanc, but shorter hikes will give good views of the Glacier de Bionnassay and the Aiguille du Goûter and access to the paths to the refuges of Tête Rousse and le Goûter.