Which railway first used a regular steam-hauled passenger service in continental Europe?

The Saint-Étienne–Lyon railway first used a regular steam-hauled passenger service in continental Europe.

The French railway connected Saint-Étienne with Lyon and opened in stages during the 1830s. It was initially developed mainly to carry coal and other goods, but steam locomotives later operated passenger services on the route.

The railway is important because early continental European railways often began as mineral lines rather than as passenger systems. Its history therefore differs from Britain’s better-known Liverpool and Manchester Railway, which opened in 1830 as a prominent inter-city passenger and freight railway.

Dates in early railway history can be confusing because construction, partial opening, horse operation and steam passenger operation were separate milestones. The Saint-Étienne–Lyon line is associated specifically with the first regular steam passenger service on the European mainland.