High Speed Trains | 76 comments (76 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: High Speed Trains (none / 1)

Another example of foot-dragging by Chirac's governments is the once-firmly-planned high-speed link between Bordeaux and the Mediterranean (Narbonne) via Toulouse, that has been left dangling in spite of repeated demands from the Midi-Pyrénées region.

The present government backs a plan for a second international airport for Toulouse on the grounds that the first will not be able to handle air traffic in the future. Toulouse is on the "TGV" map richardk provided, in the blue 5-6 hour zone. That is, the train you get on in Toulouse is a true TGV, but runs as a regular express train for more than half the trip to Paris via Bordeaux. That takes 5h 20mn. So the Toulouse-Paris (700 km/440 miles) air shuttle is hugely used. Circular argument by which the authorities justify the need for a new airport...

A full TGV link would put Toulouse at 3h 30mn from Paris and would probably cut air shuttle traffic by half.

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Wed Jan 24th, 2007 at 02:13:09 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: High Speed Trains (none / 0)

Little correction: a full and direct TGV link (via Angoulême) could put it even at 2h30m, if high-speed connection is via Bordeaux (as currently planned for 2019...) then 3h, but opening of new sections between Tours and Bordeaux would already suffice for 3h30m.

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Wed Jan 24th, 2007 at 09:44:35 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: High Speed Trains (none / 0)

Can you give me a reference for that? It's the first time I've heard it, the 3h 30 figure is always given...

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Wed Jan 24th, 2007 at 12:36:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: High Speed Trains (none / 0)

RFF itself gives "a bit more than 3h" after Bordeaux-Toulouse is built. I don't remember where I read 2h30m for a direct route to Toulouse, but the figure can be supported by simple calculation. (The distance would be somewhat less than to Marseille, and line speeds higher throughout. A 280 km/h travel speed is quite possible, even is we remain conservative and expect only 320 km/h top speed with accelerations as today: TGVs achieve 260 km/h average on a much shorter distance between two stations of the TGV Mediterranée.)

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Wed Jan 24th, 2007 at 01:34:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]

High Speed Trains | 76 comments (76 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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