LGV Méditerranée
| Company type | High-speed rail line |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | 2001 |
| Headquarters | France |
Area served | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Occitanie, Rhône-Alpes regions |
| Products | High-speed rail passenger service |
The LGV Méditerranée (French for Ligne à Grande Vitesse, or Mediterranean high-speed rail line) is a high-speed train route in France that extends in a north-south direction from Saint-Marcel-lès-Valence, located in Drôme, down to Marseille in Bouches-du-Rhône, with an additional western branch connecting to Nîmes in Gard.
This line connects the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and Occitanie regions to the LGV Rhône-Alpes, thereby improving access to Lyon and northern parts of France. The project’s construction cost amounted to €3.8 billion, and it was inaugurated in 2001 by then-President Jacques Chirac. By cutting travel duration between Paris and Marseille to three hours over a distance of approximately 750 km, it has successfully transferred about two-thirds of the traffic from air travel to rail on this corridor. Alongside the LGVs Rhône-Alpes and LGV Sud-Est, it forms the so-called "City To Coast (C2C) Highway" ("Ville à la Mer").
Among its notable features is the 7.8 km-long Tunnel de Marseille, which stands as the longest railway tunnel entirely within French territory, providing subterranean access into Marseille.
Route
Beginning in the southeast at Saint-Marcel-lès-Valence, the LGV Méditerranée extends from the existing LGV Rhône-Alpes. The new Valence TGV station interfaces with the Valence–Grenoble railway, allowing rapid connections to cities such as Valence, Romans-sur-Isère, and Grenoble. An emergency link at Crest connects this high-speed line with the Briançon–Loriol railway. The LGV runs adjacent to the Rhône River near Montélimar, crosses over the Canal de Donzère-Mondragon, and integrates with the conventional rail network between Pierrelatte and Lapalud.
The route intersects the Rhône River three times close to Mornas and north of Roquemaure, before reaching Les Angles, where a triangular junction branches off southwestward and southeastward. The southwestern spur is regarded as the initial segment of a prospective LGV Languedoc-Roussillon, which merges with the Avignon–Nîmes line near Redessan and has connected since 2017 to the LGV Nîmes–Montpellier. The southeastern branch crosses the Rhône twice via parallel viaducts to serve the Avignon TGV station, then follows along and crosses the Durance River at Orgon.
At Ventabren, a viaduct spans over multiple infrastructures including the A8 autoroute, D10 road, and the Canal de Provence. Continuing southward, the line serves the Aix-en-Provence TGV station, passes through the extensive Tunnel de Marseille, and ultimately reconnects with the conventional network upon entering Marseille.
Stations
- Gare de Valence TGV, situated at Saint-Marcel-lès-Valence, features an innovative two-level layout with TGV platforms below and regional (TER) services above, enabling swift transfers to Valence, Grenoble, and Romans-sur-Isère.
- Gare d'Avignon TGV, located south of Avignon city center, benefits from its proximity which drives significant passenger use. Recent station improvements support local train services linking directly to Avignon’s central station.
- Gare d'Aix-en-Provence TGV, positioned near Réaltor reservoir between Aix-en-Provence and Marseille Airport, has experienced higher demand than initially projected. It serves northern Marseille effectively and is recommended for travelers accessing Fos-Lavera-Port de Bouc. Although it offers convenient road connections to Aix-en-Provence, it does not have traditional rail links comparable to those at Valence TGV.
Controversy
- Influential vintners from the Rhône Valley protested, prompting President Mitterrand to modify the original left-bank route. This change increased expenses due to the necessity of crossing the river four times.
- The nearly line does not have consistent links to the traditional rail network, except potentially through the southwestern branch. Several proposed connections were planned but never realized:
- Establishing a link at Saint-Marcel-lès-Valence connecting LGV southbound to conventional eastbound tracks, combined with electrifying the Valence-Grenoble segment, would facilitate direct services between Grenoble and the Mediterranean. Currently, travelers must transfer at Valence-TGV. This connection is under consideration following electrification of the Geneva line.
- A northern Roquemaure link toward Avignon would have enabled trains to reach Avignon’s central station and provide quicker access to Arles; additionally, a southern Avignon connection could reduce travel time between Avignon central and Marseille to 25 minutes.
- Utilizing an existing Pierrelatte link more frequently could have enhanced accessibility to Orange, Avignon, and Arles.
- A connection through Orgon via Cavaillon could serve destinations such as Salon-de-Provence, Miramas, and Istres from northern approaches.
- The city of Montélimar requested a dedicated TGV station for improved service; however, it is currently served by trains that exit the high-speed line before reaching Valence TGV.
- In Aix-en-Provence, there was a call for a TGV station located closer to the town center.
From Paris
- Paris–Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Paris–Valence: 2 hours 16 minutes
- Paris–Avignon: 2 hours 40 minutes
- Paris–Aix en Provence: 2 hours 55 minutes
- Paris–Marseille: 3 hours 7 minutes
- Paris–Toulon: 3 hours 55 minutes
- Paris–Hyères: 4 hours 15 minutes
- Paris–Fréjus: 4 hours 40 minutes
- Paris–Nice: 5 hours 35 minutes
- Paris–Nîmes: 2 hours 55 minutes
- Paris–Montpellier: 3 hours 15 minutes
- Paris–Béziers: 4 hours 3 minutes
- Paris–Perpignan: 4 hours 45 minutes
Interregional
- Lyon to Marseille: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Lyon to Toulouse: 4 hours 30 minutes
- London to Marseille: 6 hours 28 minutes
- Lille to Nice: 7 hours 9 minutes
- Metz to Nice: 9 hours 15 minutes
- Geneva to Marseille: 3 hours 30 minutes