The Mont Cenis Pass Railway operated from 1868 to 1871 (with some interruptions) during the construction of the Fréjus Rail Tunnel through the Alps between Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne, southeast France and Susa, Piedmont, northwest Italy. It was designed by John Barraclough Fell and his three-rail design was used on some other mountain railways. The railway was long, with a gauge of . The height at the summit was and the maximum gradient was 9 per cent (1 in 11). It was used to transport English mail to India as part of the All Red Route.
A British company was established in 1864 by a number of British contractors, engineers and investors to obtain permission from the two governments to build the railway. These included: Thomas Brassey, Fell, James Brunlees and Alexander Brogden. Having obtained permission, in 1866 they established the Mont Cenis Railway Company to build and run the railway. Although it would eventually be superseded by the tunnel, they believed that, during its life the cost of the pass railway would be repaid with a profit to them. The company used British engine-drivers and workmen.
In the event there were delays in establishing the railway and it did not start until 15 June 1868. Additionally the tunnel progressed faster than expected as new tunnelling methods were developed and the tunnel was opened on 16 October 1871, resulting in the pass railway being active for a shorter time than expected and leaving the proprietors with a considerable loss. However, the technology proved itself and was used on a number of other mountain railways.
Until this railway was built, rail passengers had to cross the Alps by horse-drawn Stage coach in summer or sledge in winter.
The Pass Railway is sometimes called the Mont Cenis Summit Railway so as to distinguish it from the Tunnel Railway.
Timeline
In 1849, plans for the Victor Emmanuel Railway presented to Government of Sardinia. In 1850, project announced to public. In 1854, Piedmont section of the railway completed. In 1856, Savoy section completed as far as Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne. In 1854 and 1856, Suez Canal concession granted. In 1857, Mont Cenis Tunnel Railway authorised, with work starting soon after. In 1860, Parma, Tuscany, Modena, and Romagna joined the Kingdom of Sardinia. At the same time, Sardinia ceded Savoy and Nice to France. In 1861, Kingdom of Italy proclaimed, unifying Italy. In 1861, Fell proposed the idea of a temporary Summit Railway to the French and Italian Governments. In 1862, Direction of the Victor Emmanuel Railway split between Savoy, France and Piedmont, Italy In 1866, an agreement with both governments to build the Fell summit line was signed. In 1868, 15 June, Summit Railway line opened. In 1869, Brindisi port upgrade. In 1869, Nov., Suez Canal opens. In 1870, the main Mont Cenis Tunnel is pierced through. In 1871, 16 October, Tunnel Railway opened. Summit Railway ended the day before. In 1872, the Overland Telegraph connects London and Melbourne. In 1873, Jules Verne's novel Around the World in Eighty Days is published, utilising the completed train service. However, the train should have passed through the Frejus tunnel so apparently Verne was not aware that Mont Cenis was already closed by then.
The setting
By the early 1860s most of a 1400-mile rail connection between Calais and Brindisi had been built, much of it by Thomas Brassey and John Barraclough Fell. The only major remaining problem was the crossing of the Alps. Work on the Fréjus or Mont Cenis tunnel had started in 1857 but it looked as though it would take many years to build, using traditional tools and gunpowder.