Future TGV lines in the Loire + Fête de la Saint-Vincent

The Nouvelle Republique carries a couple of studies on two future high speed rail projects: the extension towards Bordeaux of the existing high speed line from Paris to Tours and a TGV Centre from Paris to Nevers and onto Clémont-Ferrand and Lyon.

The new line TGV Sud Europe Atlantique (LGV) is definitely due to go ahead with the section from Tours to Angoulême expected to open in 2016. The TGV Centre is considerably less certain – it might be in service around 2020, although apparently it hasn’t been identified as one of the rail projects that will add a further 2000 km of high speed lines to the French network by 2020. It would, however, have the advantage of reducing the pressure on the existing very busy Paris-Lyon line, the first TGV that was built.

There are three different routes through the region that the proposed TGV Centre might take. Both the direct and the one through Cosnes look as though they could threaten to go through the vineyards of Sancerre and Pouilly respectively.

The annual Fête de la Saint-Vincent (the wine saint) is celebrated in many of France's wine regions. Saint-Vincent's day falls on 22nd January but the celebrations are normally held on the weekend following as a long lunch is a customary centre-piece of the celebrations.