The History of the Tram
The oldest train in the valley !

With the Mont-Blanc Tram (Tramway du Mont-Blanc, TMB) you will discover a rare example of technical heritage, a result of the bold and new challenges set at the beginning of the 20th century.

History and engineering

At the beginning of the century, the engineer Issartier wanted everyone to be able to get to the 'Roof of Europe', to the summit of Mont-Blanc at 4810 m without any difficulty. A great engineering challenge and somewhat mad aspiration!

Between 1895 and 1904 several projects saw the light of day: tunnels, lifts or a continuous ramp. In 1902, Henri Duportal, a highways engineer, responsible for the Cluses-Le Fayet PLM line, put forward the idea of a tram line to connect Le Fayet/Saint Gervais and the Aiguille du Goûter, the first stage to the summit of the Mont-Blanc.
This project was accepted unanimously, both on account of its cost which was lower than that of the other projects, and on account of the 18-kilometre route which was in the open and which followed the natural slopes of the south side of Mont-Blanc.
The rack-train solution was therefore chosen to reach the Aiguille du Goûter.

The route of the line has not been modified since it was created. 

  
The Mont Blanc tram
The key dates of a tram-line unlike any other...
1904 : start of works
1907 : inauguration of the first section as far as the Col de Voza
1911 : second section as far as Bellevue
1912 : the line reaches the Nid d'Aigle (Eagle's Nest)
1914 : the line reaches the Bionassay glacier
1923 : opening of the line in winter, as far as Bellevue
1956 : the steam motor carriages are replaced by electric motor carriages
 
The Mont-Blanc Tram’s route : landmarks
Le Fayet (580 m)
Saint-Gervais (792 m),
Montivon (1400 m),
col de Voza (1 653 m), Bellevue (1 800 m),
Mont Lachat (2047 m).
It is from here that the high-mountain trail, made in the rock at the foot of Les Rognes, begins. It ends at the Nid d'Aigle (2372 m).
 
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