LGV Rhin-Rhône
Encyclopedia
The LGV Rhin-Rhône is a high-speed railway line composed of three different branches:
The North-South Southern branch line would help connect Germany
, the north of Switzerland
, eastern France
, the valleys of the Saône
, Rhône
, and the Mediterranean arc and finally to Nice
(extending to Catalonia
).
The East-West Eastern and Western branches lines would help connect London
, Brussels
, Lille
, Île-de-France
, Burgundy, Franche-Comté
, south Alsace
, southern Baden
, and the French and German-speaking Switzerland
.
It is projected that 12 million passengers will use the LGV Rhine-Rhône service, which will begin in december 2011 with the first section of the Eastern branch.
A connection will be built at Perrigny, south of Dijon, to serve TGV and freight trains. Auxon station will be connected to Besancon-Viotte station by a railway line which could be also used for commuter trains.
(east of Dijon
) to Petit-Croix
(southeast of Belfort
) was signed on 28 February 2006. Subsequent to preparatory works in 2005, construction officially started on 3 July 2006 by a ceremony in Les Magny
, Haute-Saône
. This section will enter service on December 11th, 2011.
The eastern branch will be used by TGV
trains operated by SNCF
, the French national railway company. It will become a key link in both the North-South and East-West transport corridors. The line will have a large regional, national, and intra-European impact even though TGV lines had traditionally served intra-France travel. Mulhouse
will provide connection to Basel
, Switzerland
, and then to trains of southwestern Germany
and northwestern Switzerland
.
(RFF) asked the two french engineering and consulting companies Setec
and Egis
. The construction of the Eastern branch has been divided into two sections :
Construction of the first section started at the north of Besançon
on 7 August 2006.
The largest contributors of funds are the Government of France
(€751 million), the maintainer of the French rail network RFF
(€642 million) and the European Union
(€200 million). Also, considerable amounts of funding are coming from three regions of France
that the line will travel through: Franche-Comté
(€316 million), Alsace
(€206 million) and Bourgogne
(€131 million). A further €66 million is to be funded by the Government of Switzerland.
- The Eastern branch, 190 km (118.1 mi) from GenlisGenlisGenlis is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France.-Population:-References:*...
, near DijonDijonDijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
to LutterbachLutterbachLutterbach is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France. It forms part of the Mulhouse Alsace Agglomération, the inter-communal local government body for the Mulhouse conurbation....
, near MulhouseMulhouseMulhouse |mill]] hamlet) is a city and commune in eastern France, close to the Swiss and German borders. With a population of 110,514 and 278,206 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2006, it is the largest city in the Haut-Rhin département, and the second largest in the Alsace region after... - The Western branch, crossing Dijon, joining the LGV Sud-EstLGV Sud-EstThe LGV Sud-Est is a high-speed rail line, which links Paris' and Lyon's suburbs, in France. The inauguration of the first section between Saint-Florentin and Sathonay on 22 September 1981 marked the beginning of the re-invigoration of French passenger rail service.This line, subsequently...
near MontbardMontbardMontbard is a commune and subprefecture of the Côte-d'Or department in the Bourgogne region in eastern France.Montbard is a small industrial town on the river Brenne. The Forges de Buffon, ironworks established by Buffon, are located in the nearby village of Buffon... - The Southern branch, from DijonDijonDijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
to LyonLyonLyon , 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....
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, the north of Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, eastern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, the valleys of the Saône
Saône
The Saône is a river of eastern France. It is a right tributary of the River Rhône. Rising at Vioménil in the Vosges department, it joins the Rhône in Lyon....
, 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...
, and the Mediterranean arc and finally to 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...
(extending to Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
).
The East-West Eastern and Western branches lines would help connect London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, 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...
, Île-de-France
Île-de-France (région)
Île-de-France is the wealthiest and most populated of the twenty-two administrative regions of France, composed mostly of the Paris metropolitan area....
, Burgundy, Franche-Comté
Franche-Comté
Franche-Comté the former "Free County" of Burgundy, as distinct from the neighbouring Duchy, is an administrative region and a traditional province of eastern France...
, south Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
, southern Baden
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
, and the French and German-speaking Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
It is projected that 12 million passengers will use the LGV Rhine-Rhône service, which will begin in december 2011 with the first section of the Eastern branch.
