LGV Bordeaux-Toulouse: funding is “on track”
The regional prefect Etienne Guyot, coordinator of LGV Bordeaux-Toulouse and Bordeaux-Dax (GPSO) projects announced on Saturday that the financial arrangement between the local authorities was almost complete.
It lacks 235 million euros to complete the financial round table of the Great South West Railway Project (GPSO) which provides for the development of the Bordeaux-Toulouse and Bordeaux-Dax high-speed lines. For Etienne Guyot, regional prefect and coordinator of the GPSO, the file is moving in the right direction.
“I want to salute the financial commitment of most local authorities and in particular the Occitanie and New Aquitaine Regions. We are on the right track, ”said Etienne Guyot, who gave an update on the progress of this dossier this Saturday. While the State is committed to financing 40% of the Bordeaux-Toulouse LGV, the communities have for a month to vote their participation (for 40% of the total amount). Europe provides the remaining 20% out of a total of 14 billion (including 10.3 billion for Bordeaux-Toulouse).
“In less than a month, 23 out of 26 communities committed to participate. It is quite remarkable. Two, the departmental council of Lot-et-Garonne and the agglomeration of Dax refused “indicates Etienne Guyot who prefers” to see the glass three quarters full “.
Of the 5.6 billion euros accruing to communities (for all of GPSO), the prefect indicates that 2.4% is lacking, or 235 million. Hence his call “for them to find solutions to complete the roundtable. We are not far. “
A tax paid by taxpayers
The ball is therefore in the communities’ court. The principle of a special equipment tax (TSE) has already been established. Precision of the prefect: this tax collected from January 1, 2023, will concern all individuals and businesses “located an hour or less from a TGV station”. Étienne Guyot wishes to reassure, “it will be less than ten euros per tax household”, ie a revenue of 24 million per year. The idea of another tax, the TSB (tax on offices), has not – for the moment – been retained.
In the radius of the good news, the prefect reminds that SNCF Réseau has undertaken to participate financially. The company will repay part of the tolls collected from operators on future high-speed lines. The stages of the GPSO A draft ordinance for the creation of a finance company (with powers extended to engineering) will be sent to the Council of State at the latest at the beginning of January. The formalization by the government is planned before April 2022. This local public establishment (which involves the two Regions) participates in the governance of the project alongside the State and SNCF Réseau.
For the start of work, it will be necessary to wait. The opening of the Bordeaux-Toulouse high-speed line is limited to a 10-year deadline, between 2030 and 2032.