The Toulouse-Bordeaux high-speed line “on track”, despite holes in its financing
After the departmental council of Lot-et-Garonne, the agglomeration community of Grand Dax, it is the turn of thean urban community in the Basque Country to vote against the GPSO. Without forgetting the fact that the department of Pyrénées-Orientales voted less than the sum which was requested of it, just like the communities of the Gironde.
For the record, this acronym stands for Grand Projet du Sud-Ouest, which brings together the construction of a LGV between Toulouse and Bordeaux, and another link between the Gironde capital and Dax. In this context, around a project estimated at 14.3 billion euros, including 10.3 billion for the Bordeaux-Toulouse part, the coordinating prefect of the Étienne Guyot project was keen to take stock of the financing plan. which must be completed very soon.
“GPSO is on the right track and I would like to salute the commitment of most of the local authorities. It demonstrates the fundamental interest of the project for the two territories, the New Aquitaine and Occitanie regions (…) I 94% of the part of the financing of the local communities is ensured, in particular exposed the prefect.
Since the meeting to present the potential financing plan at the end of November, all the local authorities concerned have sought advice. In just one month of working with them, Étienne Guyot prefers “see the glass three quarters full“facing the majority of positive votes.”We are close to the corn“, he adds.
235 million euros to be found in the long term for local authorities
Although close to a global and complete agreement as underlined by the prefect, who wants to put forward “a positive dynamic“, some holes in the racket, and not the least, remaining., we must add the 40% of the state and 40% of local communities.
“The amount of grants from the European Union which appears in this Protocol is indicative and will be adjusted once the amounts of grants awarded to the GPSO project under the Interconnection Mechanism for Europe (upcoming programming) are communicated “, specifies the financing protocol.
A vagueness to be added to the fact that the refusals of certain local authorities cause, in their part of financing, a hole of 336.4 million euros gross, or 235.5 million euros net. The difference between gross and net is explained by the contribution of new tax revenues specially created to finance the part of local communities in GPSO. No less than 960 million euros must be collected in this way, over 40 years, to finance the LGV between Toulouse and Bordeaux.
“I am resting net 2.4% of the project from the local authorities to be found. I therefore call on the local communities to their responsibilities, to find solutions and complete the round table on the part of the communities. It is up to them to make proposals to the government “, did not fail to underline Étienne Guyot, referring in particular to the two regional councils.
Despite these shortages in the cash registers, the project director, Guy Kauffman, assures us: “we have a planned financing plan (to move forward)“.
Several scenarios to save money
However, to meet any financial needs, the financing protocol between all the protagonists of the file provides for an order of priority to meet them. First of all, a search for savings “at program constant“will be made, before considering”a search for savings preserving the essential functionalities of the project“.
Behind the scenes, this second scenario foresees fears around the potential new station planned in Agen as part of the LGV between Toulouse and Bordeaux, after the refusal of the Lot-et-Garonne departmental council of GPSO financier. “The declaration of public utility provides for a station in Agen and two communities in this area voted differently on this project. The Department against on the contrary of the agglomeration community of Agen, as for it favorable. In this case, someone will have to take the 75 million euros from the departmental council, so we are waiting for proposals.“, replies diplomatically Étienne Guyot who does not want to mention, for the moment, the withdrawal of this station in the project.
In addition, the actors of the file do not close the door, as a third resort, to “mobilization of fiscal resources“, before handing over to the pot as a last resort. Here again it is mentioned, if necessary, the creation of a special tax on offices (TSB), as it already exists in the Paris region to finance the Grand Paris Express.
If such a scenario should occur, it will then be acted on by a steering committee under the aegis of the Prefect of the Occitania region, bringing together the funders and the contracting authority. Most of these actors must also find themselves within a local public establishment dedicated to the GPSO project, which must see the light of day before the end of April 2022 with skills extended to engineering. If the schedule is kept, the LGV between Toulouse and Bordeaux could see the light of day by 2032.