LGV Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

The LGV Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, also referred to as the LGV PACA and LGV Côte d'Azur, is a high-speed rail project intended to extend the LGV Méditerranée towards the Côte d'Azur. Operations are set to begin around 2020.

Route

Three principal route options were considered, mainly concerning the alignment between Avignon, Aix-en-Provence, Toulon and Draguignan.

Additional connections between the mediterranean coast between Barcelona, Montpellier, Marseille, Nice and Genoa and the southern cross route towards Toulouse and Bordeaux would be affected; the new line would link Marseille to Genoa in 3:15, and Barcelona in 3:35 (thanks to the LGV Perpignan-Figueres).

The final route alignment decision and its details were announced by French Ecology Minister Jean-Louis Borloo on 30 June 2009, opting for the longest route via Marseille, Toulon, and Nice.

Controversy

This project was subject to public debate between 21 February and 8 July 2005.

There was much local opposition to the project, particularly by various environmental organisations. Additionally differences of opinion due to the vested interests of the three départements concerned (Bouches-du-Rhône, Var and Alpes-Maritimes) caused friction. Local elected officials have approved the project and the presidents of the general committees of the three départements have agreed to propose an alternative route in order to reconcile their respective positions.

See also

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 5/19/2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.