French TGV network, with the planned high-speed line from Bordeaux to Toulouse in the southwest (red dots)

The LGV Bordeaux–Toulouse is a 222 kilometre (138 mi) long future French high-speed rail line reserved for passenger traffic between Bordeaux and Toulouse. Its dual aim is:

  • to ensure high-speed service of the Toulouse region through an extension of the LGV Sud Europe Atlantique and reduce the journey time between Paris and Toulouse to slightly over 3 hours.
  • in a more distant and less defined future, to be part of a proposed "Southern Link", connecting the Atlantic and Mediterranean from Bordeaux to Nice via Toulouse, Montpellier and Marseille.

Construction of the line is expected to start in 2024 with service starting in 2030.[1][2][3][4]

Features

The project was the subject of preliminary studies between 2002 and 2004 by RFF. These proposed:

  • serving Bordeaux and Toulouse through their existing central stations (Bordeaux St-Jean and Toulouse Matabiau)
  • stops at Agen and Montauban, either through their existing stations, or by the creation of new stations on the high-speed line.
  • a route between Agen and Toulouse following the Garonne valley and the A62 autoroute.
  • three route options between Bordeaux and Agen: to the north of the Garonne valley; running along the valley; to the south, passing by Captieux. This third option, currently favoured, would permit a common first section between the LGV Bordeaux–Toulouse and the extension of the LGV Sud Europe Atlantique from Bordeaux via Dax to the Spanish border. Additionally, it would permit calling directly at Mont-de-Marsan and would offer direct access to the towns of the Pyrenees area (Pau, Lourdes, Tarbes).

Short term plans do not include a bypass of the Bordeaux area; TGVs providing the Paris-Toulouse service would go through the Bordeaux St-Jean station. The line would begin Southwest of Bordeaux at Hourcade and rejoin the existing network Northwest of Toulouse at St-Jory. The Bordeaux shunt project (Libourne-La Réole) seems somewhat incompatible with the common section option.

Line speed will be 320 km/h, enabling a journey time of 59 minutes between Bordeaux and Toulouse, and of 3:14 between Paris and Toulouse (3:07 without a stop at Bordeaux).

Service is planned to begin around 2030, for a cost of approximately 3 billion Euro.[5]

Progress

The public inquiry into the project ended 25 November 2005. This revealed:

  • a broad consensus in favour of the project at Agen, Montauban and Toulouse. The arguments advanced included access to the high-speed network for Toulouse and the Garonne Valley, the wish to develop rail as a less polluting transport option, and the need to address the saturation of Toulouse–Blagnac Airport by transferring air passengers towards rail. The continuation of the project up to Narbonne was also cited.
  • some opposition from the southern Gironde area and particularly the Captieux region, where residents who will benefit little from the line feared the destruction of natural sites and preferred an upgrade of the existing line. The delegates from Aquitaine prioritized the extension of the LGV Sud Europe Atlantique to the Spanish border over this link to Toulouse.

On 13 April 2006, the RFF administrative committee decided to continue its studies, taking into account the conclusions of the public inquiry. It agreed on a new station to serve Montauban, and deferred to more detailed studies the choice between building a new station for Agen or upgrading the existing station. The different options between Bordeaux and Agen were to be thoroughly investigated to determine the route after the public inquiry on the LGV Sud Europe Atlantique line is completed.

The French Government unveiled on 30 April 2008 the first of three draft laws which grant it the right to purchase land through eminent domain and actively seek bidders to build the LGV Bordeaux–Toulouse line. Funding for the line would have come as part of a massive programme of expansion of High Speed Lines in France, totalling 2,000 km of additional high-speed rail by 2020. That program was later descoped in the face of budgetary difficulties, but the Bordeaux–Toulouse line seemed likely to survive but unlikely to be constructed before 2030.

In April 2021, Prime Minister Jean Castex announced €4.1 billion in French government funding, slightly over half the estimated total cost of the project. The European Union was expected to contribute €1.5-€2 billion toward the project, and the Occitanie region around €1 billion. Construction is expected to start in 2024, and service in 2030.[1][2][3][4] The various funding stakeholders reached a binding financial agreement in February 2022.[6]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Ferri, Mathieu (2021-04-29). "LGV Bordeaux-Toulouse : le financement sera bouclé fin 2021, selon Carole Delga". France Bleu (in French). Retrieved 2021-05-12.
  2. 1 2 "Le projet de ligne à grande vitesse Bordeaux-Toulouse va recevoir 4,1 milliards d'euros de l'Etat". Le Monde.fr (in French). 2021-04-28. Retrieved 2021-05-12.
  3. 1 2 "LGV Bordeaux-Toulouse : l'État s'engage à hauteur de 4 milliards d'euros". Sud Ouest (in French). Retrieved 2021-05-12.
  4. 1 2 Haydock, David (2021-04-29). "French government commits €4bn to Bordeaux - Toulouse HS project". International Railway Journal. Retrieved 2021-05-12.
  5. ↑ "LGV Bordeaux-Toulouse : un pas en avant, les collectivités à la manœuvre". France Bleu. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
  6. ↑ "Le financement du projet de la ligne à grande vitesse Bordeaux-Toulouse officiellement bouclé". Le Monde (in French). Retrieved 2022-02-20.
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