France postpones its route of the Turin-Lyon high-speed train until after 2043 because "it is too expensive". La Repubblica writes, explaining that Paris intends to "build one of the access sections of the Tav in France only after the entry into operation of the Mont Cenis tunnel, between the end of 2032 and the beginning of 2033". The hypotheses and the timetable "have been elaborated by the IOC, the Conseil d'orientation des infrastructures", writes the newspaper, explaining that "graphs and evaluations are now on the table of the French government, just in time for the next Italian-French Intergovernmental Conference, set for June 22 in Lyon".
"Beyond the insults, controversies and provocations that we register with amazement, we are worried by the French hesitations about Tav. From Paris we expect clarity, seriousness and respect for the agreements: Italy has been and is of word, we cannot accept about-faces on an important work not only for the two countries but for the whole of Europe". So the deputy prime minister and minister Matteo Salvini.
Minister of Transport French to ANSA, 'no TAV postponement' "The French government has not decided on any postponement in the calendar relating to the Lyon-Turin high-speed train": the Minister of Transport, Clément Beaune, told ANSA today, adding that the news of postponements in the construction of certain structures refer not to decisions taken "but to an independent report delivered to the government". "This is in no case - said Beaune - a decision of the government and our calendar remains unchanged".
The alarm about possible delays in the construction of part of the French section of the Turin-Lyon was triggered a month ago, with the appeal launched to President Emmanuel Macron by 60 French parliamentarians from different political parties. To worry parliamentarians from beyond the Alps - including several members of the Italy-France friendship group - there is a recent and contested report by the Infrastructure Orientation Council (IOC) in Paris which recommends postponing "at least to 2045" the construction of section French of the Turin-Lyon project.
"By proposing to postpone the entry into service of French access routes beyond 2045 and by permanently prioritising the historic Dijon-Modane line, the IOC seriously jeopardises the success of Europe's largest low-carbon mobility infrastructure for travellers and goods," the MPs' appeal read. "The government will not take decisions on this report, which is only a consultancy of an independent group, before next July - confirmed today to ANSA a source of the Transalpine Lyon-Turin, the committee that aims to build and accelerate the construction of the railway link with Italy -, there is no need to worry since there is no decision on the access route French. The report sent to the government last February is a report to analyze investments in transport infrastructure. The postponement hypothesized by the report, on the basis of the fact that the Lyon-Turin would be an overpriced project and not a priority, would not be happy even Europe, which co-finances the project".
