LGV Méditerranée
Encyclopedia
The LGV Méditerranée is a French high speed railway line
High-speed rail
High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions by the European Union include for upgraded track and or faster for new track, whilst in the United States, the U.S...

 of approximately 250 km length, which entered service in June, 2001. Running between Saint-Marcel-lès-Valence
Saint-Marcel-lès-Valence
Saint-Marcel-lès-Valence is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France.-Population:-References:*...

 and Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...

, it connects the regions of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur or PACA is one of the 27 regions of France.It is made up of:* the former French province of Provence* the former papal territory of Avignon, known as Comtat Venaissin...

 and Languedoc-Roussillon
Languedoc-Roussillon
Languedoc-Roussillon is one of the 27 regions of France. It comprises five departments, and borders the other French regions of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Rhône-Alpes, Auvergne, Midi-Pyrénées on the one side, and Spain, Andorra and the Mediterranean sea on the other side.-Geography:The region is...

 to the LGV Rhône-Alpes
LGV Rhône-Alpes
The LGV Rhône-Alpes is a 115 km-long French high-speed rail line situated in the Rhône-Alpes region which extends the LGV Sud-Est southwards. Opening to service in 1994, this line bypasses the built-up Lyon area towards the east, and in addition serves Satolas station, now renamed...

, and from there to Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....

 and the north of France. Although construction costs rose to €3.8 billion, the commencement of service on this line has led to a reversal of the respective airplane and train markets; by making Marseille reachable in three hours from Paris (a distance of over 750 km), the train now handles two thirds of all journeys on that route.

Route

The LGV Méditerranée begins at Saint-Marcel-lès-Valence
Saint-Marcel-lès-Valence
Saint-Marcel-lès-Valence is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France.-Population:-References:*...

, as the extension of the LGV Rhône-Alpes
LGV Rhône-Alpes
The LGV Rhône-Alpes is a 115 km-long French high-speed rail line situated in the Rhône-Alpes region which extends the LGV Sud-Est southwards. Opening to service in 1994, this line bypasses the built-up Lyon area towards the east, and in addition serves Satolas station, now renamed...

. The new Gare de Valence TGV
Gare de Valence TGV
Gare de Valence TGV is a railway station in Valence, France which offers regular TGV services. The station, located in eastern Valence , is about ten kilometres north-east from the town centre, allowing through trains to pass at full speed...

 lies at the interchange with the regular Valence-Grenoble line, allowing rapid connections towards Valence, Romans-sur-Isère
Romans-sur-Isère
Romans-sur-Isère or Romans is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France.-Geography:...

 and Grenoble
Grenoble
Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...

. At Crest, an emergency link is provided to the Briançon-Loriol line. The LGV then approaches the Rhône
Rhône River
The Rhone is one of the major rivers of Europe, rising in Switzerland and running from there through southeastern France. At Arles, near its mouth on the Mediterranean Sea, the river divides into two branches, known as the Great Rhone and the Little Rhone...

, rejoining the A7 autoroute
A7 autoroute
The A7 Autoroute, also known as l'autoroute du Soleil is a French motorway. It continues the A6 and links Lyon to Marseille...

 at Montélimar
Montélimar
Montélimar is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France. It is the second-largest town in the department after Valence.-History:...

. After having crossed the Canal de Donzère-Mondragon, the line connects to the regular network by an emergency link situated between Pierrelatte
Pierrelatte
Pierrelatte is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France.-Population:-References:*...

 and Lapalud.

Spanning the Rhône three times (twice at Mornas
Mornas
Mornas is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-References:*...

, once north of Roquemaure
Roquemaure, Gard
Roquemaure is a commune in the department of Gard in southern France. The small town is a centre of local wine production, especially of Lirac AOC, and is located on the right bank of the Rhone. The city Avignon is nearby.-History:...

), the LGV continues to Angles, where a triangle allows access to the southwest and southeast. The southwest branch is generally thought of as the beginning of a future LGV Languedoc-Roussillon, joining the regular Avignon-Nîmes line 25 km later at Redessan
Redessan
Redessan is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.-Population:-References:*...

; there are plans to construct a high-speed railway
Contournement Nîmes - Montpellier
The Contournement Nîmes-Montpellier is a high speed railway project, bypassing the cities of Nîmes and Montpellier in southern France.The railway is planned to be mixed-use, with both TGV trains and freight; it would be 60-80km long, and would connect to the LGV Méditerranée and extend it southwest...

 to Nîmes
Nîmes
Nîmes is the capital of the Gard department in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France. Nîmes has a rich history, dating back to the Roman Empire, and is a popular tourist destination.-History:...

 and Montpellier
Montpellier
-Neighbourhoods:Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided into sub-neighbourhoods. Each of them possesses a neighbourhood council....

