LGV Bordeaux–Spain

LGV Bordeaux–Spain
Company type	Infrastructure project
Industry	Railway transport
Founded	2002
Headquarters	Bordeaux, France
Area served	Southwestern France, Spain border
Products	High-speed rail line

The LGV Bordeaux–Spain (French: Ligne à Grande Vitesse Bordeaux–Espagne) represents a forthcoming high-speed railway designed to connect Bordeaux with the Spanish border, thereby improving the Paris–Madrid rail corridor. This initiative aims to address the swiftly increasing freight volumes along the Spain-Bayonne-Bordeaux axis, which currently grows at an approximate annual rate of 10%. The line will integrate the LGV Sud Europe Atlantique to the north with the Basque Y network extending southward.

As a component of the Grand Projet Ferroviaire du Sud-Ouest (GPSO), this 196-kilometer corridor is planned to accommodate both high-speed passenger trains (TGV) and mixed passenger-freight operations on certain segments. The construction is divided into two stages: Phase 1, covering 97 km from Bordeaux to Dax, aims for completion by 2034, while Phase 2 will extend the line by 94 km from Dax to the Spanish frontier at a subsequent time.

Projected expenditures amount to €3.7 billion for Phase 1 based on 2022 data, and approximately €4 billion for Phase 2 according to estimates from 2013.

Route

Starting from a junction with the LGV Bordeaux–Toulouse at Bernos-Beaulac in Gironde, the line shares an initial 55-km stretch before diverging near Bernos-Beaulac itself. It then traverses through Mont-de-Marsan, Dax, and advances toward the Spanish border near Hendaye.

Three new stations are planned as part of this development:

A dedicated TGV station situated north of Mont-de-Marsan
Two regional express stations—one positioned south of the LGV Bordeaux-Toulouse junction in Escaudes, and another located west of Dax in Saint-Geours-de-Maremne

Phase 1: Sud-Gironde–Dax

From Bernos-Beaulac, the line diverges southward from the LGV Bordeaux-Toulouse. A new regional express station named Sud-Gironde is planned close to this split. The route partially aligns with the A65 motorway as it passes through Landes de Gascogne Regional Natural Park before bending westward near Mont-de-Marsan. The proposed Mont-de-Marsan station will be established in Lucbardez-et-Bargues and linked to the existing station by an 8.9 km single-track connection.

Proceeding southwest, the line skirts north of Mont-de-Marsan and approaches the current Bordeaux-Irun railway near Pontonx-sur-l'Adour and Laluque, where a grade-separated junction will direct traffic toward Dax. This new Bordeaux-Dax alignment extends approximately 34 km beyond the length of the existing route.

Phase 2: Dax–Spanish Border

At Laluque junction, a freight link connecting toward Spain is planned. The route bypasses Dax on its northwest side, integrating a passenger connection originating from Rivière-Saas-et-Gourby. A regional express station called Côte-Landaise is slated for construction at kilometer marker 190.77. After circumventing Saint-Vincent-de-Tyrosse, the line runs parallel to the present Bordeaux-Irun railway for roughly 5 km, where a junction will provide access to Bayonne and Biarritz stations.

From Labenne onward, the alignment follows alongside the A63 motorway for about 7 km and crosses the Adour valley via a viaduct measuring 2,860 meters in length. A connecting link from the Toulouse-Bayonne line will facilitate traffic between Bayonne and Spain. Approaching the foothills of the Pyrenees requires significant engineering works including numerous tunnels and bridges: within the 34 km segment spanning kilometers 225 to 259, approximately 14.8 km consist of tunnels while around 4.5 km are bridges or viaducts. At kilometer 259.06 lies the river La Bidasoa marking the border; beyond this point in Spain, plans continue with the "Basque Y" project extending toward Vitoria-Gasteiz.

Time Efficiency Improvements

The Grand Projet Ferroviaire du Sud-Ouest will bring substantial reductions in journey durations:

	Current	Post "Basque Y"	Post GPSO Phase 1 (Bordeaux-Dax/Toulouse)	Post GPSO Phase 2 (Dax-border)
Bordeaux-Bayonne	1h45		1h15	1h05
Bordeaux-Bilbao	4h30*	3h15	2h55	1h55
Bordeaux-Madrid	9h*	5h15	4h55	3h55
Paris-Bayonne	3h55		3h25	3h15
Paris-Madrid	9h00 via Barcelona	7h25	7h05	6h05
Toulouse-Bayonne	3h30		2h25	2h15

Times with an asterisk represent current coach travel durations due to limited rail availability.

These durations do not account for timetable adjustments.

Infrastructure Details

Extending over 196 km, the railway line is engineered for speeds reaching 320 km/h, with northern and southern segments near Dax adapted to local terrain and traffic demands.

The track employs UIC 60 rails mounted on monoblock sleepers. Turnouts (points de changement de voie, PCV) permit operation at speeds up to 170 km/h. Three operational stations (PCVE) located at Carsen-Ponson (km 155.98), St-Geours-de-Maremne (km 189.79), and St-Pée-sur-Nivelle (km 243.77) feature overtaking lanes, emergency platforms, and maintenance sidings.

At Mont-de-Marsan station, infrastructure includes two platform tracks of 400 meters length, flanked by two central tracks for through trains and dedicated regional service tracks. The Sud-Gironde and Côte-Landaise stations will accommodate regional express services with two platform tracks of 200 meters each plus two passing tracks.

Electrification is provided by a 25 kV AC system at 50 Hz, supported by substations located in Retjons (km 101), Lesgor (km 159), and Arcangues (km 239). Train control is managed exclusively via ETCS Level 2.

