Major South-Western rail project
The project
The new Bordeaux-Toulouse and Bordeaux-Dax lines (327 km in total) are the main operation of the Major South-Western rail project (GPSO) on the Bordeaux-Toulouse and Bordeaux-Spain routes. This programme integrates the challenges of long-distance mobility and everyday transport.
The new lines to Toulouse and Dax will strengthen the coverage of the structuring rail network at national and European level, both for north-south links (Atlantic corridor, links with the Iberian peninsula) and between the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts, by gradually building up a double set of lines on these routes. This will be completed with the Dax-Spain section, planned for the final phase of the GPSO.
They will deliver major performance gains for the railways, with almost an hour saved between Bordeaux and Toulouse, 20 minutes between Bordeaux and Dax, and beyond to the south of Nouvelle Aquitaine and Spain. The result will be a better modal balance with road and air transport.
The grant
The CEF grant application was for a second tranche of detailed studies for the new Bordeaux-Toulouse and Bordeaux-Dax lines project. This project is part of the pre-operational studies prior to the launch of the main works for these infrastructures.
The grant obtained is €32.5m.
Rail upgrades to the south of Bordeaux
The project
The Rail upgrades to the south of Bordeaux project, involving the upgrading of 12 km of existing line to the south of Bordeaux, aims to increase rail capacity at the Bordeaux rail junction. The aim of the Major South-Western rail project is to relieve congestion and increase capacity on the Atlantic corridor to meet the challenge of expected increases in both passenger and long-distance freight traffic, as well as regional, urban and suburban traffic.
This will increase the number of trains that can run on the section from 100 to 200 per day. Once in service, the project will enable the sustainable development of efficient, environmentally-friendly transport, while helping to reduce CO2 emissions.
The grant
The AFSB project has received a grant of €27.18m to co-finance the preparatory works and the works in the Hourcade sector.
Dax-Bayonne "midi" catenary
The project
The project involves replacing the catenaries on the Dax-Bayonne section of the Bordeaux-Hendaye line with interoperable, heat-resistant catenaries. The 2017 French master plan for catenaries identified this section as a priority area: the equipment, which dates back to the 1920s, is particularly sensitive to high temperatures, leading to speed restrictions on the line to protect the catenaries as soon as the temperature rises above 35°C.
The grant
The funding application related to:
- works to be carried out in a 2x5 km test area, in order to test and validate the conditions for installing catenaries on used track
- the studies required to start the works
- phase 1 (of 3) of the main works in the area
This project has been awarded a €27.3m grant.
New Montpellier Perpignan Line (LNMP)
The project
The section between Montpellier and Perpignan is the only missing link in the high-speed network between Seville and Amsterdam. The aim of the New Montpellier Perpignan Line (LNMP) project is to complete this missing link in the TEN-T and the Mediterranean corridor.
In phase 1, the project aims to:
- save 18 minutes journey time between Montpellier and Béziers for passenger and freight traffic
- encourage daily trains between Montpellier and Béziers by creating a new line
- offer a non-submersible alternative to the existing line between Montpellier and Béziers that is robust in the face of climate change
The grant
The grant application relates to the finalisation of the programme with a view to preparing the contract for construction and preparatory work for phase 1. The European Commission has awarded a grant of €6.5m.
Marseille - Ventimiglia High Performance (HPMV)
The project
The aim of the HPMV project is to regenerate the signalling installations that currently consist of an "automatic illuminated block" system with speed control by beacon. The new system does away with the need for trackside signalling, using in-cab information transmitted by radio or ground-based systems.
Alongside this regeneration objective, this new system will enable the interoperability of rolling stock in line with European standards and improve the robustness performance of transport plans. This project is a prerequisite for the new Provence-Côte d'Azur line (LNPCA) project.
The grant
The funding application relates to phase 1 of the deployment of ERTMS Hybrid Level 3 (Baseline 3) between Marseille and Ventimiglia, covering 220 km of track (110 km of double track) between now and the end of 2027.
The European Commission has awarded €32.6m in European CEF grants.
