16.10.18
Study to explore plans for direct London-Bordeaux high-speed rail route
Work is to start on a study looking into the changes needed to create a direct, high-speed rail route between London and Bordeaux.
Four infrastructure managers along the route – HS1 Ltd, Lisea, Eurotunnel and SNCF Réseau – are jointly launching the feasibility study on the adaptions required for Bordeaux’s Saint Jean station to make it ready for international passengers.
The companies, who are also jointly funding the work, marked the agreement between the four as a “key milestone” in cooperation between the companies and their bid to create a ‘turn-key’ open access route between London and Bordeaux.
The research will scope out the requirements, costs and options needed to create a new border control and security, which will allow passengers to travel directly between Bordeaux St Jean station and London St Pancras without needing to change trains.
Over a million passengers made the journey by air between the Bordeaux and London region last year, and modelling shows that up to 20% of these passengers would switch to rail if possible.
The new service would take under five hours and is only now a possibility following the opening of a high-speed line between Tours and Bordeaux.
Jean-Pierre Ramirez, Eurotunnel’s railway network director, said: “International travellers cherish the convenience of direct high-speed rail services.
“Following the success of London-Amsterdam, the introduction of such an offer between Bordeaux and London is set to become the market reference.”
One of the things that the study will look at is installing a system at Bordeaux St Jean which would allow passengers to have their passports checked by both nation’s authorities on departure so they can step off at arrival without further checks.
Britain and France currently use this unique rail border control system, and employing this at a station such as Bordeaux’s requires physical adaptions for borders and security such as fencing.
Wendy Spinks, HS1’s commercial director, said: “With one in four British expats living in the Bordeaux Region, we have every confidence that this will be a successful and well-used route.
“Today we are demonstrating this confidence by investing in the station development necessary to make it a reality.”
HS1 first met to discuss the possibility of a new London-Bordeaux link back in April.
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Image credit - MartinM303