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Auray–Quiberon railway

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Auray–Quiberon railway
A triple-unit ATER DMU set crossing the Penthièvre isthmus
Overview
Native nameligne d'Auray à Quiberon
OwnerSNCF
LocaleBrittany, France
Termini
Stations9
Service
Operator(s)1879–1884: state
1884–1935: PO
1935–1937: State
1938–1997: SNCF
1997–2014: RFF
since 2015: SNCF
History
Commenced15 June 1879 (1879-06-15)
Opened24 July 1882 (1882-07-24)
Closed6 March 1972 (1972-03-06)
Reopened1 July 1985 (1985-07-01)
Technical
Line length27 km (17 mi)
Number of trackssingle
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Electrificationnot electrified
Operating speed60 km/h (37 mph)

The Auray–Quiberon line is a single-track, standard gauge French rail line that serves the Quiberon peninsula. It branches off at Auray from the Savenay–Landerneau line, a radial line south of Brittany. A draft plan was presented on 15 July 1879, and the Chemins de fer de l'État (State Railways Administration) began construction. Operations commenced on 14 July 1882, and the line was transferred to the Compagnie du chemin de fer de Paris à Orléans (PO) the following year.

In 1972, passenger service—which had already been discontinued during the winter—was reduced to two daily trains during the summer.

To cope with the chronic congestion of the only road to reach the Quiberon peninsula from the mainland, the line was relaunched in 1985 with the introduction of single fare shuttles, jointly sponsored by the Brittany region and the SNCF as part of the TER Bretagne service. The name of this shuttle service is directly related to traffic jams that trains can avoid: "Corkscrew". This operation provides a more consistent service to the peninsula during the two months of the summer season. The rest of the year, a road bus service "TIM", organized by the department of Morbihan, links the stations of Auray and Quiberon.