A railway cooperative wants to open a Le Croisic-Bâle line via Dijon and Besançon
Can the inhabitants of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté soon reach the Atlantic coast by train without going through Paris? In any case, this is the wish of Railcoop, a railway cooperative which aims to open and operate around ten lines, several of which cross our region.
It is counting on the return to favor of train travel, by rehabilitating lines abandoned by the SNCF.
The Railcoop cooperative obtained its railway business license on September 22, 2021. It is now awaiting its safety certificate, issued by the Public Establishment of Rail Safety (EPSF), to offer passenger and freight transport services.
Railcoop plans to launch its first freight link on November 15, between Figeac and Toulouse. Then the time for passenger lines will come, made possible by the opening up to competition, in December 2020, of domestic passenger transport.
If all goes well, the cooperative based in Figeac (Lot) intends to reopen the Bordeaux-Lyon line, closed in 2014, in the summer of 2022. The journey would last a little more than 7 hours, passing through the Massif Central. The ticket price ? around 40 euros. “Our prices are based on carpooling or the bus, we specify Ludovic Grandjacques, in charge of the capacity process at Railcoop. Our goal is to capture travelers on the road. Our only competitor is the road. “
Then, some 9,000 members identified around ten lines, notified to the Transport Regulatory Authority. “These are lines for which we have identified a strong potential for travelers, based on demographic and tourist criteria, and the dynamism of the territories.”, details Ludovic Grandjacques.
We want to revitalize lines that are dormant or served only by TER
In these “high potential” lines, a Le Croisic – Basel link will link Switzerland to the Atlantic coast. The line passes through Nantes, Angers, Tours, Vierzon, Bourges, before crossing Burgundy-Franche-Comté via Nevers, Le Creusot, Beaune, Dijon, Dole, Besançon and Belfort. “There are works scheduled between Chagny and Montchanin in 2023, which lead to a complete closure for eight months. It would therefore rather be from 2024”, imagine Ludovic Grandjacques.
Railcoop hopes to be able to run its trains on other lines crossing Burgundy-Franche-Comté: Strasbourg – Clermont-Ferrand, Thionville-Grenoble and Thionville – Saint-Etienne.
We’re going very slowly. The goal is not to be in the red, like any business. The development of Bordeaux-Lyon will allow us to develop our offer
Railcoop plans to use the X72500 railcars with thermal engines on the Bordeaux Lyon line, which is partially non-electrified. When possible, the cooperative would like to acquire electrical equipment, or at least two-mode.
Financial balance tests have been requested by certain Regions crossed following the notifications to the ART. Note that several communities have taken shares in cooperatives, like the Department of Creuse or the inter-municipal authorities of Libourne, Montluçon or Vichy.