There are through services between Calais Ville and Paris Nord via Amiens again, after a long period of only running from Boulogne. It would then be TER Paris Bercy to Lyon (P.D.) via Dijon. There is a lot of daytime engineering work on the classic line to Dijon at the moment, so be aware that the timetable is currently very 'thin'. TER then to Marseille, and then 'fast' TER to Cannes, changing there for Juan les Pins.
Sadly no longer any through cars Calais Maritime to Ventimiglia via the Petite Ceinture in Paris!
That was one of my favorite parts of the journey. Arriving into the Gare du Nord from Calais and watching a BB66000? hook up to the through couchette cars. Then hanging out of the window as we screeched around the Petite Ceinture, passing through obscure parts of Paris and looking into cosy apartment windows as the occupants had their dinner.
After arrival at the Gare de Lyon, while the cars were shunted over the pointwork to the main train, my dad and I would troop up to the G d L station hall to buy a Parisian hotdog. A quarter French bread stick impaled on a large spike, while a hotdog slathered in ketchup and mustard was slid expertly into the hole caused by the spike.
We would then walk to the platform housing the main Paris to Ventimiglia train to find our shunted couchette car with my mum on board, leaning out of the window anxiously looking out for us for fear we might get left behind.
The train, the named Cote d'Azur express departed at 20:42, and the all sleeping car CIWL Blue train departed from the adjoining platform at 20:45. I would usually hang out of the window leaving Paris until we passed the depot and marshalling yard at Villeneuve St Georges, at which point I would climb into my couchette.
I would always ask my dad to book me the bottom bunk so that I could raise the blind slightly and watch the night time operation when we called at Dijon Ville, Lyon Perrache, and maybe Avignon if I woke up, which I usually did when hearing the sound of those brake blocks go on.
The Blue train would later overtake us as we went into Marseille St Charles and reversed, while the Blue train took the direct route via Marseille Blancarde.
The next morning, I would again be hanging out of the corridor window after Toulon, getting my first views of the Mediterranean sea and watching our arrival into St Raphael, Cannes, and finally Juan les Pins, and watching the train conductor at work walking along the platform and giving the right away to the driver before climbing on board as the train started to pull away. I often thought what a cool job he had, looking all smart in his Chef du Train uniform and peaked cap, and getting to work the coastal route every day between Marseille and Nice or Ventimiglia. I wanted a job like that.
As it happens, many years later I got to wear that same style of smart uniform and peaked cap, but I was a train guard for GNER, working HST’s and 225’s between London and Leeds or Newcastle. Not such a scenic or glamorous route card as the Cote d'Azur. However, I never forgot those smart SNCF images of my childhood and tried to adopt that smart image with my own uniform style. Unfortunately, I never got to board a moving train in that same cool style after giving two on the buzzer. Also, I got to work the White Rose class 373 Eurostar sets up to Leeds, so I did get to experience the SNCF style with GNER for a few years.
Good memories.
Unfortunately, my son has no interest in trains at all. Not surprising when it's all units these days, especially on the Dutch NS. Once you've seen one Sprinter or VIRM, you've seen them all. Ah well, at least I still have my memories of the seventies SNCF.
