If travel time between certain large cities such as Paris and Marseille has decreased considerably over the years, in particular thanks to the implementation of the TGV by the SNCF, on the other hand, it has increased significantly on other main lines of the French railway network. According to information revealed by The Parisian Saturday November 11, 2023, the journey linking Paris to Limoges lasted 195 minutes in 2019, compared to 166 in 2003. If it now takes an additional 29 minutes to complete this 340 kilometer journey by train, it is because this part of the rail network French is aging. In addition to a longer journey time, users of this line, served by Intercités trains, are often faced with delays of several hours, due to “technical issues” recurring, but also to cascading cancellations. “These are long-distance lines. The longer the route, the greater the probability of having an incident due to an external cause. We must, also, share the way with the TER or freight trains. But the quality of service is not at the level we would like.”underlined Amandine Thomas-Commin, the director of Intercités at SNCF.
SNCF: Bordeaux-Marseille wins the title of “worst line in France”
“There was a collective abandonment. It is a symbol of two-speed France. With these users who do not have the TGV and who, in addition, see their line disconnect and deteriorate. It is the double punishment. A feeling of downgrading is being created. We are in the process of reversing the trend: I have made it a priority political fight”, indicated for his part the Minister of Transport, Clément Beaune. The latter revealed to our colleagues from Parisian that “the worst line in France” is the one that connects Bordeaux to Marseille. The Paris-Orléans-Limoges-Toulouse (POLT) and Paris-Clermont lines also appear in the ranking of the worst lines in the French rail network. “Travelers can’t take it anymore. The situation, which is outrageous, leads to a lack of attractiveness in our territories. We are unable to attract talent and businesses,” alerted the vice-president (PS) for transport of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, Renaud Lagrave. Since 2018, the State has released more than 4 billion euros for the renovation of these lines, but also for the purchase of rolling stock. “We have initiated a massive work program, with real acceleration. These two lines are among our priorities. We also replace catenaries that are sometimes 80 years old in the southern region, on the Bordeaux-Marseille cross line.“revealed Olivier Bancel, number 2 at SNCF Réseau.