44-year-old trains put the line in danger
A report from the Infrastructure Guidance Council (COI), released in January, highlights the risks incurred by the Intercity line depending on Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, due to obsolete frames which must be “virtually completely deleted” from by 2027. Their renewal is urgent to avoid a reduction or suspension of service.
Line Paris-Orleans-Limoges Toulouse (POLE) will soon be equipped with new trains, deployed until 2026. The Intercités Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux (Transversale Sud) are not so lucky. They will have to wait before being replaced. The budgetary choices of the French government would not allow it. This lack of new rolling stock could be fatal to this crucial element of the network of the South of France, according to a recent report by the Conseil d’orientations des infrastructures (THIS)revealed by the site mobileletter.
The 163 Corail cars that run on this line are 44 years old on average. As pointed out by THISthey don’t answer”more to customer expectations and accessibility standards, and arrive in the very short term of 2-3 years at the end of potential“but above all,”their dilapidated state is the cause of recurring reliability problems, and is already leading to the need to reduce train compositions.”
However, this line, belonging to the Trains d’quilibre du territoire (TET)is increasingly cited. Compared to 2019, the number of passengers increased by 26%.
For the sake of efficiency, the COI recommends “as soon as possible” that the State buys for the Transversale Sud trains AMLD produced by the Spanish CAFthe same as those with which the line will be equipped Paris-Orleans-Limoges Toulouse: “UN quick turnaround also means no disruption to the CAF production line (…) The urgency of the renewal of the Corail cars before radiation does not seem to leave time for an alternative arrangement. A report would also lead to the incurring of expenses “lost funds“ extension of Corail coaches.“
The Orientation Council add that anyway: “it is likely that the lines Bordeaux-Marseille and night will have to see their service reduced, or even eliminated, between 2027 and 2033 approximately, taking into account the construction times necessary in all cases for the workshops and rolling stock.“
The opinion of the Infrastructure Orientation Council is not that advisory. The case is now in the hands of the government.