“We'll see, it's under consideration”: the railway line project between Millau and Rodez finally abandoned ?

En gare de Laissac, la ligne de chemin de fer, recouverte par la végétation, devrait rester encore longtemps sans activité. Christophe Cathala

Supported by the Region and estimated at more than 120 million euros, the project to relaunch a train line between Rodez and Millau could fall victim to the budgetary restrictions announced in local authorities. “It is on hold”, announced Carole Delga, visiting Aveyron this Monday.

We will play our part in the national effort.” Visiting Aveyron on Monday, December 9, Carole Delga indicated that it was also time for savings in the Occitanie Region. The community learned that it would have to deal with 186 million euros less in funding in 2025. And these restrictions are already experiencing a rebound in Aveyron. With even a first victim: the project to relaunch the train line between Rodez and Millau. “It is on hold,” confided Carole Delga. Until it is called into question ? “We'll see, it's in reflection”.

A project costing over 130 million euros

In the meantime, vegetation has taken over the railway line, which is now barely visible at Laissac station or along the RN88. Like a sign of a project that has already been shelved… And this is even though, as recently as last May, Jean-Luc Gibelin, the Region's Transport Minister, was “staunchly” supporting the project, initially estimated at between 130 and 160 million euros.

The line was supposed to be reopened by 2030, with four daily round trips adapted to the timetables of students and employees… But that was at the time. Another one, in which public finances were not at the heart of the debates and in which the State, constrained by its abysmal debt, had not asked its territories for “efforts”.

Alain Marc had denounced “economic madness”

In the department, several voices had already been raised against this project. “Economic madness”, declared the vice-president of the Senate, Alain Marc, arguing for his part for hydrogen bus lines between the two main cities of the department. Magali Bessaou, elected to the Department and mayor of La Loubière, recalled in a press release that “the closure of this line in 2017 was based on the observation of daily traffic of less than 100 passengers per day”…

RN88: can we still believe it ?

The Aveyron Department has made it one of its priorities and Carole Delga followed suit, promising 95 million euros. But the RN88 with 2×2 lanes between Rodez and Sév&eacuterac-d’Aveyron will only be able to see the light of day if the state provides funding, expected to amount to 180 million. A project that also seems more than compromised at a time when public finances are being restored. In any case, none of the previous governments has sent positive signs so far… And the regional president was not very optimistic on Monday: “The state must finance 50% of the project (estimated at 350 million euros, editor's note) and I am very worried about the amount that it will announce. I even fear that it will not allow the work to be carried out. At least, if he announces something because until then, it's radio silence…"

I subscribe to read the rest