It looks like it used to be double track but was singled and I was surprised that it is electrified! It looks like 25kV AC judging from the size of the wires and insulators. I think it's electrified as far as the quarries at Thouars, an important source of ballast and construction aggregates; the nearest to Paris, I believe.
Wow, and I thought the Cambrian Coast was bad last summer when I visited, but that French line looks like it needs a visit from the Weedkiller train I really enjoyed this, watching it right through.
The track details, like treadles, singles and pairs, presumably for crossing actuation, and what I take to be balises in the 4' way. The line from Saumur to Thouars was double track.
It was part of the main line from Paris to Bordeaux via Chartres and Chateau-de-Loir that the CF de l'Etat cobbled together from various former cross-country lines apparent from the tight curves after it took over the CF de l'Ouest. It was electrified at 25 KV 50Hz in Though there are three daily trains each way between Saumur and Thouars. It doesn't appear that the unelectrified section between Thouars and La Roche sees any passenger trains apart from the Train des Sables weekends and Jours de Fete May -September, daily in July and August so it's not suprising that the track is so weedy.
.JPG/640px-Les_Sables-d'Olonne_(2010).JPG "Sex guide in Les Sables-dOlonne")
As Old Dudders says, this 4K video offers a huge amount of detail. I particularly noticed the suprising number of unbarriered level crossings on unclassified roads protected only a St.
