From August 2025 and for a period of six months (until January 2026), work north of Orléans will significantly disrupt the Paris-Orléans-Limoges-Toulouse line. On Tuesday October 8, SNCF revealed the details of this major project which will cost no less than 133 million euros.
Francesca Aceto, regional director for Centre-Val de Loire SNCF Réseau, says: “We know that this project has already been the talk of the town for several months!”
Indeed, a large-scale renewal operation on the Paris-Orléans-Limoges-Toulouse railway line is planned for 2025, between Fleury-les-Aubrais and Boisseaux (a little further north). This will result in major disruptions for SNCF users.
No trains during the day
Between August 2025 and January 2026, no train will run between Orléans and Paris between 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on weekdays. Trains will run normally on weekends and during the Christmas holidays. “This Paris-Orléans-Limoges-Toulouse line is the subject of a major modernization and regeneration program worth around two billion euros,” underlines Olivier Bancel, executive general director of projects, maintenance and operations at SNCF Réseau. There are not many programs like this on the national network. It is a line on which there is a considerable effort. Until 2022, work has been carried out mainly on railway signaling. .”
Construction site between August 2025 and January 2026: major disruptions on the Paris-Orléans-Limoges-Toulouse route
This project has already been postponed twice and it will therefore arrive in 2025: “It is an operation to renew the track and ballast (stones under the sleepers), explains Olivier Bancel. We are going to renew the entire 70 kilometers of line these components. It is an exceptional project which will mobilize factory trains (750 m long) and 400 people. We can renew 1,000 m of track per day. ten times longer.”
8 hours of construction per day instead of 9 hours
All for a budget of 133 million euros. He continues: “The execution conditions for these projects are normally around 9 hours (per day). On this operation, we reduced the duration to 8 hours (from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.) . Reducing a construction site by one hour is a real feat. And it costs more (24 million euros more).”
A major project, certainly, but the environmental side is important: “40,000 tons of ballast will be recycled and 6,000 tons of rails sent directly to a foundry to make new rails. This is unique in France and Europe,” explains Olivier. Bancel.
New schedules in January 2025
So, this work will be done during the day. But why not at night? “We must take into account that night freight trains must also circulate,” replies Olivier Bancel. “They are part of European corridors and we have very strong commitments to respect.”
Concerning travelers, announcements will be made in January 2025: “Travelers will need to organize themselves in advance, underlines Francesca Aceto. There, we are working with the State and the Centre-Val de Loire region to establish this plan. adapted transport. We will be able to communicate the new schedules to travelers in January 2025. This will allow them to organize the start of the school year.”
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And for possible means of substitution for trains canceled between 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.? “This is an answer that I cannot give you. We do not provide the substitution solution. But there will normally be substitutions by coach,” says Francesca Aceto.
Disruptions from April 2025
If the SNCF communicates on the period between August 2025 and January 2026, we must not forget that preparatory work will take place on the tracks from April 2025 and will result in no trains running between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays. Same for February 2026 with finishing work. “In the middle of the day, we will need to take the two main roads to carry out site preparation work from April, confirms Francesca Aceto. The site needs preparation. That’s five hours left, but the impact is less .”
Finally, the SNCF affirms: yes, there will be more trains before 9:30 a.m. and after 5:30 p.m. and yes, the capacity of the trains will be increased: “This will make it possible to add places on these schedules before and after construction”, concludes Francesca Aceto.
For more information, users will now have to wait for January 2025 and the disclosure by the SNCF of the new timetables for this period.
Alban Gourgousse
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