Le Petit Train Jaune (The Little Yellow Train) & Villefranche-de-Conflent (France) 

Hello, I'm pleased you enjoyed watching this video 🙂.

Thank you, I'm pleased you enjoyed it 🙂.

You were lucky to be able to stay in such a beautiful location with your Aunt, I guess you could also pick nice days to make your trips in an open carriage. The views from the train are awesome, I'm glad the video bought back happy memories.

I'm pleased you enjoyed the ride.

Hello Robert, this one has reached me, although when I check video comments on the videos themselves I often find quite a number that RU-vid haven't informed me about and sometimes my replies disappear into cyberspace never to be seen again. The Pyrenees, both French and Spanish are one of Europe's best kept secrets. I had no idea the towns and villages were so picturesque or that there were a number of delightful tourist and regular railways I knew little about. I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Cheers. Tim.

I totally agree ! 🥸

@@Timsvideochannel1

Cheers, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

@@Timsvideochannel1 No worries

If find myself singing the song, replacing "Yellow Submarine" with "the Little Yellow Train" 😆, now I can't get it out of my head 😵‍💫.

Obrigado pelo seu gentil comentário. Muitas felicidades da Inglaterra

Thank you, I'm pleased you enjoyed it.

Cześć, chciałbym, aby organizacja, która chce, aby ta kolej odniosła sukces, przejęła ją i prowadziła z korzyścią dla turystów i mieszkańców, z poczęstunkiem dostępnym na stacjach, nawet jeśli oznacza to furgonetkę jadącą pobliską drogą na spotkanie pociągu na wybranych stacjach, aby udostępnić jedzenie i napoje. Ta kolej jest zbyt dobra, by ją stracić, ale bez miłości i uwagi ludzi, którzy rozumieją potrzeby turystów, jej przyszłość jest ryzykowna.

@@Timsvideochannel1 Masz rację.

I'm pleased you enjoyed it.

It's a pity trains weren't running when you visited. If you return some day, I'd recommend visiting in the summer months when there is a better chance that the train will include an open carriage for a much better viewing experience. The views from the covered carriages is a bit limited, especially as the best views switch from side to side.

@@Timsvideochannel1 No passport at mo I’m afraid so it’s not something I can do at the drop of a hat.

Hello Hans, the railway is awesome, every bit as stunning as the best of the Swiss railways, although the trains were not up to Swiss standards of comfort. The Swiss operate the Vall de Núria Cog Railway, just over the border in Spain, I wish the Swiss company ran this one too, they know how to treat tourists so that they will recommend the railway to friends and make return visits themselves. There were no refreshments available on the train or at the stations and this is a long train ride to make after a long coach ride to reach the line. I got the impression that the SNCF staff didn't have the best interests of the railway at heart.

@@Timsvideochannel1 Good evening Tim and thanks for this informations 👍. I don't know it, but it is a wonderful railway 👌. Cheers 🍻🇦🇹.

