Le Figaro Bordeaux
They want to hang up the wagons between Bordeaux and the coast.
On the journey between the Bordeaux metropolis and Lacanau, there are numerous traffic jams and the solutions offered by public transport are insufficient.
To open up their territory and make its inhabitants less dependent on their car, many elected officials in Médoc want the return of a train, in order to anticipate tomorrow's travel.
A solution presented as beneficial for Girondins, for their wallets and for the climate.
This Tuesday, March 12, more than a hundred people gathered in Saint-Médard-en-Jalles, west of the Bordeaux metropolitan area, to support this TER project.
Among them, in addition to the socialist mayor of the town, Stéphane Delpeyrat-Vincent, the councilors of different political parties from Lacanau, Saint-Aubin-de-Médoc, Le Taillan-Médoc, Sainte-Hélène, Salaunes and Saumos were present.
Regional councilor Frédéric Mellier represented the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region.
“We are all committed today to bringing this project to life beyond political labels, in the sole interest of the population
,” announced the mayor of Saint-Médard.
Also read: Sheep and goats to maintain a natural area near Bordeaux
An “essential” project for workers
“As the metropolis of Bordeaux has developed sustainably economically, urban sprawl is increasingly important
,” explains the city.
“The business areas in the Médoc are also becoming denser and some employers are having difficulty recruiting due to mobility issues.”
This train, which existed until 1954 for passengers and 1978 for rail freight, could allow the circulation of light wagons (up to 90 km/h and 40 km/h in urban areas) requiring relatively few adjustments. and being sufficiently autonomous not to have to electrify the line.
Although the idea of a train linking Bordeaux to the beach - in addition to the one already existing with Arcachon - may seem an argument in favor of tourists - very numerous in Gironde in summer -, Stéphane Delpeyrat-Vincent recalls that this This is not the primary ambition of this project.
“We sometimes hear that we shouldn't make a train for vacationers, but it's not about vacationers.
I am talking about the tens of thousands of workers who use this road every day to go to the mainland or to the Médoc.
It is for them that this project is essential
,” insists the councilor.
Also read: Bordeaux: fewer and fewer cars and more and more bicycles in the metropolis
One million passengers per year by 2030
This project, which requires the support of the metropolis and the region, has already been the subject of a study by the city of Lacanau and will be studied again in 2024 by A'urba (Bordeaux Aquitaine urban planning agency ).
“This is a project that will take time, but we must start now to anticipate the mobility of the future
,” specifies the city of Saint-Médard.
“The development of this transport service to the population will therefore also have to respond to economic and environmental issues: the decarbonization of travel is already at the heart of concerns.
Intermodality around this railway line was also discussed during discussions with the public, so that this new line benefits as many people as possible.”
Among the options envisaged is the idea of a train running both on the rails and on the tram lines, to ensure a direct connection with the Bordeaux Métropole public transport network (TBM).
If this solution is not possible, a new dedicated station could be created next to the tram terminus in Eysines.
The opportunity study carried out by Lacanau in 2019 envisaged an attendance of more than one million annual passengers by 2030 on this line, at an estimated cost of around 200 million euros, and predicted that this rail link could be profitable for “
a user rate ranging from 4 to 6.5 euros depending on the formula”
.