LGV Bordeaux-Toulouse
Encyclopedia
The LGV Bordeaux-Toulouse is an approximately 200 km long French
high speed rail
project reserved for passenger traffic between Bordeaux
and Toulouse
. Its dual aim is:
.
These proposed:
Short term plans do not include a bypass of the Bordeaux area; TGVs providing the Paris
-Toulouse
service would use Bordeaux St-Jean station. The line would begin Southwest of Bordeaux
at Hourcade and rejoin the regular 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 2020, for a cost of approximately 3 billion Euro.
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 decided to study more precisely the two options for Agen (new or existing station). The different options between Bordeaux and Agen are to be thoroughly investigated to determine the route after the public inquiry on the LGV Sud Europe Atlantique line is completed.
The first of three draft laws unveiled by the French Government
on 30 April 2008 granted the French Government the right to purchase land and actively seek bidders to build the LGV Bordeaux-Toulouse line. Funding for the line comes as part of a massive programme of expansion of High Speed Lines
in France, totalling 2,000km of additional high speed rail by 2020.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
high speed rail
High-speed rail
High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions by the European Union include for upgraded track and or faster for new track, whilst in the United States, the U.S...
project reserved for passenger traffic between Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
and Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
. Its dual aim is:
- to ensure high-speed service of the Toulouse region by extension of the LGV Sud Europe AtlantiqueLGV Sud Europe AtlantiqueThe LGV Sud Europe Atlantique , also known as the LGV Sud-Ouest, is a high-speed railway line in the early stages of construction, running between Tours and Bordeaux, in France. When built, it will be used by TGV trains operated by SNCF, the French national railway company. The project has been...
and make possible a journey time between ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and Toulouse of about 3 hours - to be part of a proposed "Southern Link", allowing the connection of the Atlantic and Mediterranean from BordeauxBordeauxBordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
to NiceNiceNice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
via Toulouse, MontpellierMontpellier-Neighbourhoods:Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided into sub-neighbourhoods. Each of them possesses a neighbourhood council....
and MarseilleMarseilleMarseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
.
Features
The project was the subject of preliminary studies between 2002 and 2004 by RFFRéseau Ferré de France
Réseau Ferré de France , , owns and maintains the French national railway network. The trains are operated by SNCF, the national railway company, but due to European Union Directive 91/440, the French government was required to separate train operations from the railway infrastructure.Unlike other...
.
These proposed:
- serving Bordeaux and Toulouse through their existing central stations (Bordeaux St-Jean and Toulouse Matabiau)
- two intermediary stops at AgenAgenAgen is a commune in the Lot-et-Garonne department in Aquitaine in south-western France. It lies on the river Garonne southeast of Bordeaux. It is the capital of the department.-Economy:The town has a higher level of unemployment than the national average...
and MontaubanMontaubanMontauban is a commune in the Tarn-et-Garonne department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in southern France. It is the capital of the department and lies north of Toulouse....
, 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 GaronneGaronneThe Garonne is a river in southwest France and northern Spain, with a length of .-Source:The Garonne's headwaters are to be found in the Aran Valley in the Pyrenees, though three different locations have been proposed as the true source: the Uelh deth Garona at Plan de Beret , the Ratera-Saboredo...
valley and Autoroute 62 - three route options between Bordeaux and Agen: to the north of the Garonne valley; running along the valley; to the south, passing by CaptieuxCaptieuxCaptieux is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.It lies near the border with the Landes and the Lot-et-Garonne departments.The commune is in the east of the Parc naturel régional des Landes de Gascogne....
. This third option, currently favoured, would permit a common first section between the LGV Bordeaux-Toulouse and the extension of the LGV Sud Europe AtlantiqueLGV Sud Europe AtlantiqueThe LGV Sud Europe Atlantique , also known as the LGV Sud-Ouest, is a high-speed railway line in the early stages of construction, running between Tours and Bordeaux, in France. When built, it will be used by TGV trains operated by SNCF, the French national railway company. The project has been...
from Bordeaux 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, LourdesLourdesLourdes is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in south-western France.Lourdes is a small market town lying in the foothills of the Pyrenees, famous for the Marian apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes occurred in 1858 to Bernadette Soubirous...
, TarbesTarbesTarbes is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France.It is part of the historical region of Gascony. It is the second largest metropolitan area of Midi-Pyrénées, with 110,000 inhabitants....
).
Short term plans do not include a bypass of the Bordeaux area; TGVs providing the Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
-Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
service would use Bordeaux St-Jean station. The line would begin Southwest of Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
at Hourcade and rejoin the regular network Northwest of Toulouse at St-Jory. The Bordeaux shunt project (Libourne
Libourne
Libourne is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.It is the wine-making capital of northern Gironde and lies near Saint-Émilion and Pomerol.-Geography:...
-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 2020, for a cost of approximately 3 billion Euro.
Progress
The public inquiry into the project ended 25 November 2005. This revealed:- a large consensus in favour of the project at Agen, Montauban and Toulouse. Among the arguments advanced were the access of Toulouse and the Garonne Valley to the high-speed network, the wish to develop rail as a less polluting transport option, and the need to respond to the saturation of Toulouse-Blagnac airportAirportAn airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
by a transfer of air passengers towards rail. The continuation of the project up to NarbonneNarbonneNarbonne is a commune in southern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. It lies from Paris in the Aude department, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Once a prosperous port, it is now located about from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea...
was also cited. - some opposition from the southern GirondeGirondeFor the Revolutionary party, see Girondists.Gironde is a common name for the Gironde estuary, where the mouths of the Garonne and Dordogne rivers merge, and for a department in the Aquitaine region situated in southwest France.-History:...
area and particularly the CaptieuxCaptieuxCaptieux is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.It lies near the border with the Landes and the Lot-et-Garonne departments.The commune is in the east of the Parc naturel régional des Landes de Gascogne....
region, where residents feared the destruction of natural sites and felt that the upgrading of the existing line would make more sense. The delegates from Aquitaine wished priority to be given to the extension of the LGV Sud Europe AtlantiqueLGV Sud Europe AtlantiqueThe LGV Sud Europe Atlantique , also known as the LGV Sud-Ouest, is a high-speed railway line in the early stages of construction, running between Tours and Bordeaux, in France. When built, it will be used by TGV trains operated by SNCF, the French national railway company. The project has been...
to the Spanish border.
On 13 April 2006, the RFF
Réseau Ferré de France
Réseau Ferré de France , , owns and maintains the French national railway network. The trains are operated by SNCF, the national railway company, but due to European Union Directive 91/440, the French government was required to separate train operations from the railway infrastructure.Unlike other...
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 decided to study more precisely the two options for Agen (new or existing station). The different options between Bordeaux and Agen are to be thoroughly investigated to determine the route after the public inquiry on the LGV Sud Europe Atlantique line is completed.
The first of three draft laws unveiled by the French Government
Government of France
The government of the French Republic is a semi-presidential system determined by the French Constitution of the fifth Republic. The nation declares itself to be an "indivisible, secular, democratic, and social Republic"...
on 30 April 2008 granted the French Government the right to purchase land and actively seek bidders to build the LGV Bordeaux-Toulouse line. Funding for the line comes as part of a massive programme of expansion of High Speed Lines
High-speed rail
High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions by the European Union include for upgraded track and or faster for new track, whilst in the United States, the U.S...
in France, totalling 2,000km of additional high speed rail by 2020.