LGV Bretagne-Pays de la Loire

The LGV Bretagne-Pays de la Loire is a proposed French high-speed rail line which is scheduled to enter service around 2014. Running between Le Mans and Rennes, it would be serviced by TGV trains operated by SNCF, the French national railway company. The total cost is put at €3.4bn, with funding agreed on 29th of July 2008 between the various bodies involved. The French government will contribute €990m, equal to contributions from local government. The remaining €1.02bn comes from RFF. [http://www.railwaygazette.com/news_view/article/2008/07/8721/funding_agreed_for_lgv_bretagne.html]

Planned route

The line will begin as an extension of the LGV Atlantique western branch near Conneré (Sarthe). After a connection north of Le Mans, the LGV will dip towards the southwest with a connection to the regular Le Mans-Angers line near Sablé-sur-Sarthe. The connection, at a length of 32 km, from Sablé-sur-Sarthe allows the faster journey times to Nantes. It will then rise to pass north of Laval and re-join the regular ligne at Cesson-Sévigné, near Rennes. The total length of the route will be roughly 132km.

Journey times

* Paris-Rennes 1:27
* Paris-Nantes 1:52

Associated project

It has been suggested to improve the regular Rennes-Brest and Rennes-Quimper lines (elimination of level crossings, straightening of curves) so that they could be used by tilting TGVs (not yet built) at 220 km/h. The journey time for Paris to Brest and Quimper would then be 3 hours.

External links

* [http://lgv2030.free.fr/ligne2.htm#Bretagne LGV website]

References