The Paris Administrative Court of Appeal validated Thursday, April 28 the continuation of the construction of the future CDG Express fast train between Paris and Roissy airport, reversing a previous court decision.
→ REREAD. The CDG Express construction site threatened by a court decision
In its judgment, the Court “considers, contrary to what the administrative court had judged, that the project is justified by an imperative reason of major public interest, allowing derogation from the provisions of the environmental code concerning the protection of animal species”.
Protect frogs, lizards and birds from works
On November 9, 2020, the administrative court of Montreuil canceled the prefectural decree authorizing the project to derogate from the environmental code, which prevents work from being carried out in areas where protected species are found. In this case, it is birds, frogs and wall lizards that live near the railways. Only projects that can claim a “substantial public interest” can disregard these provisions.
To explain its decision, the Administrative Court of Appeal highlights the dilapidated state of the transport infrastructure, which is no longer suitable for Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, which has become the second in number of travelers in Europe. She mentions in particular “the saturation of the roads” et “the length of journeys made by line B of the RER”.
The “train of the rich”
The project has been widely criticized by associations because CDG Express passengers will have to pay a price much higher than that of public transport. The estimated fare is €24 for a 20-minute journey, compared to €13.70 for the Roissy Bus and €10.30 for the RER B. “rich train” given by its opponents, such as the communist federation of Seine-Saint-Denis.
Users have also said that it would be more logical to renovate the RER B, rather than create a new infrastructure from scratch. They recall that in 1976, when the line was less congested, the journey from Gare du Nord to Roissy only took 19 minutes.
The CDG Express was originally intended to facilitate the movement of spectators and participants in the Paris Olympic Games in 2024. An objective that will not be achieved, its commissioning having already been postponed to the end of 2026.
–
