Railway line between Avignon and Nîmes reopens after almost 50 years

The French towns of Pont-Saint-Esprit, Avignon and Nîmes are once more connected via rail following the reopening of a railway line after 49 years of closure. It also marks the first reopening of a regional (TER) line in France since 2016.

The line will cut travel time between Nîmes and Avignon, home to around 240.000 people, by around 40 percent compared to rush hour travel times, local media report. Passenger services will start today, September 1st.

The restoration of the 82-kilometre-long line, which was used exclusively for freight in its final years, has costs the Occitania around 100 million euros. Included in that amount are additional stations along the line, which will open in the coming four years.

Regional authorities are targeting around 200.000 passengers per year for the newly opened railway line. People in the region, backed by unions and local administrators, had been campaigning for the reopening of the line for several years French Transport minister Clément Beaune complemented the efforts by regional authorities and SNCF.

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