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Irrespective of the gauge, the main reasons for which railcars were introduced were the same everywhere: to cut back on running costs and increase the average speed. After WWI, road transport became a strong competitor and attracted a growing number of passengers with the advent of raod transport companies. Introducing railcars meant that goods and passenger traffic could be separated, and, unlike steam locomotives, railcars were immediately operational. When compared to the hours of firing up required for bringing a steam engine to its working pressure, the choice was pretty obvious. Like other networks, the Economiques des Charentes was faced with these problems and introduced various solutions. The latter helped defer closure, but did not prevent it happening eventually.
