Status Suppressed Opened 1904 Line length 29 km (18 mi) Locale New Caledonia | Stations 8 Closed 1940 Number of tracks Single track Terminis Païta, Nouméa | |
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The Nouméa-Païta railway was the only railway line serving the 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.
Contents
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 due to its low ridership.
In April 1942 the American 790th Railway Transportation Company reopened the line to operate railways for the Allied presence on New Caledonia.
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. The gauge, however, was dismantled and the former railway track is no longer visible.
Route
The line counted 8 stations within 3 municipalities of the Southern Province. It started in Nouméa city centre and counted a secondary station in the ward (Grand Quartier) of Riviére Salée. It crossed the villages of Auteuil and Col de Tonghoué before to enter in Dumbéa. After, the line crossed the village of Nondoué and Mount Mou, referred to the nearby mountain, few km before the last station, Païta. It counted a pair of tunnels (Tunnel de Tonghoué and Tunnel de l'Erambéré) and 3 bridges over the rivers La Ouanéoué, La Dumbéa and Karikouié.