The future TGV Limoges-Poitiers remains station – Liberation

The Intercity trains have friends in the Council of State. Including trains the Paris-Orléans-Limoges-Toulouse (POLT). In a decision released Friday, the highest administrative court in France has canceled the decree dating from January 2015 declaring a public utility the high-speed line (LGV) Poitiers-Limoges. She raised “deficiencies” of economic evaluation and social, but also disadvantages that “outweigh” the benefits. An important note, at the time of trades the future of intercity network and where, by the admission of the resigning president of SNCF Network, Jacques Rapoport, the absolute priority must be given to the renovation of the French rail network, even suspend development projects.

the LGV Limoges-Poitiers to link the Paris-Bordeaux TGV line and thus put the agglomeration limousine two hours from the capital. The work had been declared January 11, 2015 “public utility and urgent” by the government. But several associations showed their opposition and before the Council of State. Rather than invest in a new TGV line, they defend the modernization of the existing line, Paris-Orléans-Limoges-Toulouse (POLT). The National Federation of associations of transport users (FNAUT), now very satisfied, is one of the associations that filed an application for annulment of the declaration of public utility. It denounces this project “would have drained the POLT whose service would be increased from 11 to 4 daily round trips.” According to opponents, the detour Poitiers would mechanically penalized stations averages towns on the POLT between Paris and Limoges, degrading the rail network in the region.

the Court of Auditors also criticized the project for other reasons. In October 2014, even before the declaration of public utility, its members had found this new French high speed network “not consistent” and too costly in relation to available resources. They doubted, in particular, the possibility “to ensure socio-economic profitability, even minimal, the LGV Poitiers-Limoges.”

“This decision was taken unlawfully “

The State Council has heard these arguments. The project implementation “would result in a massive shift of passengers from the Paris-Orléans-Limoges-Toulouse to the high speed line” recognizes the jurisdiction, which would have resulted “a decrease in traffic on this line and hence deterioration in the service of territories between Orleans and Limoges.” It also states that, given the cost of the work estimated at 1.6 billion EUR evaluation “economic and social” was insufficient. The decision to declare the public utility project was skewed by an incomplete file. “This decision was taken unlawfully,” writes the State Council, which also denounces the blur on the gains of course, an assessment of the profitability too superficial, not to mention the risk of spoliation owners expropriated due to the large gap between the expropriations could start now and the start of work “considered a distant horizon, between 2030 and 2050″.

and now? The expropriations are impossible and the project is blocked. “The Government takes note of the decision of the State Council,” said Secretary of State for Transport, to the Sea and Fisheries, Alain Vidal. It will gather May 3 “elected concerned” – opponents and supporters of the LGV – “and then make a decision on the future of the project” Richard Poirot