Will the high-speed line be built at the expense of everyday trains?

The Toulouse–Dax rail link does not exist and will be made possible by the high-speed line.

On the Bordeaux–Toulouse and Bordeaux–Dax lines, the construction of the new line will mean more and better-timed daily trains, freeing up train slots. The lines are currently saturated and it is not possible to add extra trains when people in the South West are waiting for them. The GPSO will therefore encourage the development of regional trains on the existing network, a development that is essential for daily travel and a priority for local transport for the inhabitants of Occitania and Nouvelle-Aquitaine.

The opening of the Paris–Bordeaux high-speed line in 2017 demonstrates the contribution of high-speed rail to the region: its creation has gone hand in hand with improved services for daily trains and a 12% increase in the number of regional trains in Nouvelle-Aquitaine to meet the needs of connecting services (source: LISEA socio-economic monitoring centre). 

The complementary nature of the new lines and the existing ones will allow a better distribution of the different types of traffic (regional trains, intercity trains – southbound, high-speed trains (TGVs), night trains and freight trains) between the two lines. It guarantees the development of rail passenger transport: more trains which are more frequent and faster.

Daily services for the people of the South West remain a priority. The regions of Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Occitania voluntarily contribute to the financing of works on existing lines (this is not one of their compulsory tasks): in addition to major projects, they have already invested more than €2 billion in the rehabilitation of existing lines, including small train lines.