Hi, thank you for your informative reply. I don't know much about the railway other than my own experience from this trip, sadly the experience was at best 'mediocre' and the tour company I was travelling with has not included this line in its new brochure for this year. This railway has got it all, unique trains, fascinating route and awesome scenery. I am a rail fan who has travelled on railways in many countries and almost without exception I am left wanting to return, but after riding the "Yellow Train" I wasn't left wanting to return, sadly the staff left passengers in no doubt that they were an inconvenience the railway could well do without. I was pleased to read that the immediate threat of closure had been removed with the Region helping to cover the cost of repairs. In your comment you make the very important point that this railway is primarily a tourist attraction, but that it also still serves as an all year round public service. I recently visited Dresden where one of the steam railways is also used by trams running on both battery and overhead power (batteries being used whilst travelling on the heritage railway) regular diesel multiple units were also used to provide a service to the many halts and stations along the way. I agree that if the ‘Ligne de Cerdagne’ was to become a tourist only line that part of it might well be closed along with the loss of the current all year service. Perhaps it would be better to consider all the upsides of the railway remaining as it is, then find ways to finance it. Clearly it brings tourists into the area who spend money on accommodation, food and other attractions, this may not be significant to SNCF, but it does bring the tourist dollar into the region and a value should be put on that. Tourists and regular travellers have different requirements when it comes to the trains themselves. I found it interesting reading TripAdvisor reports, almost without exception to good reviews came from people who'd travelled in the open waggons whilst the less than complimentary reviews were from people who'd travelled in the covered carriages. Regular travellers are going to want modern comfortable trains with WiFi and possibly a vending machine for drinks and snacks, whereas tourists are likely to prefer the heritage trains, this might seem odd, but the fare is very low for a tourist train, maybe charge more and give locals a discount. I felt the balconies were not safe by modern standards and in the refurbishment program you mentioned I'd remove them or make the panels higher, preferring to include open waggons in every tourist train, even when the weather is poor. I'd also reduce the seating to 2 + 1 with increased leg room to make the passenger experience more comfortable. The loss of seats can be made up for by getting rid of the luggage area and removing the solid screen between the passenger compartment and the driving cab, replacing it with a glass screen so that paying passengers can enjoy the same view as the driver, I'm sure passengers will be willing to pay more to ride in those seats, does the driving compartment have to take up as much space as it does in the current motor carriages? This is a time when passengers should be asked what they want, rather than seeking to please drivers, think about busses and coaches where the driver has less space and passengers have better views. The refurbishment program could be a golden opportunity to serve the needs of the passengers, at a small cost to the train staff, who could console themselves with the knowledge that the improved passenger experience could well save their jobs. It would have been nice to place a camera on the front of the train to allow viewers to get the best possible view of the line and the scenery, sadly there was no way the driver was going to allow that. Clearly the railway does not appreciate the free advertising available from checking out RU-vid channels and helping those that are likely to be viewed by people who may decide to include the “Yellow Train” in their holiday/travel plans. The staff need to ditch their SNCF uniforms in favour of something that better represents the railway, they also need to be taught that the passenger experience is everything, there is no better sales force than 100's of thousands of happy passengers telling friends and family how wonderful the "Yellow Train" is. I would love the railway to invite me back to do a proper job of telling the world about their railway, but I’m not holding my breath. Believe me; I'd love to see this railway find its way into the world's top ten train rides, just think how many extra tourists that bring to the region.

@@Timsvideochannel1 I feel sorry the experience was not as great as you expected, despite the "Ligne de Cerdagne" being one of the most scenic railways in Europe. Being in an open wagon is clearly the best option currently. For modern safety standards, I agree balconies are unsafe, but I think the same goes for open carriages. However they participate to the timeless charm of the railway. Luggage space could be converted to more seating space, this is a great idea, but they are used to store bikes which is also cool because lot's of people are coming around for biking. As for the "SNCF" employees not having a tourist friendly attitude, I completely see your point. This is clearly not great. However, you should be aware that "Le Train Jaune" employees are mostly locals very attached to it. They defended the line bitterly for years, but SNCF has always tried to destroy their efforts. This may explain their behavior, because they have been imprisoned by illogical policies from years if not decades. Today they are probably very frustrated and tired. However, you are a hundred percent right saying tourists are not welcomed as they should and this is sadly the same for locals. A society is currently campaigning for both of these aspects and pushes local authorities, the region (which as shown real willingness) and SNCF to do more to develop the line.

