France is firmly committed to the new Lyon-Turin line project, which should contribute to the shift from road to rail for freight traffic crossing the Franco-Italian Alps and thus reduce the environmental impacts on the valleys crossed. This project consists of both the construction of a cross-border section - which is the subject of a bilateral treaty ratified in 2017 and receives 40% European funding - and French access roads to the cross-border tunnel.

The implementation of these access points is included in the investment schedule presented in the investment policy bill, currently before Parliament. In line with the priority given to improving everyday transport, these access points, like all major projects, must be part of a progressive implementation process, starting with the necessary optimisations of the existing network before new lines are built.

In accordance with this programme and the commitments made by the Government, Elisabeth BORNE has just signed the ministerial decision asking SNCF Réseau to immediately start the study programme aimed at specifying the investments required for the construction of the access roads, whether it concerns the modernisation of the existing network or the construction of new lines.

This ministerial decision is an important step in France's preparation for the new international route between Lyon and Turin. It allows the launch of a study programme structured around two themes:

1.            SNCF Réseau will prepare the construction of new access routes to the international tunnel, by studying the programming and phasing over time of the various sections. These will provide additional access capacity to the base tunnel to cope with the expected increase in traffic following the commissioning of the international tunnel.

2.            Pending the construction of new lines, SNCF Réseau will draw up a master plan for the Dijon-Modane line in order to identify the necessary investments and their timetable and how to cope with increases in rail freight traffic, before the new link is put into service. This plan will also make it possible to respond to the increase in passenger traffic, particularly for everyday trains, in case of saturation of some of the road routes, and to pay particular attention to the necessary integration measures implemented.

A steering committee, under the authority of the regional prefect and involving the local authorities concerned, will monitor the implementation of this study programme. This work will be an opportunity to examine the proposals put forward by local elected officials, and more generally, should seek all possible ways to optimise costs and phasing in order to guarantee the financial sustainability of the programme. Another meeting will be held before the summer of 2019.

As promised, the Minister also decided to set up a permanent observation of rail congestion on the existing access routes and the Mont Cenis tunnel. Its mission will be to better understand the traffic as well as the available capacities allowed by the current infrastructures and operating rules.

At the end of this process, the conclusions of these studies and the opinion of the steering committee will enable the Minister to adopt the master plan for the classic Dijon-Modane line and a precise programme for the construction of new access sections to the base tunnel.

A first progress report on this study program and its implementation schedule will be postponed to the summer of 2019.

For Elisabeth BORNE, "the launch of this study programme is an important step in fulfilling the commitments made by the Government to provide access to the Lyon-Turin cross-border tunnel. These studies will make it possible both to meet the ambition we share with the elected representatives of the territory to support traffic growth and to adopt an appropriate investment schedule.

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