traffic between Paris and Orléans interrupted during the day for six months from August 2025 for work on the Paris-Limoges-Toulouse line

Train traffic will be completely interrupted during the day for six months between Paris and Orléans due to major works from August 2025, SNCF announced on Tuesday October 8.

From April 2025, preparatory work will result in the interruption of train circulation five hours a day between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., on this line which connects Paris to Toulouse via Orléans and Limoges (POLT line).

The bulk of the work will begin in August 2025, with cuts to rail traffic between 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., on weekdays, until the end of January 2026. The end of the work is scheduled for February 2026, said SNCF Réseau, during of a press conference.

To respond to these disruptions, an increase in the supply of trains outside of work periods and replacement coaches are being studied, while a construction break is planned for weekends and during the 2025 Christmas holidays. .

Work deemed “essential”

The operation, which consists of completely renovating 70 kilometers of track (rails, ballast and sleepers) between Boisseaux and Les Aubrais (Loiret), using a factory train, will mobilize 400 people on the line day and night. , on the works base located in Aubrais.

If the major track renewal projects on the rest of the line are carried out at night, the section concerned is an exception, because it is located on the Atlantic freight corridor, a major European freight transport route, said SNCF Réseau. “60% of regional and international freight trains run at night on this line and must respect crossing times imposed at the borders”according to SNCF.

“This is an extraordinary project and we are aware of the impacts of this work on the daily lives of travelers”declared Olivier Bancel, executive general director of projects, maintenance and operations at SNCF Réseau. This project, worth 133 million euros, already postponed twice, is entirely financed by SNCF Réseau.

“While we welcome the completion of this essential work, we cannot ignore the difficulties it will cause for daily travelers”reacted the president of the Centre-Val de Loire region, François Bonneau, in a press release. “We regret that our requests to favor nighttime interventions, which are less penalizing for users, were not taken into account”he added.

In recent years, elected officials and communities have often pointed out a degraded line and highlighted works “essential” and engaged since 2018.