. The southeast branch crosses the Rhône on two parallel viaduct
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...

s and serves the new Avignon-TGV
Gare d'Avignon TGV
Gare d'Avignon TGV is a railway station built on the LGV Méditerranée high-speed train line in South-eastern France. It is located a few kilometres south of Avignon town centre. Avignon itself is in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of France.This station has two platforms with two through lines...

 station, then follows the Durance
Durance
The Durance is a major river in south-eastern France.Its source is in the south-western Alps, in Montgenèvre ski resort near Briançon and it flows south-west through the following départements and cities:* Hautes-Alpes: Briançon, Embrun.* Alpes-de-Haute-Provence: Sisteron, Manosque.* Vaucluse:...

 which it crosses at Orgon
Orgon
Orgon is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France.-Geography:Neighbouring villages and small towns include Les Baux-de-Provence, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence and Cavaillon...

.

At Ventabren
Ventabren
Ventabren is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France.-Location:It is close to Aix-en-Provence, and only away from Coudoux and Velaux.-History:...

, a 1.73 km viaduct extends across the A8 autoroute
A8 autoroute
The A8 autoroute, La Provençale, is a -long highway in France between Aix-en-Provence and the A7 to the Côte d'Azur.- Route :The A8 is an extension of the A7 starting to the west of Aix-en-Provence at La Fare-les-Oliviers. The road passes through the Departments of Bouches-du-Rhône, Var and...

, the D10 and the Canal de Provence. The line then dives towards the south, serving the new Aix-en-Provence-TGV
Gare d'Aix-en-Provence TGV
Aix-en-Provence TGV is a passenger railway station on the LGV Méditerranée high-speed line in southwestern France. Located, in fact, much closer to the town of Vitrolles than to Aix-en-Provence itself , the station also serves northern metropolitan Marseille...

 station, traverses the 8 km long Tunnel de Marseille and re-joins the regular network at the entry to Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...

.

Stations

  • Gare de Valence TGV
    Gare de Valence TGV
    Gare de Valence TGV is a railway station in Valence, France which offers regular TGV services. The station, located in eastern Valence , is about ten kilometres north-east from the town centre, allowing through trains to pass at full speed...

     at Saint-Marcel-lès-Valence
    Saint-Marcel-lès-Valence
    Saint-Marcel-lès-Valence is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France.-Population:-References:*...

    ; a unique two-level station (below, TGVs; above, TER
    TER (train network)
    "TER" redirects here. For the Australian tertiary entrance score, see Tertiary Entrance Rank. For Lajes Field in the Azores , see Lajes Field....

    s) which allows rapid connections towards Valence, Grenoble
    Grenoble
    Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...

     and Romans-sur-Isère
    Romans-sur-Isère
    Romans-sur-Isère or Romans is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France.-Geography:...

  • Gare d'Avignon TGV
    Gare d'Avignon TGV
    Gare d'Avignon TGV is a railway station built on the LGV Méditerranée high-speed train line in South-eastern France. It is located a few kilometres south of Avignon town centre. Avignon itself is in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of France.This station has two platforms with two through lines...

     south of Avignon; its proximity to the city centre has ensured its popularity
  • Gare d'Aix-en-Provence TGV
    Gare d'Aix-en-Provence TGV
    Aix-en-Provence TGV is a passenger railway station on the LGV Méditerranée high-speed line in southwestern France. Located, in fact, much closer to the town of Vitrolles than to Aix-en-Provence itself , the station also serves northern metropolitan Marseille...

     near the Réaltor reservoir, halfway between Aix-en-Provence and Marseille Airport; this station has proved more popular than expected and serves the north of the Marseille area. It is also recommended by agents for ships in Fos-Lavera-Port de Bouc, in preference to Marseilles.

Controversy

  • Numerous protests, particularly from the wine growers of the Rhône valley, obliged President Mitterrand
    François Mitterrand
    François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand was the 21st President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra, serving from 1981 until 1995. He is the longest-serving President of France and, as leader of the Socialist Party, the only figure from the left so far elected President...

     to ask for alterations to the route; the original path keeping to the left bank of the river, the final route skirting the river and crossing it four times
  • The nearly 250 km long line has no regularly used connection to the classic network (unless one considers the southwest branch as a connector). Numerous connections had however been proposed:
    • a link at Saint-Marcel-lès-Valence between the LGV (southwards) and the regular line (eastwards), accompanied by the electrification of the Valence-Grenoble line. This would have permitted direct connections between Grenoble
      Grenoble
      Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...

       and the Mediterranean; instead, passengers travelling between Marseille and Grenoble must change at Valence-TGV. Another link from the LGV (southwards) to the regular line (towards Valence) would have enabled service to Valence central station from the south
    • a link at Roquemaure from the north towards Avignon
      Avignon
      Avignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the...

       would not only have enabled service to Avignon central station, but would have enabled faster service for Arles
      Arles
      Arles is a city and commune in the south of France, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, of which it is a subprefecture, in the former province of Provence....

