...and €3.5 billion for new Cote d'Azur line

摘要

On 19 April the French government announced that that central and local government had agreed to finance the €3.5 billion first and second phases of the Ligne Nouvelle Provence Cote d'Azur (LNPCA) project. The LNPCA is a combination of new sections of line and upgrades of the existing network, designed to eliminate railway congestion in the Marseille, Toulon and Nice areas, and the Marseille-Nice line, which is slow and congested at present. A major part of the project is a new underground station at Marseille Saint Charles and subterranean links to the existing network. The EU is expected to fund 20% of the project as the route is part of the Trans-European Transport Network. The remainder will be split equally between central and local government which will contribute 40% each, equal to €1.383 billion at 2020 prices.