The senator from Savoie and former mayor of Albertville has just questioned Prime Minister Francois Bayrou on this subject. It was recently during an oral question in the Senate in particular about the line linking Paris to Bourg Saint-Maurice which had been eliminated in 2016.
A return for the 2030 Olympics?
The senator is calling for a recovery, particularly in view of the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps, for which she believes it is imperative to maintain a low-carbon transport offer. According to Martine Berthet, the state must keep its promises and live up to its ambitions to reduce CO2 to fight global warming.
The question soon in the hemicycle
The question on night trains will be officially asked by the senator from Savoie on January 21 to the government in the hemicycle.
The official press release from the Senator of Savoie Martine Berthet
“Ms. Martine Berthet draws the attention of the Prime Minister to the disappearance of night trains in the territories, in particular of the Paris-Bourg-Saint Maurice line, suspended in October 2016.
This removal weighs on the accessibility of mountain regions. TGV connections are often saturated, even more so during holiday periods. They also display increasingly dissuasive prices, making these destinations difficult to access for many users.
As Savoie prepares to host the French Alps Winter Olympic Games in 2030, it is essential to put in place an adapted, sustainable and efficient rail offer. According to a recent study by the national association of mountain resort mayors, 89% of French people still prefer the car to get to the mountains.
At a time when the world expects from France an exemplary organization of the Olympic Games, respectful of the environment and with a low carbon footprint, mountain territories cannot remain dependent on road and air transport, responsible for more than 60%. of their greenhouse gas emissions. The relaunch of night trains constitutes a credible and essential alternative to respond to this challenge.
Furthermore, this revival would also bring significant economic momentum for winter and summer tourism. It would meet the expectations of families and young city dwellers, who wish to escape the big cities to enjoy a weekend in the mountains, in an accessible way and without wasting time.
Finally, this objective is fully in line with the presidential ambitions of 2020, which aimed to open around ten night train lines by 2030, and in continuity with the commitments made by successive Governments. Faced with these ecological and economic issues, the reopening of the Paris-Bourg-Saint-Maurice line seems essential.
Also, she asks the Government if night train service to our mountain areas will be relaunched within a reasonable time frame before the 2030 Olympic Games.”
