Berck-Plage - Paris-Plage line

By the conclusion of the 19th century, a multitude of seaside resorts had been established along the shores of the English Channel and the North Sea, in response to the growing practice of sea bathing and the expansion of summer and weekend tourism. The coastline between the estuaries of the Authie and the Canche rivers, situated on the southern part of the Opal Coast, is characterized by a series of sandy beaches and vacation spots of varying importance, extending from south to north. The coastal resorts of Berck-Plage, Merlimont, and Le Touquet-Paris-Plage are located in the region between the estuaries of the Authie and the Canche rivers, on the southern part of the Opal Coast. In this context, in 1891, Mr. Lambert, an entrepreneur and founder of the Société des Dunes, sought to develop this coastal area by establishing a railway line connecting Berck-Plage to Paris-Plage, following the coastline. The route was designed to connect with the Aire-sur-la-Lys - Berck-Plage line in the south and the in the north, both of which were planned for implementation shortly. The request was denied, but the company was granted permission to construct a short narrow-gauge railway between Berck-Plage and the Dunes beach, to transport construction materials for real estate developments that were already underway. However, it only operated for freight transport, and no detailed information is available regarding its operations. A new request was made in the early 20th century by Paul Berger and Charles Roy, who were responsible for establishing the Société du Chemin de Fer de Berck-Plage à Paris-Plage (B.P.). The declaration of public utility was signed on 27 April 1906, and work commenced. The existing line was reinforced, and the remainder of the route was opened in successive sections: • The route traversed on 7 August 1909, commenced at Berck-Plage, a shared station connecting with the Aire-sur-la-Lys to Berck-Plage line, and concluded at Merlimont. • From Merlimont to (at the entrance to Paris-Plage), on 19 June 1910; • From Daloz to Paris-Plage (a shared station connecting with the ), on 28 July 1912. == Route and technical features ==

The line, with a total length of , originated at Berck-Plage, sharing facilities with the Aire-sur-la-Lys to Berck-Plage line. It then turned north and closely followed the coastline until reaching Merlimont, where it crossed the dunes along the Channel. Subsequently, the line moved slightly inland, serving Cucq, before reaching Paris-Plage, where it skirted the golf course. After the freight facilities and the provisional terminus at Daloz, the railway terminated at , where it shared infrastructure with the . The topography was relatively flat, with only gentle gradients (a maximum of 16%). The narrow-gauge track was predominantly situated on its right-of-way and utilized "Vignole" rails weighing 20 kg/m, except for Paris-Plage, where the tracks were embedded in the road and employed heavier rails of 25 to 30 kg/m. Curves had a minimum radius of . == A short life ==

. Upon the commencement of railway operations in 1909 on the Berck-Plage to Merlimont-Plage section, seven shuttles were in operation on weekdays and eleven on Sundays and holidays. This represented a significantly higher frequency than that of the majority of local railways. Following the inauguration of the Paris-Plage extension (terminating at Daloz) in 1910, the number of daily trips was reduced to eight during the summer, four during the fall, and one during the winter. A mixed train, included in the aforementioned services, was used for transporting freight wagons. The number of shuttles was significantly reduced due to a lack of traction power, which resulted in a considerable increase in operational issues. However, the service was now limited to two or three round trips per day along the entire route, with an additional shuttle between Berck-Plage and Merlimont-Plage, and only operated during the summer season from 1 July to 30 September. This decline in ridership, in conjunction with the progressive encroachment of sand, resulted in the cessation of operations on 30 September 1927. On 26 December 1928 an agreement was reached whereby the railway was purchased by the department. The line was utilized for a brief period of two months in the spring of 1929, facilitating the transportation of materials for the construction of a golf course between Stella-Plage and Paris-Plage. However, it was ultimately deemed unnecessary and permanently abandoned. Currently, the Le Touquet-Berck-Plage connection is served by line 42 (Boulogne-Berck) of the Colvert transport system. == A difficult operation ==

The relatively brief operational lifespan of the line (less than 20 years) and its subsequent closure cannot be attributed to the general factors that contributed to the decline of local railways. These include competition from road transport, chronic deficits that emerged following the First World War or the 1929 crisis, a lack of modernisation, and a waning interest from local authorities in providing subsidies. Additionally, the line was subject to particular constraints, which were further compounded by the inexperience of the Société du Chemin de Fer de Berck-Plage à Paris-Plage in railway operations: • The brief length of the route, in conjunction with a dearth of collaboration with neighboring networks (including the absence of connections at either end and the lack of shared rolling stock), resulted in elevated operating costs. • The seasonal nature of the service requires a substantial fleet of vehicles to accommodate peak traffic volumes, yet the majority of these vehicles remain idle for the majority of the year. • Implementing an intensive service schedule at the outset of operations, coupled with a restricted number of locomotives, gave rise to a considerable number of delays and mechanical failures. • The deployment of equipment in sandy environments resulted in accelerated deterioration and a concomitant increase in the necessity for maintenance of fixed installations. • The operating company had not anticipated low freight traffic, which was linked to the route's seaside and seasonal nature, as well as the lack of industries generating significant tonnage. This resulted in heavy investments that were never amortized. == Rolling stock ==

Locomotives . The locomotive fleet of the line was notable for its considerable heterogeneity, which presented a significant challenge concerning maintenance. At the inception of operations, two steam locomotives were designated for the purpose of handling heavy traffic: a 0-6-0T locomotive constructed by Decauville in 1908 and a 0-4-0T locomotive manufactured by Corpet-Louvet. As was the case with the remainder of the rolling stock, these locomotives were equipped with a central buffer and lower coupling, as well as vacuum brakes. However, the size of the fleet was no longer justified by the level of traffic, and thus one locomotive was sold to a cement factory in Cher and the other was leased to a brickyard in the vicinity of Berck. The latter was returned to the network for a brief period before being sold with the rest of the equipment when the line ceased operations. One of the two machines, the 2-6-0T number 3 from 1924, is on display at the Museum of Steam Trams and French Secondary Railways in Butry-sur-Oise. It has been classified as a historical monument. Cars and wagons The towed fleet consisted of two-axle equipment built by Decauville in 1908–1909: • Four mixed passenger cars (1st/2nd class) with a central platform; • Two 3rd-class passenger cars with end platforms; • Two open 3rd-class passenger cars, called "tapisseries"; • Two baggage cars with a postal compartment; • Two covered wagons; • Two open wagons; • Four flat wagons with side panels. == See also ==