Article: Conservation of the environment: An important dimension in plans for the LGV South Europe Atlantic (SEA)

By Christophe HUAU*, Thierry CHARLEMAGNE** and Philippe RAVACHE***

* Project SEA at Réseau Ferré de France (RFF)
** In charge of Environment at LISEA
*** Technical director of Projects at COSEA (the group that designed and built the LGV-SEA)

Abstract

France is creeping toward a reform of its rail system a few months before the last phase in the construction of single European rail area, as already happened for road or air transportation during the 1990s. The stated EU objective — shared by French representatives in Brussels but still repressed in the discourse of officials in Paris — is to abolish the last national borders that deter the work patiently carried out in view of creating a single rail area. EU rail policy does not just amount to a program for deregulating monopolies and regulating competition; it is also a powerful, deliberate tool for investment in transportation.