20/10/2021 – The reopening of the Orléans-Châteauneuf-sur-Loire link is a real series that still seems to be entering a new season, with bad luck and missed opportunities at the heart of the scenario.
The plan to reopen the Orléans-Châteauneuf-sur-Loire section (27 km) of the former Orléans-Gien * line to travelers was outlined in 1993 by the Center Region (now Center-Val de Loire), the Department of Loiret and the Agglomeration of Orléans.
After a positive feasibility study in 2001, the project was registered with the CPER in 2004, to be the subject of preliminary studies in 2009-2011 with the adoption of a timetable which fixed the reopening in 2018!
Even if it was not until January 2018 to obtain the favorable opinion of the Investigating Commissioner. An opinion opposed by the Prefect in November 2018 despite a potential estimated by studies between 7,000 and 8,300 travelers / day.
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But that was without taking into account the unexpected eruption of various technical obstacles (level crossings, additional track at Orléans-Ville station) which increase the bill.
A situation made even worse, because of the time lost, by the loss of European aid of 40 M € which would have been very useful due to the progressive explosion of the budget (233 M €).
For a (too?) Ambitious project which aims at the total repair of the infrastructures, the electrification of the line and the creation of six stops including two new located in urban areas and the relocation of two existing stops, with the objective of the implementation a timed offer and an Orléans-Châteauneuf trip made in 32 minutes.
In this context, the Center-Val de Loire Region focused on maintaining and developing the “small TER lines” in service. Approach concluded in 2020 by an agreement with the State for the transfer to the Region of four “fine service lines of the territory” (see Mobilities Magazine, 3 mars 2020).
The Orléans-Châteauneuf debate was however relaunched in January 2021 with an opinion from CESER (Regional Economic and Social Council) which recommends a phased reopening of the entire old line to Gien in order to be able to serve the eastern part of Loiret …
While the TER-type reopening seems blocked, can the solution (already mentioned before) of the express tramway type with a cadenced peri-urban service come back?
More supported it seems by the Orléans agglomeration than the purely TER project, it would consist in connecting the existing track in its part parallel to line B of the Orleans tramway at the “Pont Bordeaux” station.
* Junction line opened by the PO in 1873 and closed to travelers in 1939. Remained open to freight (cereals, fertilizers) between Orléans and Saint-Denis de l’Hotel. It partly follows the RD 960, the saturation of which is increasing on the outskirts of Orléans (from 6,500 to 8,000 vehicles / day). Despite the recent creation of the RN 60 expressway (25,000 to 50,000 vehicles / day) which absorbs most of the traffic.
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