      . A link south of Avignon would equally have permitted the linking of Avignon central station with Marseille
      Gare de Marseille Saint-Charles
      Marseille Saint-Charles is the main railway station of Marseille. It is the southern terminus of the Paris–Marseille railway. It opened on 8 January 1848, having been built for the PLM on the land of the Saint Charles Cemetery...

       in 25 minutes
    • the regular use of the existing link at Pierrelatte would have enabled rapid service to Orange from the north, as well as Avignon and Arles, given that no link was created at Roquemaure
    • a link at Orgon with the Avignon-Miramas line via Cavaillon would have enabled service to Salon-de-Provence
      Salon-de-Provence
      Salon-de-Provence is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France. It is the location of an important air base.-History:Salon was a Gallo-Roman oppidum well positioned on the salt trade routes between Adriatic, Atlantic and Mediterranean seas, hence its name...

      , Miramas
      Miramas
      Miramas is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southern France. It is the second-largest commune in metropolitan Ouest-Provence and is located at the north end of the Étang de Berre lagoon, adjacent to and northeast of the city of Istres.-Circuit...

       and Istres
      Istres
      Istres is a commune in southern France, some 60 km northwest of Marseille. It is in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, of which it is a subprefecture...

       from the north
  • Montélimar
    Montélimar
    Montélimar is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France. It is the second-largest town in the department after Valence.-History:...

     wanted a TGV station
  • Aix-en-Provence
    Aix-en-Provence
    Aix , or Aix-en-Provence to distinguish it from other cities built over hot springs, is a city-commune in southern France, some north of Marseille. It is in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, in the département of Bouches-du-Rhône, of which it is a subprefecture. The population of Aix is...

     wanted its TGV station more eastwards, closer to the town centre.

From Paris

  • Paris–Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport: 1:50
  • Paris–Valence
    Valence, Drôme
    Valence is a commune in southeastern France, the capital of the Drôme department, situated on the left bank of the Rhône, south of Lyon on the railway to Marseilles.Its inhabitants are called Valentinois...

    : 2:16
  • Paris–Avignon
    Avignon
    Avignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the...

    : 2:40
  • Paris–Aix en Provence: 2:55
  • Paris–Marseille
    Marseille
    Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...

    : 3:00
  • Paris–Toulon
    Toulon
    Toulon is a town in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department in the former province of Provence....

    : 3:55
  • Paris–Hyères
    Hyères
    Hyères , Provençal Occitan: Ieras in classical norm or Iero in Mistralian norm) is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France....

    : 4:15
  • Paris–Fréjus
    Fréjus
    Fréjus is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It neighbours Saint-Raphaël, effectively forming one town...

    : 4.40
  • Paris–Nice
    Nice
    Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...

    : 5.35
  • Paris–Nîmes
    Nîmes
    Nîmes is the capital of the Gard department in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France. Nîmes has a rich history, dating back to the Roman Empire, and is a popular tourist destination.-History:...

    : 2:55
  • Paris–Montpellier
    Montpellier
    -Neighbourhoods:Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided into sub-neighbourhoods. Each of them possesses a neighbourhood council....

    : 3:15
  • Paris–Béziers
    Béziers
    Béziers is a town in Languedoc in southern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the Hérault department. Béziers hosts the famous Feria de Béziers, centred around bullfighting, every August. A million visitors are attracted to the five-day event...

    : 4:03
  • Paris–Perpignan
    Perpignan
    -Sport:Perpignan is a rugby stronghold: their rugby union side, USA Perpignan, is a regular competitor in the Heineken Cup and seven times champion of the Top 14 , while their rugby league side plays in the engage Super League under the name Catalans Dragons.-Culture:Since 2004, every year in the...

    : 4:45

Interregional

  • Lyon
    Lyon
    Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....

    –Marseille: 1:40
  • Lyon–Toulouse
    Toulouse
    Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...

    : 4.30
  • Lille
    Lille
    Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...

    –Nice: 7:09
  • Metz
    Metz
    Metz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place...

    –Nice: 9:15
  • Geneva
    Geneva
    Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...

    –Marseille: 3.30
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