Pierre-André Durand, Prefect of the Occitanie region and coordinator of the Grand Projet du Sud-Ouest, Carole Delga, President of the Occitanie/Pyrénées-Méditerranée region, and Alain Rousset, President of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region and President of the Société du Grand Projet du Sud-Ouest (SGPSO) public body, brought together the project's stakeholders on Wednesday 19 March in Toulouse.

Alain Rousset chaired the Supervisory Board of the SGPSO, a public body made up of 24 local authorities from the South-West region. Among other things, the local authorities approved the supplementary budget for 2025 and voted in favour of the second financing agreement for the New Line, worth €267 million.

 

Following the Supervisory Board meeting, the Steering Committee for the Ligne Nouvelle du Sud-Ouest was held. Pierre-André Durand, Carole Delga and Alain Rousset chaired the meeting with the project partners. The SGPSO and the 24 local authorities, Europe, the prefects of the departments concerned, and the project owners SNCF Réseau and SNCF Gares & Connexion were all present.

The Copil was an opportunity for the partners to agree to sign the second financing agreement relating to land acquisition and works on the New Line (LNSO) in the next few days.

SNCF Réseau, the project owner, presented a progress report on the works. On the AFNT and AFSB sections, the work begun last year is continuing according to schedule. On the route of the new Bordeaux-Toulouse line, geotechnical investigations and archaeological diagnostics will complete the large-scale ecological inventories already begun in 2023. On the Sud-Gironde - Dax new line, new ecological surveys began at the start of the year. The worksite is thus a concrete reality on all the components of the LNSO.

The members also discussed the development of the New South-Western Line. In 2025, information on the latest developments on the line will be disseminated on a regular basis. There are also plans to involve the public in the integration of the line into its territory and its era. The Territorial Solidarity Fund will also come into effect this spring, with a budget of €3 million for 2025. Beneficiaries will be able to submit their first applications from this summer.

Pierre-André Durand, GPSO coordinating prefect, said: "I am delighted that the LNSO project is continuing on schedule. This line, which is eagerly awaited by the inhabitants of the Occitanie and Nouvelle-Aquitaine regions, will help to meet the travel needs of tomorrow, driven by a rapidly growing population, and the challenges of climate change: it is therefore essential for the future of the region."

‘"Work on the New South-West Line has been under way for over a year now, and I am delighted that the project is progressing efficiently and seriously. The rail works to the north of Toulouse will enable us to considerably increase the frequency of TER trains and connect the Occitanie region to high-speed rail. This is a major step forward for low-carbon mobility and for the economic and tourist development of our region. In view of the urgent need to tackle climate change and the demographic explosion in the Toulouse conurbation, we are working hard to improve transport for our fellow citizens and provide practical solutions to the expectations of the region's inhabitants," said Carole Delga, President of the Occitanie Region.

"In an increasingly complex and uncertain world, the challenge of mobility for people and goods is not diminishing. Quite the contrary! Our fellow citizens have a growing need for efficient, low-carbon day-to-day transport, more regional express trains in town and country, and strengthened and improved long-distance rail services. The New South-West Line is the only solution that can meet all these expectations: an increase in rail services, greater regularity and speed, and a shift of traffic from cars and planes to trains. To date, the AFSB and AFNT sites are active, which I am delighted about. Studies on the new line are continuing apace, with work due to start in early 2028. Progress is nominal, to the benefit of local residents and communities. I salute the efforts of all the players involved in this project, in particular SNCF Réseau, the design offices and companies working on the project, the GPSO company, the partner local authorities, the coordinating prefect, Pierre-André Durand, and the government departments" said Alain Rousset, President of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region and Chairman of the SGPSO.