Chemins de Fer du Nord


The Chemins de Fer du Nord, often referred to simply as the Nord company, was a rail transport company created in September 1845, in Paris, France. It was owned by among others de Rothschild Frères of France, N M Rothschild & Sons of London, England, Hottinger, Laffitte and Blount. Baron James de Rothschild served as the company's first president from its inception until his death in 1868.

History

A royal ordnance dated 10 September 1845 granted exploitation of the railway from Paris to Lille and Valenciennes, branch lines to Dunkirk and Calais and two new lines Creil - Saint-Quentin and Fampoux - Hazebrouck to the CF du Nord. From the Gare du Nord station the company built in Paris, the Paris–Lille railway line led north towards Belgium, first connecting in 1846 to Amiens, Douai and Lille, with a branch line from Douai to Valenciennes. Lille and Valenciennes had already been connected to the Belgian railway network in 1842. The new line made it possible to travel by train from Paris to Brussels and further.
In the following years, the network was rapidly expanded:
Railway lineOpened
Paris–Lille railway1846–1859
Douai–Valenciennes railway1846
Longueau–Boulogne railway1847–1848
Creil–Jeumont railway1847–1855
Lille–Fontinettes railway1848–1849
Arras–Dunkirk railway1848–1862
Amiens–Laon railway1857–1867
Creil–Beauvais railway1857
Hautmont–Mons railway1858
Chemin de Fer de la Somme1858
Busigny–Somain railway1858
Paris–Hirson railway1860–1871
Lens–Ostricourt railway1860
Chantilly–Crépy-en-Valois railway1862–1870
Lille–Tournai railway1865
Boulogne–Calais railway1867
Rouen–Amiens railway1867

Competition

The potential for expansion of the CF du Nord territory was limited by other companies: the Chemins de fer de l'Ouest to its southwest, and the Chemins de fer de l'Est to its east. By opening a line from Paris to Hirson via Soissons and Laon from 1860 to 1871, it protected its eastern border against CF de l'Est expansion. The concession for the line from Creil to Beauvais, owned by CF de l'Est predecessor Chemins de fer des Ardennes, was exchanged for the Nord's concession for Laon–Reims in 1855.
In 1937 the CF du Nord was nationalised, as were the other main railway companies, to become part of the Société nationale des chemins de fer français.

Activity

In 1926 started regular connection of the luxury passenger train from London to Paris, Golden Arrow/Fleche d'Or with British Southern Railway. For transport of passengers' baggage four containers were used. These containers were loaded in London or Paris and carried to ports, Dover or Calais, on flat cars in the UK and “CIWL Pullman Golden Arrow Fourgon of CIWL” in France.

In the arts

In 1855 Baron Rothschild commissioned photographer Edouard Baldus to do a series of photographs of the various landmarks on the railway line between Boulogne-sur-Mer and Paris. The photographs were used to create an album for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as a souvenir of their visit to France that year. The album can be seen today in the photographic collection in the Royal Archives at Windsor Castle.

Locomotives of the Nord