South of France rail line reopens after 50 years
After one of the busiest summers ever recorded on French railways, a regional line in southern France has reopened, with local authorities saying they hope to cut car-use in the area.
The south-east French cities of Pont-Saint-Esprit, Avignon and Nîmes are once again connected by a direct train after the first reopening of a regional (TER) line since 2016 in France.
Having been exclusively used for freight trains since 1973, the line was closed due to competition with vehicles during the 'all-car' era. It used to serve passengers along the right bank of the Rhone river, linking Givors, in the Rhone, to Nîmes in the Gard.
France once enjoyed one of the richest rail networks in Europe, but in the last century it has seen some 20,000 kilometers of lines closed to passenger service, explained geographer Etienne Auphan to regional newspaper Nice Matin.
France's transport minister, Clément Beaune congratulated the region for the reopening of the line.
#ServicePublic | Après un demi-siècle de fermeture, la ligne de train ouvre à nouveau sur la rive droite du Rhône, reliant #Nîmes à #PontSaintEsprit 🚆🌳🇫🇷
Merci aux équipes de la @SNCF et à la Région @Occitanie pour ce travail d’équipe ! @CaroleDelga pic.twitter.com/apt0hh0R9w
— Clement Beaune (@CBeaune) August 28, 2022
The reopening of the line will allow the 75,000 inhabitants of the greater Nîmes area to save up to 40 percent of their travel time to Avignon, when compared to the time spent driving during rush hour. Regional daily La Provence estimates that at least 70,000 cars cross the bridges over the Rhone between the Gard and Avignon every day.
Regional authorities in Occitanie have been pushing for the reopening of the line as both a tool for regional development and a way to decrease carbon emissions. The project cost about €100 million, with the objective of opening five other stations along the line and encouraging at least 200,000 passengers per year to take the line.
The other stations are expected to reopen by 2026.
Laurette Bastaroli, a retired quality technician who has campaigned for the return of the train, sees the project as a way of combating the climate crisis in response to IPCC reports.
She told Nice Matin that the reopening of this 82-kilometre line "is a bit like winning the battle of the railroad."
Comments
See Also
The south-east French cities of Pont-Saint-Esprit, Avignon and Nîmes are once again connected by a direct train after the first reopening of a regional (TER) line since 2016 in France.
Having been exclusively used for freight trains since 1973, the line was closed due to competition with vehicles during the 'all-car' era. It used to serve passengers along the right bank of the Rhone river, linking Givors, in the Rhone, to Nîmes in the Gard.
France once enjoyed one of the richest rail networks in Europe, but in the last century it has seen some 20,000 kilometers of lines closed to passenger service, explained geographer Etienne Auphan to regional newspaper Nice Matin.
France's transport minister, Clément Beaune congratulated the region for the reopening of the line.
#ServicePublic | Après un demi-siècle de fermeture, la ligne de train ouvre à nouveau sur la rive droite du Rhône, reliant #Nîmes à #PontSaintEsprit 🚆🌳🇫🇷
— Clement Beaune (@CBeaune) August 28, 2022
Merci aux équipes de la @SNCF et à la Région @Occitanie pour ce travail d’équipe ! @CaroleDelga pic.twitter.com/apt0hh0R9w
The reopening of the line will allow the 75,000 inhabitants of the greater Nîmes area to save up to 40 percent of their travel time to Avignon, when compared to the time spent driving during rush hour. Regional daily La Provence estimates that at least 70,000 cars cross the bridges over the Rhone between the Gard and Avignon every day.
Regional authorities in Occitanie have been pushing for the reopening of the line as both a tool for regional development and a way to decrease carbon emissions. The project cost about €100 million, with the objective of opening five other stations along the line and encouraging at least 200,000 passengers per year to take the line.
The other stations are expected to reopen by 2026.
Laurette Bastaroli, a retired quality technician who has campaigned for the return of the train, sees the project as a way of combating the climate crisis in response to IPCC reports.
She told Nice Matin that the reopening of this 82-kilometre line "is a bit like winning the battle of the railroad."
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.