LGV Bordeaux–Toulouse
| Company type | Infrastructure project |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | 2024 |
| Headquarters | France |
Area served | Bordeaux, Toulouse, France |
| Products | High-speed rail passenger service |
| Parent | Réseau ferré de France (RFF) |
The LGV Bordeaux–Toulouse represents a forthcoming French high-speed rail corridor stretching 222 kilometres, exclusively designed for passenger services connecting Bordeaux and Toulouse. The line's main aims include:
- Extending the LGV Sud Europe Atlantique to deliver high-speed connectivity to the Toulouse area, thereby shortening travel time between Paris and Toulouse to just over three hours.
- Ultimately integrating into a "Southern Link" that links the Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines, running from Bordeaux to Nice through Toulouse, Montpellier, and Marseille.
Initial groundwork commenced in 2024, with completion anticipated by 2032.
Features
Early assessments conducted by RFF (2002–2004) identified the following:
- Direct service to central stations in Bordeaux and Toulouse (Bordeaux St-Jean and Toulouse Matabiau).
- Intermediate stops at Agen and Montauban, utilizing either current stations or newly constructed high-speed platforms.
- A track alignment from Agen to Toulouse that follows the Garonne valley alongside the A62 autoroute.
- Three possible alignments between Bordeaux and Agen: one north of the Garonne valley; another along the valley itself; and a southern route passing through Captieux. The preferred southern alignment offers a shared segment with the LGV Sud Europe Atlantique extension toward Spain, direct access to Mont-de-Marsan, and connections to Pyrenean towns such as Pau, Lourdes, and Tarbes.
Short-term strategies exclude constructing a bypass around Bordeaux; thus, TGV trains running Paris–Toulouse will call at Bordeaux St-Jean station. The new line will commence southwest of Bordeaux near Hourcade and rejoin existing tracks northwest of Toulouse close to St-Jory. The proposed Bordeaux bypass project (Libourne–La Réole) conflicts with this shared segment.
Engineered for speeds up to 320 km/h, this line will reduce travel time between Bordeaux and Toulouse to 59 minutes, while Paris–Toulouse trips will take roughly 3 hours 14 minutes (or 3 hours 7 minutes if bypassing Bordeaux).
Operations are projected to start by 2032, with an estimated budget of €7.5 billion.
Progress
Following the public consultation concluded on 25 November 2005, opposition surfaced particularly from southern parts of the Gironde department, especially around Captieux. Local inhabitants preferred enhancing existing rail infrastructure instead of building new lines due to environmental concerns. Representatives from Aquitaine emphasized extending the LGV Sud Europe Atlantique toward Spain rather than establishing a link to Toulouse.
On 13 April 2006, the administrative board of RFF resolved to advance further studies while incorporating feedback from the inquiry. They approved establishing a new station at Montauban but postponed final decisions regarding Agen’s station pending more detailed evaluations. The choice among route alternatives between Bordeaux and Agen was deferred until after completing the LGV Sud Europe Atlantique inquiry.
By 30 April 2008, the French Government introduced draft legislation permitting land expropriation through eminent domain and initiating calls for tenders for constructing the LGV Bordeaux–Toulouse line. This initiative formed part of a larger objective to develop 2,000 km of high-speed tracks by 2020. Despite subsequent budget reductions scaling back this plan, the Bordeaux–Toulouse project remained on the agenda but was unlikely to commence before 2030.
In April 2021, Prime Minister Jean Castex declared government financing amounting to €4.1 billion—covering more than half of projected expenses—with additional funds expected from the European Union (€1.5–2 billion) and the Occitanie region (approximately €1 billion). Construction is scheduled to begin in 2024, aiming for operational launch in 2030. A binding financial accord among involved parties was finalized in February 2022.
Nonetheless, an investigative report released in August 2024 highlighted that nearly 90% of the public opposed the project.