Phase 1: Sud-Gironde to Dax

Covering 97 km from the Triangle Sud-Gironde to north of Dax, this segment supports speeds up to 350 km/h and fast freight trains operating at or above 160 km/h. Track centers are spaced at 4.80 m with minimum curve radii near 5,900 m.

A connecting curve of 5.6 km length, known as Sud-Sud, allows train speeds up to 230 km/h. Additionally, an 8.9-km connector links Mont-de-Marsan station with the existing rail network.

Phase 2: Dax to Spanish Border

Spanning approximately 94 km from the Nord de Dax junction to the Spanish frontier, this section supports mixed traffic: passenger trains traveling up to 320 km/h and freight trains up to 120 km/h. Southward from Saint-Vincent-de-Tyrosse junction, maximum permissible speed is reduced to 220 km/h. Around 15.5 km of connecting lines will integrate this segment into the current network.

Service Operations

This new railway facilitates high-speed TGV connections linking Bordeaux, Mont-de-Marsan, Dax, Bayonne, Biarritz, and Hendaye, complemented by regional TER services at Sud-Gironde and Mont-de-Marsan stations.

Service capacity will increase to as many as twelve daily return trips between Bordeaux and Dax, reducing travel time from 1 hour and 9 minutes to just 53 minutes. The journey between Bordeaux and Bayonne will be shortened by roughly forty minutes following the completion of Phase 2. The Sud-Sud curve will cut travel times between Toulouse and southern Aquitaine by at least one hour and thirty minutes. Upon opening Phase 2 alongside the Spanish extension, Paris–Madrid travel time is expected to be approximately six hours and five minutes with three direct daily return services.

Phase 1 is projected to attract about 7.7 million passengers annually—an increase of nearly two million compared to current estimates. After Phase 2 reaches the Spanish border, annual ridership is anticipated to rise to around 10.7 million passengers, including close to two million cross-border travelers.

Initial Investigations

From 2002 to 2004, formal analyses were conducted to evaluate multiple options for the Bordeaux-Dax segment of the high-speed rail line:

Upgrading the current Bordeaux-Irun corridor to four tracks
Constructing a new route alongside the A63 motorway
Developing a new alignment east of the Landes region incorporating a station at Mont-de-Marsan

Following public consultations in 2005, Réseau Ferré de France (RFF, presently SNCF Réseau) chose the eastern Landes alternative featuring a new Mont-de-Marsan station on March 8, 2007.

On May 21, 2007, regional authorities from Midi-Pyrénées reached an agreement on financial contributions. By January 2010, RFF released a detailed route plan narrowed down to a one-kilometer precision. The steering committee gave final approval for the route on January 9, 2012.

In June 2013, the Mobilité 21 Commission recommended a phased approach: combining the Bordeaux-Dax section with LGV Bordeaux-Toulouse by 2027 and extending to the Spanish border (Phase 2) by 2032.

Phase 1 Planning

The initial public consultation for Phase 1 commenced on October 14, 2014. The official declaration of public utility was granted on June 2, 2016. Although administrative courts initially upheld appeals against this declaration in 2017 and 2018, these rulings were reversed upon appeal in 2019 and 2020; the Conseil d'État confirmed the project's public interest in April 2018.

In March 2022, a financing agreement totaling €3.7 billion was finalized involving equal contributions of 40% from both the French government and local authorities, with the European Union covering the remaining 20%. While commissioning is targeted after 2032, the exact commencement date for construction has yet to be determined.

Latest Progress

Starting January 2025, SNCF Réseau initiated an upgrade of the "Midi" catenary system along the Dax-Bayonne line to integrate with the forthcoming LGV. This €190 million project, funded by SNCF Réseau (86%) and the European Union (14%), is scheduled to continue through 2031 to accommodate increased rail traffic. This timeline corresponds with the anticipated opening of Phase 1 of LGV Bordeaux–Spain in 2034, reflecting coordinated efforts between infrastructure modernization and new high-speed rail development.

Timeline

2002-2003: Initial feasibility assessments
December 18, 2003: Project endorsed by interministerial committee
June 7 - November 25, 2005: Public consultation period
April 13, 2006: RFF proceeds with further studies
January 11, 2010: RFF specifies a one-kilometer corridor for Bordeaux-Toulouse and Bordeaux-Spain routes
March 30, 2012: Transport Ministry approves proposed high-speed line
October 14, 2014: Launch of public inquiries
June 2, 2016: Declaration of public utility granted
June 29, 2017: Bordeaux administrative court annuls public utility declaration for Bordeaux-Saint-Jean to Saint-Médard d'Eyrans segment
February 2, 2018: Infrastructure Orientation Council prioritizes project with phased delivery potentially postponed until 2027
October 17, 2019: Bordeaux administrative court of appeal reinstates public utility for Bordeaux-Saint-Jean to Saint-Médard d'Eyrans segment
December 24, 2019: Mobility orientation legislation enacted facilitating creation of project company for financing
March 2, 2022: Grand Projet du Sud Ouest company formed to oversee LGV Bordeaux-Toulouse and Bordeaux-Spain projects

Opposition to the project

Referendums held in Biriatou, Arcangues, and Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle revealed that 85% of participants were against the initiative. Nevertheless, Alain Lamassoure, the former mayor of Anglet, characterized the opposition as self-centered. In June 2023, approximately 400 individuals rallied in Gironde to protest the development, highlighting persistent difficulties within the region.

External links

Official website of the Grand Projet Ferroviaire du Sud-Ouest (GPSO) (in French)
GPSO: Bordeaux-Spain line (in French)
Interactive map of the GPSO New Lines project (in French)
Proposed route, as of January 9, 2012 (PDF; 6.2 MiB) (in French)