At a time when the government is defining priorities regarding major transport infrastructure projects, the Nice Côte d’Azur Chamber of Commerce, alongside its socio-professional partners and businesses, emphasizes that the new rail transport infrastructure in PACA must be confirmed and realized.
Bernard Kleynhoff, President of the Nice Côte d’Azur Chamber of Commerce, highlights that “the Côte d’Azur with its 1.2 million inhabitants is not served by high-speed rail, unlike nearly all major French and Western European cities. Our economic fabric has been eagerly anticipating this infrastructure for many years. Our region and its activities heavily oriented towards other French regions and internationally can no longer remain isolated from high-speed rail. It is imperative that this project continues and that the announced timelines are respected with a public inquiry in 2014 and commissioning in 2023.”
In a letter sent on July 27 to the Prime Minister, Mr. Jean-Marc Ayrault, Bernard Kleynhoff reiterated that the accessibility of the Côte d’Azur cannot rely solely on air and road transport, particularly in a context with strong energy and environmental stakes.
This new infrastructure is more than just a simple high-speed line; it is a project for a comprehensive improvement of transport at the local, regional, national, and European levels.
Thus, with travel times from Nice to Marseille reduced to 1 hour (instead of 2.5 hours), Nice to Lyon in 2 hours, Nice to Milan in 2 hours and 45 minutes, and Nice to Barcelona in 4 hours, a regional and Mediterranean economic dynamic will be fostered.
The project also includes the improvement of daily commuting, a dimension specifically highlighted by the government as a priority direction. Indeed, this new infrastructure will lighten the load on the existing route, which is currently saturated. It is therefore a sine qua non condition for developing a reliable and efficient regional train service and for easing congestion on the road and highway networks.
With this new line, thousands of hours will be saved in transportation for the people of the Azure Coast, with corresponding environmental benefits!
On a financial level, it’s important to remind that the funding needs for the initial work will not arise before 2018, and the project, due to its Mediterranean dimension from Spain to Italy, could benefit from European participation.
The Nice Côte d’Azur Chamber of Commerce demands that (i) this overall project is recognized as a priority in the national transport infrastructure scheme and becomes an integral part of the European network, (ii) we maintain an ambitious and coherent project instead of moving towards a patchwork of small local projects incompatible with the major stakes of our territory, (iii) that the most saturated sections are completed in the first phase, with priority given to the Le Muy-Nice section and the redevelopment of the existing route between Nice and Ventimiglia.
