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Highspeed LGV rail line through Provence – debate & controversy continue


The Ligne à Grande Vitesse, which is planned for the early 2020s, is continuing to cause much heated debate and controversy.

The project, which is due for public consultation in mid-December before the final choice of route is decided, has for some months been upsetting elected officials, farmers and inhabitants alike.  The steering committe has to decide between four proposed routes and is weighing up the pros and cons of : proximity to town centres vs fastest links vs most economical vs serving the greatest number of people, for a cost ranging between € 15.9 billion and € 17.8 billion.

Whilst a consensus seems to have been made on the line to Marseille through Saint Charles station, Nice Airport and Nice centre, as well as Draguignan-Les Arcs, tensions are running high regarding the choice of station serving Toulon – the city centre or to the West ?

The most feasible choice would appear to be Seyne sur Mer, which would devastate the communes of Ollioules, Sanary, La Cadière, Le Castellet and Le Beausset, according to Olivier Thomas, spokesperson for the Anti-LGV group who are opposed to the Southern route.  This view is supported by a Marseille group who think that it would equally endanger the future Parc National des Calanques.

The project also has MPs from the political parties arguing over the routes and whether they are for or against the idea as a whole as whichever of the four routes is finally chosen, involves one cutting through the AOC Bandol wine growing area, affecting 32 independent vineyards and 75 wine co-operatives. 

With feelings running high, farmers and residents ‘held’ an RFF [Réseau Ferré de France] project manager for a few hours on 15 November; Paul Mourier, Prefect of the Var, announced on Thursday the end of consultations in his Department and the Prefect of the region – Hugues Parant – wrote to his counterparts in the Alpes Maritimes, Bouches du Rhône and Var proposing that the cycle of public debates should be halted if it looked likely that they would lead to more verbal clashes.

The LGV, which will enable commuters to travel faster between Marseille and Ventimiglia, will form part of a ‘mediterranean arc’ linking with Spain and Italy.

 

See more details of the project, along with dates and venues of public debates :

 

LGV official website

FOR  website – Tous Pour la LGV PACA

AGAINST  website – Tous Contre la LGC PACA

 

 

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