A connection will be built at Perrigny, south of Dijon, to serve TGV and freight trains. Auxon station will be connected to Besancon-Viotte station by a railway line which could be also used for commuter trains.
Eastern branch
The eastern branch is currently the furthest advanced. The finance agreement for the first phase of the eastern branch which connects Villers-les-PotsVillers-les-Pots
Villers-les-Pots is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France.-Population:-References:*...
(east of Dijon
Dijon
Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
) to Petit-Croix
Petit-Croix
Petit-Croix is a commune in the Territoire de Belfort department in Franche-Comté in northeastern France.-References:*...
(southeast of Belfort
Belfort
Belfort is a commune in the Territoire de Belfort department in Franche-Comté in northeastern France and is the prefecture of the department. It is located on the Savoureuse, on the strategically important natural route between the Rhine and the Rhône – the Belfort Gap or Burgundian Gate .-...
) was signed on 28 February 2006. Subsequent to preparatory works in 2005, construction officially started on 3 July 2006 by a ceremony in Les Magny
Les Magny
Les Magny is a commune in the Haute-Saône department in the region of Franche-Comté in eastern France.-References:*...
, Haute-Saône
Haute-Saône
Haute-Saône is a French department of the Franche-Comté région, named after the Saône River.- History :The department was created in the early years of the French Revolution through the application of a law dated 22 December 1789, from part of the former province of Franche-Comté...
. This section will enter service on December 11th, 2011.
The eastern branch will be used by TGV
TGV
The TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....
trains operated by SNCF
SNCF
The SNCF , is France's national state-owned railway company. SNCF operates the country's national rail services, including the TGV, France's high-speed rail network...
, the French national railway company. It will become a key link in both the North-South and East-West transport corridors. The line will have a large regional, national, and intra-European impact even though TGV lines had traditionally served intra-France travel. Mulhouse
Mulhouse
Mulhouse |mill]] hamlet) is a city and commune in eastern France, close to the Swiss and German borders. With a population of 110,514 and 278,206 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2006, it is the largest city in the Haut-Rhin département, and the second largest in the Alsace region after...
will provide connection to Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, and then to trains of southwestern Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and northwestern Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
Construction
The undertake the construction of the LGV Rhine-Rhône, Rail Network of FranceRéseau Ferré de France
Réseau Ferré de France , , owns and maintains the French national railway network. The trains are operated by SNCF, the national railway company, but due to European Union Directive 91/440, the French government was required to separate train operations from the railway infrastructure.Unlike other...
(RFF) asked the two french engineering and consulting companies Setec
Société d'études techniques et économiques
Setec is among the most important engineering and consulting french group, involved in infrastructure and transport systems, planning, economics, waste, project, telecommunication, water, energy, geotechnical and environmental management...
and Egis
Egis
Egis or EGIS has a variety of meanings, including:* An alternative spelling for aegis.* An acronym for Erieye Ground Interface Segment, military software package which is part of the Erieye radar and is sometimes confused with the Aegis combat system.* Egis Nyrt...
. The construction of the Eastern branch has been divided into two sections :
- The first section, completed in 2011, is 190 km (118.1 mi) long from Villers-les-PotsVillers-les-PotsVillers-les-Pots is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France.-Population:-References:*...
, Côte-d'OrCôte-d'OrCôte-d'Or is a department in the eastern part of France.- History :Côte-d'Or is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was formed from part of the former province of Burgundy.- Geography :...
(east of DijonDijonDijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
to Petit-CroixPetit-CroixPetit-Croix is a commune in the Territoire de Belfort department in Franche-Comté in northeastern France.-References:*...
, Territoire de BelfortTerritoire de BelfortThe Territoire de Belfort is a department in the Franche-Comté region of eastern France.-Administration:Its departmental code is 90, and its prefecture is Belfort...
(east of BelfortBelfortBelfort is a commune in the Territoire de Belfort department in Franche-Comté in northeastern France and is the prefecture of the department. It is located on the Savoureuse, on the strategically important natural route between the Rhine and the Rhône – the Belfort Gap or Burgundian Gate .-...
