In August 1944, the railway network of Haute-Savoie found itself in a situation that could be described as paradoxical.
Indeed, unlike many French departments in the northern part of the country that suffered massive destruction of infrastructure, our regional lines have, on the whole, emerged relatively unscathed. With most of the breaches caused by the Resistance's actions having been repaired, it seems likely that the network will be able to resume its pre-war functions. However, in reality, this resumption of operations is contingent upon a number of factors that will necessitate a gradual restart, which is unavoidable.
The speakers will take this opportunity to discuss the freight trains that supplied Switzerland from July 1940 onwards and that traveled along the Annecy-La Roche-Annemasse line.
By Gilles Degenève, specialist in the history of railway networks in Western Europe, and André Pallatier, specialist in railway networks during the First World War, both members of Histoire & Mémoire Militaire Alpine (Alpine Military History & Memory).
