Blue Line (Southern Indian Ocean Islands)

The Blue Line (: Ligne Bleue) is a train line of the Kerguelen rail network which connects Gare de Port-aux-Français with Gare de Port-Christmas through Gare de Port-Couvreux, and is the only rail line to cross provincial borders and a direct connection with Port-aux-Français.

History
The Blue Line was opened in 1995 together with the rest of the Kerguelen rail network and replaced the Christmas Express bus that completed the route before the opening of the rail line. It was opened simultaneously with the Black Line and the Green Line.

Route and connections
With a total line length of 194.7 km, the Blue Line is the longest train line of the network.

Port-aux-Français - Port-Couvreux
Trains depart towards the south from Gare de Port-aux-Français and immediately turn towards the west, staying approximately 800 m off the coastline. The first four kilometres go through the outskirts of Port-aux-Français, then the following 2.3 kilometres are shared with the Yellow Line before the Blue Line branches off towards the north, whilst the Yellow Line continues towards the west.

The Blue Line enters the Val Studer. Trains run along the Studer River for 11.7 km, climbing up the cliffs to the east of Grande Lac Studer, where the Gare de Val Studer is located. After the station, trains cross a 2.2 km long viaduct which crosses the valley, then continue towards the west, spending 6.2 km skimming around the Dôme d'Anna before descending into and ascending out of the Vallée des Goélands, crossing two small peninsulas before being joined by the Orange and Purple Lines which join from the south. Trains then cross a 1 km long bridge across the Fjord Couvreux and then run along the length of Île Ferroviaire before crossing a 130 m long bridge, which leads them onto the Presqu'île Bouquet de la Grye. Train then run northwards through the 2 km long Tunnel de Bouquet de la Grye before entering the Val Couvreux. Trains then run through a 300 m long westward turn and enter Gare de Port-Couvreux.

Gare de Port-Couvreux is a hub for three train lines and provides connections to the Orange Line in the direction of Les Presqu'îles du Sud, Plaine Ampère and Côte de la Vallée des Sables, and the Purple Line in the direction of Presqu'île Jeanne d'Arc and Presqu'île Ronarc'h.

Port-Couvreux - Au Traversier vers Port-d'Île-du-Port
After Gare de Port-Couvreux, trains continue another 2.33 km through the Val Couvreux and through city of Port-Couvreux itself. They then turn towards the east and follow the northern edge of the Presqu'île Bouquet de la Grye for 4.6 km before turning towards the south and running through the Val Bouquet and along the western tip of the Fjord Couvreux for 2.1 km. Trains then turn west again and run through the Vallée-entre-la-Grande-Terre-et-la-Presqu'île-Bouquet-de-la-Grye for 3.2 km and run along the southern edge of Lac Bontemps for 6.8 km and spend another 3.4 km running down and up the Val Bontemps across the Bontemps River. They run across the rocks towards the west for another 6.2 km before making a sharp turn and running towards the northeast across a 4.9 km long viaduct crossing the Val Glaciair vers l'Est and the Glaciair vers l'Est River. Trains then skim around the Petite Dôme de la Belgique for 7.1 km, and then arrive at the western tip of the Bras des Colombes, where the Gare au Traversier vers Port-d'Île-du-Port is located.

The Gare au Traversier vers Port-d'Île-du-Port is located at a small harbour where the Traversier vers Port-d'Île-du-Port ferry service provides a connection to Port-d'Île-du-Port.

Au Traversier vers Port-d'Île-du-Port - Gare de jonction de La-Société-de-Géographie
After Gare au Traversier vers Port-d'Île-du-Port trains crisscross northwestwards for 6.4 km and then arrive at Gare de Port-de-Presqu'île-Hoche. Here, passengers can take a bus which will drive them directly to the village lying 10 km to the north on the tip of the Presqu'île Hoche. Trains then continue towards the west for 3.2 km before crossing the Arve River over a 1.1 km long viaduct. After the viaduct trains continue along the northern edge of the Vallée de l'Arve for 4.1 km before turning towards the north and spending 5.6 km crossing the Monts Véravéreaux. Trains then turn towards the west again and run for another 700 m, and arrive at the Gare de jonction de Port-Joffre. Here passengers are provided with the opportunity to change to the Black Line towards Port-Joffre. Trains then continue towards the west, running alongside the Black Line, and arrive at Gare de jonction de La-Société-de-Géographie, where passengers can change for the Black Line towards La-Société-de-Géographie.