). - The second section, for which construction should begin in 2014, represents 140 km (87 mi) further. This section will terminate the eastern branch from Villers-les-PotsVillers-les-PotsVillers-les-Pots is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France.-Population:-References:*...
to DijonDijonDijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
, Côte-d'OrCôte-d'OrCôte-d'Or is a department in the eastern part of France.- History :Côte-d'Or is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was formed from part of the former province of Burgundy.- Geography :...
in the West (15 km), and from Petit-CroixPetit-CroixPetit-Croix is a commune in the Territoire de Belfort department in Franche-Comté in northeastern France.-References:*...
to MulhouseMulhouseMulhouse |mill]] hamlet) is a city and commune in eastern France, close to the Swiss and German borders. With a population of 110,514 and 278,206 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2006, it is the largest city in the Haut-Rhin département, and the second largest in the Alsace region after...
, Haut-RhinHaut-RhinHaut-Rhin is a département of the Alsace region of France, named after the Rhine river. Its name means Upper Rhine. Haut-Rhin is the smaller and less populated of the two departements of Alsace, although is still densely populated compared to the rest of France.-Subdivisions:The department...
(35 km) in the East.
Construction of the first section started at the north of Besançon
Besançon
Besançon , is the capital and principal city of the Franche-Comté region in eastern France. It had a population of about 237,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2008...
on 7 August 2006.
Finance
The estimated financing cost of the first section of the eastern branch is 2.312 billion euros, being shared between many organisations and parties.The largest contributors of funds are the Government of France
Government of France
The government of the French Republic is a semi-presidential system determined by the French Constitution of the fifth Republic. The nation declares itself to be an "indivisible, secular, democratic, and social Republic"...
(€751 million), the maintainer of the French rail network RFF
Réseau Ferré de France
Réseau Ferré de France , , owns and maintains the French national railway network. The trains are operated by SNCF, the national railway company, but due to European Union Directive 91/440, the French government was required to separate train operations from the railway infrastructure.Unlike other...
(€642 million) and the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
(€200 million). Also, considerable amounts of funding are coming from three regions of France
Régions of France
France is divided into 27 administrative regions , 22 of which are in Metropolitan France, and five of which are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website...
that the line will travel through: Franche-Comté
Franche-Comté
Franche-Comté the former "Free County" of Burgundy, as distinct from the neighbouring Duchy, is an administrative region and a traditional province of eastern France...
(€316 million), Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
(€206 million) and Bourgogne
Bourgogne
Burgundy is one of the 27 regions of France.The name comes from the Burgundians, an ancient Germanic people who settled in the area in early Middle-age. The region of Burgundy is both larger than the old Duchy of Burgundy and smaller than the area ruled by the Dukes of Burgundy, from the modern...
(€131 million). A further €66 million is to be funded by the Government of Switzerland.
Journey times
Upon completion of the first section of the eastern branch, best journey time will be :| from | to | before | after |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dijon Dijon Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area.... |
Strasbourg Strasbourg Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,... |
3h25 | 2h00 |
| Dijon Dijon Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area.... |
Frankfurt Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010... |
6h30 | 3h40 |
| Besançon Besançon Besançon , is the capital and principal city of the Franche-Comté region in eastern France. It had a population of about 237,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2008... |
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... |
4h15 | 4h00 |
| Belfort-Montbéliard-TGV | Paris Paris Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region... |
3h25 from Belfort Belfort Belfort is a commune in the Territoire de Belfort department in Franche-Comté in northeastern France and is the prefecture of the department. It is located on the Savoureuse, on the strategically important natural route between the Rhine and the Rhône – the Belfort Gap or Burgundian Gate .-... 3h40 fromMontbeliard Montbéliard Montbéliard is a city in the Doubs department in the Franche-Comté region in eastern France. It is one of the two subprefectures of the department.-History:... |
2h25 |
| Strasbourg Strasbourg Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,... |
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.... |
4h45 | 3h35 |
External links
- Ligne à Grande Vitesse Rhin-Rhône
- Association Trans-Europe TGV Rhin-Rhône Méditerranée
- RFF
- Inter-regional TGV line will have an international impact Murray Hughes, Railway Gazette InternationalRailway Gazette InternationalRailway Gazette International is a monthly business journal covering the railway, metro, light rail and tram industries worldwide. Available by annual subscription, the magazine is read in over 140 countries by transport professionals and decision makers, railway managers, engineers, consultants...