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Carpates line
The Haut-Bugey railway line, usually called "Carpates Line" ("ligne des Carpates"), is initially a 40-mile long single-track line, opened around the end of the XIXth century (between 1876 and 1882), which links Bellegarde to Bourg-en-Bresse via Nantua.
Modernizing this railway line has long been one of ALP-Rail's fights, and will allow TGV (French High Speed Trains) to use it on their Paris to Geneva route. Today, these trains have no other solution but an important detour to Culoz and Ambérieu-en-Bugey. Opening the modernized leg will reduce by 30 minutes (from the current 3 hours 30 to an expected 3 hours) the trip length between Geneva and Paris.
This project, amounting to an estimated € 300 million (of which € 110 million paid by Switzerland) has now entered its building stage, since the French Conseil d'État formally issued a "favorable opinion" to its "Déclaration d'Utilité Publique" (declaration of public interest) in February 2005, followed by the removal of the old track in November 2005.
The Haut-Bugey line will be opened for the December 2010 reschedule, with a trip duration cut by 25 minutes down to 3h04 on the Geneva - Paris journey, 9 trains per day, running on an hourly basis at peak hours.
Works around the Bellegarde station from the sky
Pictures taken December 23rd, 2008. Click selected image to open in at a bigger resolution.
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General view (800 x 468) |
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Close-up on the station (1600 x 700) |
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