Yesterday morning, business leaders, unions, employees, students, and representatives from the political and economic spheres protested for a New Railway Line. Despite the controllers’ strike, 250 people demonstrated from St Augustin station to Nice airport.
<img40246|left> There is consensus on this point: the PACA region cannot do without the NRL. Congested highway traffic and limited airport access in the coming years make railway traffic a priority for regional representatives. “We missed the boat in 1980, there’s no way we’re going to miss out on this progress today,” says Bernard Kleynhoff, president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The aim of the demonstration is to convince the national commission “Mobility 21” of the urgency of the situation and the merits of constructing this third track for the southeast.
This new line between Le Muy and Nice would cost 7.5 billion euros, which is three times less than the initial project, the LGV (High-Speed Line). It would not only bring Marseille closer, improve regional and local traffic, but also allow faster access to Genoa (1h15 instead of 2h30).
An absolute necessity.
The lack of a high-speed route is a real handicap for residents. According to a poll conducted by IFOP, 82% of the population of the Cรดte d’Azur are waiting for this new line. According to Eric Ciotti, president of the general council of the Alpes Maritimes, “it’s an economic mistake. Our railway line is the most profitable in France.” Yet, the PACA region has the fewest kilometers of rails per inhabitant.
According to a study, a motorist spends an average of 12 hours in traffic jams per month and will spend another 12 hours more in 2020. These alarming figures make the New Railway Line an absolute necessity for the Provence Alpes Cรดte d’Azur region