How do you judge the rail offer in Dordogne?
It has progressed in thirty years. The Regions have taken control of the TER and things have improved a lot. Without this, in Dordogne, it is not certain that there would be many lines left. The problem is that if we want to improve the offer, we must renew the rolling stock and renovate the infrastructure which is maintained at a minimum. There are signaling systems that are too old, there are missing crossing points on single tracks, etc.
You are quite complimentary about the Grand Périgueux shuttle. For what ?
Intermodality with buses and bicycles, feeder lines to bring users back from isolated hamlets, etc. Honestly, it must be the only city of this size in France to have such a complete system. It is not only a success, but an example at the national level, and it is the locomotive of the railway in Dordogne. It ticks all the boxes.
“If we want to improve the offer, we must renew the rolling stock”
You are defending a “Périgord-Limousin Tram-train” project, between Limoges, Brive and Périgueux. Can you tell us more?
It is a project of direct trains between metropolises (for example, Bordeaux-Limoges or Bordeaux-Brive) and shuttles (like that of Périgueux) which radiate around these cities to ensure service to all municipalities. We could do it without too much infrastructure work. It is the equivalent of regional express services for metropolises, but applied to rural areas. We want to prove that it can work. You just have to motivate all the players and push to get it. Because we will be facing metropolises, with much larger demographics and budgets.
How is it received by politicians?
At the moment this is not received. Only one parliamentarian came to listen to our project, Saturday October 19, at our anniversary conference. But we will take care of motivating them.
What are your proposals for the Périgueux-Agen and Sarlat-Bordeaux lines?
For the Sarlat-Bordeaux line, we offer omnibus trains. They would stop between each station from Sarlat to Bergerac, then only serve the main stations (Castillon-la-Bataille, Sainte-Foy-la-Grande, Libourne, etc.). This would connect Sarlat to Bordeaux in two hours, which has been announced for years without ever happening. To complete the offer, we propose to supervise these fast trains by omnibus trains which would serve each station. For Périgueux-Agen, the same principle: there would need to be a shuttle between Thiviers, Périgueux and Le Buisson-de-Cadouin, and faster trains between Périgueux and Agen.
Périgord Rail Plus (1), of which you are president, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. What are you most proud of?
Of everything that came to fruition (laughs). We participated in the reopening of the Saint-Cyprien station and the development of the Périgueux shuttle. We took school trips to introduce children to the train, we produced documents on users, held demonstrations, petitions, proposals for station services… The list is long.
(1) More information on www.perigordrailplus.fr.
