Nouméa-Païta railway
| Nouméa-Païta railway | |
|---|---|
 Former station platform of Païta | |
| Overview | |
| Status | Suppressed |
| Locale |
 |
| Termini |
Nouméa Païta |
| Stations | 8 |
| Operation | |
| Opened | 1904 |
| Closed | 1940 |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 29 km (18 mi) |
| Number of tracks | Single track |
| Track gauge | 3 ft (914 mm) |
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The Nouméa-Païta railway was the only railway line serving New Caledonia. It was opened in December 1914 between Nouméa, the capital, and Païta. The 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge tracks of the railway traveled the 29 kilometers (18 mi) between the two cities in one hour and fifteen minutes.
History
The idea of a railway connecting Nouméa to Bourail was first approved in 1884 with Nouméa linked to Dumbéa in 1904.
The Nouméa-Païta railway closed on 1 January 1940 owing to low ridership.
In April 1942 the American 790th Railway Transportation Company reopened the line to operate railways for the Allied presence on New Caledonia.[1][2][3]
Subsequently the line was abandoned and demolished. The remains of the former railway station of Païta remain in the north of the town. The loading platform and the ramp are well-preserved and the foundations of various buildings are still visible. A small locomotive, nicknamed Marguerite, is preserved on the former railway ground. The locomotive was used until 1940.[4] The narrow gauge track, however, was dismantled and the former alignment of the railway track is no longer visible.
Route
The line counted eight stations within the three municipalities of the Southern Province. It started in Nouméa city centre and counted a secondary station in the ward (Grand Quartier) of Riviére Salée.[5] It crossed the villages of Auteuil and Col de Tonghoué before entering Dumbéa. After, the line crossed the village of Nondoué and Mount Mou, the nearby mountain,[6] a few kilometres before the last station, Païta. It counted a pair of tunnels (Tunnel de Tonghoué and Tunnel de l'Erambéré) and three bridges over the rivers La Ouanéoué, La Dumbéa[7] and Karikouié.
Gallery
Locomotive Marguerite
Former station of Païta
References
- ↑ "Military railway of New Caledonia" (Google Books)
- ↑ Infos on angelfire.com
- ↑ "The Transportation Corps" (Google Books)
- ↑ Pierre Grundmann: Nouvelle Calédonie, p. 110. Paris 2012
- ↑ (in French) See also: fr:Quartiers de Nouméa
- ↑ Mont Mou on peakery.com
- ↑ Rests of the rail bridge over La Dumbéa on Panoramio
External links
History of rail transport in Oceania | ||
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