@@equilat My preference for open carriages as opposed to balconies is that passengers are seated, I'd hadn't considered bicycles, clearly provision has to be made for them. Maybe a way forward could be similar to that used on "Le Train Rouge" where I believe SNCF owns the tracks, but the trains are operated by a group who with help from the Region run trains using a mixture of employees and volunteers. The biggest difference between the two railways is the way passengers are welcomed, "Le Train Rouge" staff are friendly and you instantly know they want you to enjoy their railway, I don't need to say anything about the "Yellow Train". We have both mentioned the Regions served by the trains; clearly they have a lot more to gain than SNCF who would probably like to offload the railway. I can name a railway that faced the same situation, the "Taieri Gorge Railway" in New Zealand where Dunedin City Council now own and run the railway as a tourist line using a mixture of full time and volunteer staff. The railway is a similar length to "Le Petit Train Jaune" passing through equally difficult terrain. Where SNCF are not going to be the main beneficiary from keeping a railway open, there is a good case for the region to take over and there is a chance that EU development funding could be available. "Le Petit Train Jaune" needs to be loved and cherished and that is where I think local management has an advantage over a centrally managed national railway such as SNCF. I wish "Le Petit Train Jaune" all the best in the future.

Hello Martin, this railway has the potential to be a world class tourist attraction, sadly it is currently run by the State operator SNCF who don't appear to understand the needs of the fare paying customer, it's a long ride with no refreshments available on the train or at stations. On sunny days as it was for this trip there should always be an open carriage in the consist to give passengers a good view of the wonderful scenery. As it was it was a frustrating experience being crammed into a covered carriage with poor visibility for those in the centre seats who basically saw little of the scenery other than the backsides of people on one of the balconies or people leaning out of the window to get a better view. For this railway to survive some tough decisions need to be taken, including understanding the power of RU-vid as a means of free advertising. I don't think I have ever criticised a railway in the past, but the staff on this railway need a reality check if this railway is to have a future as a tourist line. I should be singing its praises and encouraging people to visit, sadly I can do neither.

@@Timsvideochannel1 Hello, Tim! Yes, I agree, this track could be a fantastic attraction, they just need to get someone from the management on the spot and show him the options, or (and I'm going to be sarcastic) let him clear his steamy brains in some great fresh air. Managers are always and everywhere most interested in cost/profit ratios, preferably zero costs and huge profit... 🤣 Absolutely unrealistic, but that's how they are trained. But the real world doesn't work like that, and then we witness the demise of historical things due to the stupid decisions of a leadership detached from reality. You can't manage everything from a "green desk", a good manager goes to the last places he is in charge of, and a perfect manager finds time to talk to the local people about the things they lack and what they would like differently. I know, science fiction, but sometimes you can find one. In any case, I keep my fingers crossed for this line, the locals and the employees, may they succeed in keeping it at least in such operation as it is there for a long time to come. If they really stop the traffic there, it is the first step towards cancellation and extinction.

@@martinmackenny Hi Martin, management style has changed since I was young. I never wanted to be a manager, but management training was part of my college course, most of what I learned was rubbish. When I started my own company, I had to manage people whether I wanted to or not, as a result I learned how to manage people, firstly treat everyone with respect and ask nicely, never shout and never be seen to lose control. I was lucky in that I was good at my job which meant I could lead by example; I knew how to operate every machine and use all the software required. I remember some of things I was told with regard to production line workers such as look for the person who appears to be doing very little because they have found the best way of doing the job and if you want to find the best production line manager, look for the person everyone goes to for advice because they already have the ability to do the job and the respect of everyone else. These nuggets of advice had nothing to do with training and everything to do with natural ability. In Japan all top management has to work on the production line for one week in every year because this helps them to understand the job they are asking people to do. Far too many of today’s managers learn at university, rather than on the job, as a result they are ill equipped to do the job because they lack real world experience or the ability to do the job they are asking other people to do. Back to the railway, the railway staff need to swap places with their fare paying customers, to understand what it is like to travel for hours on a train with no toilets of refreshments, maybe toilets are not practical on a train of this size, but it is practical for the train to stop for ten minutes at stations equipped with toilets and somewhere to buy refreshments, a shop at every station may not be possible, but a refreshment van following the train using the nearby road is a way to provide this service and it is likely it will be self financing. The views from the covered carriages are not good and the seats are too small and uncomfortable, if it were down to me I’d reduce the number of seats across to just 3 and I’d take away the partition between the passengers and the driver, replacing it with a glass screen so that passengers have the best possible view. I would also train the staff to be polite and helpful to passengers. Another hard decision that needs to be taken is whether or not to keep to whole line open or just keep the most scenic section open. Satisfied customers are the best sales force in the world, equally dissatisfied customers will not recommend the train to friends and family. I hope the Little Yellow Train learns to serve its customers well, because if it doesn’t, I doubt if it will survive for our children to ride on it. I also find myself wondering if SNCF is deliberatly running the service down to make it appear so unprofitable that it has to close, the same method used by British Rail to close 100's of UK branch lines in the 1960's

