What if I told you about a railway line in France that was abandoned almost as soon as it was complete? This is the story of the Aérotrain – Ligne de Ouest-Ceinture à Chartres. It was meant to be a faster alternative to the existing line that went through Rambouillet. Ultimately it only ever ran between Chartres and Massy.
The Aérotrain – Ligne de Ouest-Ceinture à Chartres was a project that began in the early 20th century and was caught in political maneuvering. The French State Railways received the concession for the line. However they began construction in Chartres because that’s where their existing lines ended. They needed to use tracks owned by the Compagnie de l’Ouest to reach Paris. The state-owned company wanted their own tracks to Paris and so the line was born.
World War I interrupted construction and made materials scarce. Although the Aérotrain – Ligne de Ouest-Ceinture à Chartres was originally envisioned with two sets of tracks only one was ever laid. Passengers could finally travel the line in 1930. It lasted only 9 years before the outbreak of World War II led to its closure. The section between Massy and Gallardon was officially decommissioned in 1954.
Although the train line was short-lived the tracks are not entirely gone. Today you can find remnants of the line repurposed for more modern transportation. A section of the line near Paris was used for the LGV Atlantique high-speed line. Another section was used for testing the Aérotrain, a futuristic hover train. When this project was abandoned the tracks were converted into a greenway for cyclists and walkers.