Morez is an industrial town with a long history, located in a deep Jura valley close to the Swiss border. The valley is narrow and the town clusters at the bottom of the valley along the river Bienne which provided a source of energy. Apart from the output of forges and saw-mills, the town built its reputation on the production of spectacle frames. At its peak in the 1920's, production from Morez accounted for half the national production.
The railway reached towards Morez in stages. Built by the PLM company, the railway line was opened from Dole to Mouchard (1856) and then to Andelot. From this point, a branch was constructed ( requiring a reversal of direction at Andelot) towards Champagnole which was reached in 1867. The local inhabitants began to dream of travelling directly southwards to Switzerland by train, but many more years would pass before this would happen and then only with a change at Morez. But more of that later.
From Champagnole( altitude 541m - 1,800ft) to Morbier( 860m - 2,800ft) the new line was built on a continuous gradient for 25km ( 15 miles) for a rise of 320 metres or 1,000ft.
From Morbier to Morez, the final section of only 1.5km in a direct line, a huge problem had to be resolved. As we have mentioned Morez lies in the bottom of the valley some 160 metres or 520ft below Morbier.
After much discussion, the PLM accepted the plans of its talented engineer, PAUL SEJOURNE, to extend the line up a side valley to the east and bring it back down the far side of the valley into a ledge above the town of Morez. This stretch of line (5.6 km) includes six viaducts and a tunnel which turns through 320°. Trains reached Morez for the first time in September, 1900.
Site of Morez, Jura. May 2003.
The top viaduct ( Viaduct des Crottes) brings the line around from Morbier and trains head off up the side valley.
The bottom town viaduct carries the line away from Morez down the narrow valley of the Bienne for 25km to its terminus at Saint-Claude, a similarly situated industrial town.
Viaduct of Morbier, May 3rd 2003
X2807 cautiously crosses high over the small town of Morbier with the 14.50 Saint-Claude - Dole service.
The station at Morez is located on a ledge overlooking the town centre. Trains from Dole reverse direction and head on westwards down the valley to Saint-Claude.
In March 1921, an electric metre gauge tramway was opened from Morez PLM station to La Cure on the Swiss border ( 12km) and from there on to St Cergue and to Nyon on the lake side.
It was known as NstCM. The line from Morez to La Cure passed through the centre of Morez and then ascended to Les Rousses alongside the N5 road and two short tunnels remain as the only trace of the tramway, for the French section closed in 1958.
In 1947, there were six daily return services from Morez SNCF to Nyon (Switzerland) the journey being covered in two hours for a distance of 39 km.
The climb of 400m (1300ft) from Morez Ville to the summit ridge at La Cure took about 45 minutes.
During the week-end, trains cross at Morez, and here, on May 3rd 2003 at 15.15, we see X2802 on the left with a Dole-Saint-Claude service and X2807 on the right with a Saint-Claude - Dole service.
On Sunday May 4th 2003, the 09.50 train from Dijon to Saint-Claude was operated with X2802 ( the second in the class dating from 1956) and two XR trailors. The train is seen here slowly crossing the viaduct des Crottes.
Five minutes after the previous photo was taken the same train is seen, now below the viaduct des Crottes (top left) and heading in the opposite direction towards Morez station. The train has turned around and we notice that tag artists have been at work on all of this side of the two trailor cars. X2802 will abandon these trailors at Morez.
The train is running 15 minutes late, and possibly X2802 is not feeling too good because later in the day, the venerable autorail will expire for 30 minutes at Morez with a return train.
Morez, Sunday May 4th 2003. X2802 with the 16.30 Saint-Claude to Dijon train.
Normally this service would be expected to require one or two trailors to carry the end of weekend passenger load and in fact, here, at Morez, the second stop, the autorail is already full. But X2802 is tired and with the motor switched off, the staff are trying to fix the problem. The passengers wait patiently in the warm sunshine and finally the autorail leaves, solo,35 minutes late to climb to Morbier and then a long descent towards Andelot, Dole, Dijon.
The site of the railway line at Morez is indeed a unique civil engineerlng feat and the engineer responsible went on to achieve other successes including construction of the Frasne-Vallorbe line.
The site offers many view points for photos and a telezoom covering between 100-200mm is helpful. At week-ends trains cross offering more activity, but there are long gaps in the service. During those gaps of several hours, it is possible to visit La Cure and St Cergue on the Swiss section of the former NstCM.
[ CHEMINS DE FER RURAUX DE FRANCE ] 
