The total transport package amounts to just over €11 billion and will help to accelerate France's ecological transition. Prime Minister Jean Castex has specified that this package will help to renovate railway lines, build new railway bridges, build new railways and improve the quality of life of the population. return of night trains or transferring road freight to rail with free access tolls.
For passengers, the first concrete signs will be the relaunch of the Paris-Pyrénées and Paris-Nice night trains.. The line to the Pyrenees will include services to Tarbes, Lourdes and Hendaye. In an interview with RTL on Friday 4 September, SNCF Chairman Jean-Pierre Farandou stated that his objective was to have these trains back in service by December 2021. SNCF will devote 100 million to acquire new carriages or modernise its current night carriages.
Railway renaissance in the South West
The recovery plan will also help to bring back secondary lines that have been abandoned for a decade. For example, the direct Lyon-Bordeaux train line via Roanne was abandoned in 2014. In total, this means some 9,000 km of secondary lines whose reopening should be reassessed.
While the priority remains "everyday trains", a few projects for new lines could still be approved. One of the most likely is the Montpellier-Perpignan high-speed line. This project has been on the SNCF's drawing board for 25 years. Its completion would finally provide a high-speed rail link between the south of France and Spain. Another major project is the redevelopment of the Toulouse rail hub and the railway line to Bordeaux for the arrival of the LGV.
Finally, the Castex plan includes 1.2 billion for public transport and the acceleration of the cycling plan. In particular, it will support the creation of new RER, TER and tramway lines throughout the country.
