Is the Poitiers to Limoges LGV line the right choice?

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An as yet un-named action group of elected officials, militant associations and left-leaning trade unionists are getting together to oppose the new Ligne Grand Vitesse (LGV) rail project, that would bring TGV services to Limoges via Poitiers.

The collective is made up of militant CGT union members, NPA (Nouveau Parti Anticapitaliste) members, and members from the Parti de Gauche, Parti Communiste and the Greens.  The alliance has many objections to the project, and are seeking to make the government revert back to a previous plan that linked Paris and Toulouse via Limoges.

Amongst the key concerns of the group is that at 1.5 billion euros the LGV is too expensive, with the cost expected to top 2 billion euros by the time it is completed.  Creuse is well represented within the group, and this could be because the department does not stand to benefit from the current plan at all.

The group feels that the process thus far has been undemocratic, with public meetings described as farcical, and they claim that the project is flawed, with 80km of the 115km line between Poitiers and Limoges being single-track.  In the event of a breakdown, they claim that the route would be subject to 'total paralysis'.  The group also believe that the decision not to utilise the new track for freight traffic is a mistake.

They are calling for a return to a previous plan called POLLT, which linked Paris, Orleans, La Souterraine, Limoges and Toulouse, by upgrading existing lines.  The plan, which was discarded after lobbying from Bernadette Chirac and Jean-Pierre Raffarin, was to upgrade 713km of double-track, renew train carriages and remove level crossings, leaving the journey time between Limoges and Paris at just 2h30.  The group claims that the cost of 500 million euros represented far better value for money, and the plan would benefit some 18 stations, with freight traffic also allowed on the route.

With funding for the LGV yet to be secured from the departments in Poitou-Charentes and Limousin, the group believe that there is still time to achieve an about-turn on the current plan.  They believe that they have support from many citizens and elected officials across neighbouring departments for a return to the POLLT plan.  The group have written to elected officials in Limousin to state their case.

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