Jean Castex reaffirms his support for LGVs to Toulouse and Dax before the deputies
He is one of the great architects of the resurrection of high-speed line projects in the South West when he announced on April 27, 2021 that the State would release 4.1 billion euros for the GPSO (Grand Sud-Ouest rail project). Now Jean Castex, former Prime Minister, is back on the scene of major mobility projects since he is seeking, on the proposal of Elisabeth Borne to the President of the Republic, the presidency of the board of directors of the Agence de financing of transport infrastructure in France (Afitf). The body, whose prerogatives are just as limited as its team of four people, is responsible for guaranteeing the financing of major structuring projects in the transport and mobility sector. As such, it will have a particular eye on the GPSO file, which aims to extend high speed south of Bordeaux to Toulouse and Dax, even if it will be forced to act solely by virtue of government guidelines.
To validate his appointment and thus succeed Christophe Béchu, now Minister for Ecological Transition, Jean Castex must be heard by Parliament. He was heard on July 27 by the deputies of the Committee on Sustainable Development and Regional Planning. The senior civil servant, who was thought to be retired from political and administrative life, was questioned about his ambitions around the railway. The subject of the GPSO came up several times in the speeches of elected officials, in particular through the intervention of the Girondin deputy EELV Nicolas Thierry.
“The financing plan is banking, departments refuse the financier and immense uncertainty weighs on the participation of Europe. Worse still, this project would destroy more than 5,000 hectares of natural areas and forests. After the devastating fires that we have just suffered, you understand that this arouses real indignation. To avoid this predicted and destructive scenario, an alternative is proposed: redevelop the existing tracks. At a minimum, we will save eight billion euros. It therefore seems to me that, as future president of Afitf, we know your opinion on this alternative proposed locally by a large number of elected officials and citizens.“questioned the Girondin deputy.
No backtracking on the GPSO
While Nicolas Thierry’s intervention was the last in a series of ten speeches, Jean Castex wanted to answer it first:
“A vast majority of local authorities were still in favour. The decision on the GPSO has been taken and the choices to come are not the responsibility of the president of Afitf. The declaration of public utility of the project does not date from my government [elle remonte à 2016, ndlr]. I believe that we have to go to the end of things, that there are debates, alternative visions, thank god, it’s democracy. Once the decisions are made, if it takes 40 years to implement, people no longer believe in it. We had to move on!“defended the former prime minister in a hearing.
Record budget of 3 billion euros
More broadly, the hearing of Jean Castex, largely revolved around the rail. Not for those who were surprised by his long-standing appetite for the train, he who was from 2008 to 2020 mayor of Prades, a few kilometers from the departure station of the Yellow Train, the highest in France. The native of Gers submitted his appointment for consideration by deputies judging that he wanted to support the realization of major projects dedicated to future mobility, especially with the dynamics that Atfif is experiencing. “Transport is the link, mobility is the exchange. These are subjects at the center of public policies and must remain so. […] My proposed appointment comes at a particular time in the history of this agency as the past two fiscal years have been a fast-paced period for it“, he concluded.
In 2021, Atfif’s budget exceeded three billion euros for the first time. 1.3 billion was earmarked for rail projects. But the arrival of Jean Castex also scares some of the strong return of support for the road network. “By having granted 18 billion euros for road infrastructure to develop 900 kilometers of bitumen during your mandate, France is at odds with its European neighbors“Launched Gérard Leseul, PS deputy, before continuing:”To double the rail modal share would require an additional investment of 100 billion euros over 15 years. Pursuing individual mobility does not seem like a good sign to us, we have a very strong sign from you in terms of public transport.“
A remark made while bearing in mind that the Afitf, one of the many agencies in the French administrative maze, does not open up strategic choices and only conducts an exercise in earmarking funding. Jean Castex, whose passage to Matignon constituted the peak of his political career, will therefore find himself, when his various hearings end, an administrative position which suits him particularly well.