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For a good news, it is a good news! But the problem is that elections approach... and I hope that I am mistaken.

To reopen this line would be very well, but before to engage much of under in it, if one sought to develop what already exists, namely the line of La Tour de Carol? Not badly of could goods already pass by this line, not?

The reopening of Pau - Canfranc being studied

The regional consulting of Aquitaine has just had the first results of a study on the line Pau - Canfranc, closed since 1970. Three assumptions of restarting are considered.

**time-out** wait since some year by the defender of railroad de fer and the militant ecologist, the reopening of line railway Pau - Oloron - Canfranc, close in 1970 following a rail crash ferroviaire, have be put with study. **time-out** the 20 January, with Bedous, in the valley of Winder traverse by the line unused, Jean-Louis Carrère, first vice-president (PS) of consulting regional of Aquitaine charged of infrastructure and of transport, A present the first result of a study control in October 1999 with grouping of engineering Systra-JLR in the tally of preparation of XII contract of plan State-Area.

**time-out** of a cost of 700 000 francs finance with 50% by the Union European, with 25 % by the région and at 25 % by the department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques, this study examine three assumption of handing-over in service of this line of 311 km between Pau-Oloron and Saragossa. A minimal reconditioning intended to accomodate a tourist train and regional connections would cost 300 million francs. **time-out** more ambitious, the project of rehabilitation of line for a exploitation of train thermics of traveller and of freight match of creation of a platform of transshipment with Canfranc himself raise with 340 million side French and 500 million side Spain.
«That would make it possible to ensure a traffic of 1,5 million tons per year with convoys limited to 20 tons the axle », indicates one to the regional consulting. Lastly, the line could be modernized in order to authorize the passenger traffic and freight on a way electrified and made in Spain with spacing UIC to Saragossa. In this case, the invoice would be assembled to 600 million to France and 1,6 billion to Spain. That is to say a total of 2,2 billion. **time-out** in this assumption, the line can absorb between 3 and 5 million de ton per annum, it be-with say 20 % of some 20 million de ton of freight which forward currently by the way railway existing.
The final results of this study should be returned on February 28. **time-out** on this basis, the consulting regional of Aquitaine, which join together mid-March one second meeting de conciliation, must then himself consider sur the method of organization, of phasage possible and of financing of reopening of line. While waiting, the conclusions of the Systra-JLR study should come to nourish the reflexions of Domenica Becker, general engineer of the Bridges, charged by the government with a report/ratio on the Transpyrénéennes connections.

Marc LOMAZZI LVDR of 02-02-00