Chemins de fer du Jura

The Chemins de fer du Jura (CJ), the railways of the Jura canton in north-western Switzerland, came about as the result of an amalgamation, in 1944,[1] of four independent companies connecting Porrentruy to Bonfol, Saignelégier to La Chaux-de-Fonds, Glovelier to Saignelégier and Tavannes to Tramelan and Le Noirmont. The lines extend for a total of 84.8 km of which just over 73 km is metre gauge, the remaining 11 km, the first named, between Porrentruy and Bonfol, being standard gauge. Nowadays the CJ also operates local bus services throughout the area.

Chemins de fer du Jura
Saignelégier train station
Technical
Line length	Total: 84.8 km (52.69 mi) metre gauge: 73.8 km (45.86 mi) standard gauge: 11 km (6.84 mi)
Rack system	None
Track gauge	1,000 mm (3 ft 3 ^3⁄8 in) metre gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	1,500 V DC (metre gauge) 15 kV 16 2/3 Hz (standard gauge)

History

The first company to open a line in the region was the Chemin de fer Tavannes-Tramelan in 1884, the metre gauge line linking the villages in its name. This line was extended under the guise of the Chemin de fer Tramelan-Les Breuleux-Le Noirmont to reach Le Noirmont and the whole was electrified in 1913. In 1927 the two companies amalgamated to form the Chemins de fer Tavannes-Le Noirmont.

On 7 December 1892 the longest of the region's line, the Chemin de fer Saignelégier-La Chaux-de-Fonds (SC) was opened linking the places noted in its title. The line, with a length of 25 km (15.5 mi) ran from Saignelégier (Place d'Armes) to La Chaux-de-Fonds, the final kilometre being laid along the streets to the town centre.

To these lines was added that between Porrentruy and Bonfol in 1901, between Glovelier and Saignelégier in 1904, both of these being laid to 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) (standard gauge) and finally, in 1910 the 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 ³⁄₈ in) (metre gauge) line between Bonfol and Pfetterhouse, this last named being the only closure to date, seeing its last passenger train in 1970. The Chemin de fer Régional Saignelégier-Glovelier (RSG) was relaid to metre gauge in 1953.

Following the amalgamation of the companies in 1943 a plan to restructure the rail system was put together and over the period from 1946 to 1953 it was put into action. Within this plan was the total electrification of the system which was completed in 1953, some 40 years after the first electric traction had run on the lines.

Locomotive and Rolling Stock

Standard Gauge

No.	Class	Builders Details.	Date Completed	Seats 1/2	Notes	Picture
501	Tm	Moyse/Deutz	1967
509	Xm	Beilheck/Deutz	1985
577.101	BDe 4/4	SWS/MFO	1968	0/56	Reb.1998
577.102	BDe 4/4	SWS/BBC	1980	0/48
587.111	De 4/4	SWS/BBC/CJ	1980
560.141	RBDe 4/4	FFA/BBC	1984	0/56	NPZ prototype, bought 2008
50 36 29-03 921	Bt	SWS/MFO/SIG	1963		Reb.1996
55 85 29-34 941	Bt	FFA	1984		Bought 2008 together with RBDe 4/4

Metre Gauge

No.	Name	Class	Builders Details.	Date Completed	Seats 1/2	Notes	Picture
7		C	SIG	1913	0/32	Belle Epoch
70		BCe 2/4	SWS/BBC/CJ	1913	4/32	Belle Epoch
401		De 4/4	SIG/SAAS	1952
402		De 4/4	SIG/SAAS	1952
411		De 4/4	SIG/FFA/BBC	1953		Reb.1986
601		BDe 4/4	SIG/SAAS	1953	0/32
603		ABDe 4/4	SIG/SAAS	1953	9/16
604		BDe 4/4	SIG/SAAS	1953	0/32
606		BDe 4/4	SIG/SAAS	1953	0/32	Sold to NStCM, 2003
607		BDe 4/4	SIG/SAAS	1953	0/32
608		BDe 4/4	SIG/SAAS	1953	0/32
611		BDe 4/4	FFA/SIG/BBC	1985	0/39
612		BDe 4/4	FFA/SIG/BBC	1985	0/39
613		BDe 4/4	FFA/SIG/BBC	1985	0/39
614		BDe 4/4	FFA/SIG/BBC	1985	0/39
621		BDe 4/4	SIG/SWS/SAAS/CJ	1990	0/16
631	Pourilere	ABe 2/6	Stadler/BT	2001	9/68
632	Mont Soleil	ABe 2/6	Stadler/BT	2001	9/68
633	La Gruere	ABe 2/6	Stadler/BT	2001	9/68
634	Tabeillon	ABe 2/6	Stadler/BT	2001	9/68
641		ABe 4/4	SWS/SAAS/CJ	1973	12/24	Reb.2000
642		ABe 4/4	SWS/SAAS/CJ	1973	12/24	Reb.2000
702		Bt	SWS/SAAS	1952	0/48
704		Bt	SWS/SAAS	1952	0/48
711		ABt	FFA/BBC	1985	12/39
712		ABt	FFA/BBC	1985	12/39
713		ABt	FFA/BBC	1985	12/39
714		ABt	FFA/BBC	1985	12/39
721		BDt	FFA/BBC	1986	0/32
722		BDt	FFA/BBC	1986	0/32
751		B	FFA	1986	0/64
752		B	FFA	1986	0/64
753		B	FFA	1986	0/64
754		B	FFA	1986	0/64
755		B	FFA	1986	0/64
756		B	FFA	1986	0/64

Abbreviations

• BT......Bombardier Transportation
• BBC.....Brown, Boveri & Cie
• CJ......Chemin de fer du Jura
• FFA.....Flug- und Fahrzeugwerke Altenrhein
• SAAS....Société Anonyme des Ateliers de Sécheron, Geneva.
• SIG.....Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft, Heuhausen am Rheinfall
• SWS.....Schweizerische Wagon & Aufagefabrik, Schlieren

References

1. "Chemins de Fer du Jura - Description". www.rail-info.ch. 1998. Retrieved November 9, 2020.

• This article has been freely translated from the French site with additional information from that in German.
• Locomotives and Rolling Stock details are taken from the CJ official stock lists backed up with photographic evidence.

External links

• Website der Compagnie des chemins de fer du Jura SA (CJ) (French)