@@Timsvideochannel1 Hello Tim. Well written, right observation. In fact, today's managers lack a greater connection with the reality of the company or operation they manage. Honor the exceptions. I know a man who, although he is the son of the owner of the company, went through the entire operation from basic things such as the warehouse and the maintenance workshop (he even swept the company yard with an old broom and a bucket of water), only after 3 years he became the head of production, and for the next 6 years he oscillated as a dragon before his father allowed him to become his representative. But he has the respect of all the people in the company, if someone knows something that is wrong, he has no problem going to him and telling him straight up. It often happened that in such a case he got up from the table and interrupted the proceedings because, as he says, "This is important, here we are at risk of losses." Back to "Le Petit Train Jaune", the employees may have tried to change things for the better (toilets, refreshments, Sightseeing cars), but if they encountered disinterest or even ignorance; or if those who were very involved were "rewarded" by being transferred to other positions or even fired, I'm not surprised that they resigned and just maintain the status quo. The sad reality of every "jumbo", whether public or private, as long as the management is praised for profits and cost reduction, there will always be someone who will come up with an even better system of savings (eg: Cleaners? What for? Employees will sweep during breaks between trains , wipe the dust... Or: Buffet? For 2-3 people a day? Such a waste... And the toilets the same: Cancel, we'll save on water, disinfection, soap, towels... And what if we have dirty p_e_e_d walls, rain rinses...) I agree that it's sad when on a track with such potential, none of those in charge see its touristic possibilities, probably because they've never been there personally. Even so, I hope that one day it will change, but maybe only after someone from the locals gets hold of it. "Le train rouge" - previous videos is such an example.

@@martinmackennyIt's good the company owner had the good sense to make sure his son knew all aspects of the family business from bottom to top, clearly the rest of the staff respected the son because they knew he hadn't received special treatment just because he was the owners son. I hope the Train Rouge is allowed to capitalise on it's unique selling points by a staff who love their railway and want to share it with visitors.

Or to record from Inside

Hi, the staff on this railway were not at all helpful to the point of being hostile towards passengers, who were treated more like cattle than paying customers. To be fair, one member of the station staff did try his best to help out, sadly he was over ruled by the train crew. I wasn't even allowed to move to a less crowded carriage, it's not a railway I'm likely to return to unless it is taken away from SNCF and put into the hands of an organisation that puts customers and their needs first.

@@Timsvideochannel1 Thanks For the explanation It's funny how harsh People can be about their self perceived prerogatives

@@Timsvideochannel1 But that's a pity. Such behavior harms the reputation of SNCF and therefore also of France.

Le Petit Train Jaune.

@@Timsvideochannel1 For exercise, I translated the name to German. Just so as not to lose what I've learned.

@@neilforbes416 Keep those grey cells active 🙂.

@@Timsvideochannel1 😄

@@neilforbes416 Nehmen Sie den letzten Zug nach Paris Und wir treffen uns am Bahnhof Sie können um 16:30 Uhr hier sein Weil ich deine Reservierung gemacht habe und nicht rummache