It must be noted that Gare de jonction de Port-Joffre is only allowed to be used to change to Port-Joffre, and Gare de jonction de La-Société-de-Géographie is only allowed to be used to change to La-Société-de-Géographie.

Gare de jonction de La-Société-de-Géographie - Port-Christmas
After Gare de jonction de La-Société-de-Géographie, trains run further towards the west through the Vallée de Trois Lacs for 9.8 km. Trains then turn and continue south for 4.1 km before turning to the east and crossing a viaduct across the Val du Nord, first 800 m westwards and 1.2 km northwards. Trains then continue towards the north, through the rocky and mountainous landscape, for 3.6 km before turning towards the northwest and running for 4.5 km, entering the Vallée de cet Halage, where the Gare de jonction de Péninsule is located. Here, passengers can change for Green Line trains providing connections to L'Ouest-de-Glacière and Péninsule Rallier du Baty. The final stretch towards the north is also shared with the Green Line.

After Gare de jonction de Péninsule, trains continue towards the northwest through the Vallée de cet Halage for 8 km, after which they turn north through the Col de Mériée and continue northwards through the Troisième Halage de Péninsule Lorenchet for 4.7 km. Trains then run up the side of the valley and through the Col de Simon-le-Chevallier-de-Templiers, whereafter they continue towards the north through the Deuxième Halage de Péninsule Lorenchet for 11.3 km. They then run along the western edge of the Baie de Recques for 6 km before crossing to the other side of the peninsula through the Premier Halage de Péninsule Lorenchet for 3.8 km. Trains then make a 180 degrees turn over 1.7 km and run northeastwards through the Vallée des Roches Noires for 3.7 km. Trains then enter the Val Chérie and run through it for 2.1 km, then turn north and run across the relative centre of the peninsula for 5.7 km, running past the western extremes of the Fjord des Clacques and the Fjord de l'Irlande, whereafter trains follow the northern edge of the Fjord de l'Irlande for 7 km, turn around the Dôme Noël towards the west again for 2.8 km, and arrive at the Gare de Port-Christmas.

Rolling stock
The rolling stock of the Blue Line consists of six railcars, between two and four of which will be in use on the line at any given time. These have been painted for recognisability.

The railcars are named Lorenchet, La Société de Géographie, Joffre, Hoche, Carnot and Courbet, after six of the seven most important peninsulas that the line serves. There is also a train called Bouquet de la Grye, but this one is used on the Orange Line.

Services
Trains leave four times a day in each direction.

Trains from Port-aux-Français leave at 5.18 a.m., 9.42 a.m., 14.20 p.m. and 19.05 p.m. They take approximately 1 hour and 31 minutes, including stops, to get to Gare de jonction de Péninsule. Lines have to wait here for 10 minutes for the arrival of the opposite Green Line train before they take half an hour to finish the final stretch to Port-Christmas.

Trains from Port-Christmas leave at 5.58 a.m., 10.22 a.m., 15.00 p.m. and 19.45 p.m. From Port-Christmas it is 85 km to Gare de jonction de Port-Joffre, which takes 54 minutes, including a 2 minute stop at Gare de jonction de Péninsule and a 2 minute stop at Gare de jonction de La-Société-de-Géographie. Due to the fact that at this point the train from Port-aux-Français is still 3 km away from Gare au Traversier vers Port-d'Île-du-Port and thus still 24 km away, trains have to wait here for approximately 20 minutes for the opposite train. Trains then take 1 hour and 14 minutes to complete the rest of the line, including 3 stops of 2 minutes and one stop of 5 minutes.

Fares
Passengers pay fr. 0.35 per travelled kilometre. This means that a ticket for its full length costs fr. 67.90. Children beteen 4 and 16 and people aged 65+ pay fr. 0.105 per travelled kilometre, arriving at a maximum of fr. 20.37 for a full length journey; children under the age of 4 and students travel for free.

It is possible to get a Carte Bleue, which allows a person to travel for fr. 0.21 per travelled kilometre for a year. A Carte Bleue costs fr. 65 to purchase.