France signs Bordeaux–Toulouse high-speed funding deal

French TGV network, with the planned high-speed line from Bordeaux to Toulouse in the southwest (red dots). Map: Classical Geographer via Wikimedia Commons.

FRANCE: State and regional funding for the Bordeaux–Toulouse high-speed line is now committed, moving a project three decades in the making from political intent to binding obligation.

Prime Minister Lecornu signed the protocol in Toulouse on 7 May with representatives from the regions, départements and municipalities along the route. The state will contribute EUR 410m across 2026 and 2027, matched by an equal contribution from regional and local authorities.

The financing split allocates 40% each to the state and local authorities, with the European Union contributing the remaining 20% under the TEN-T framework. The protocol commits all parties to revise cost and delivery schedules — total project costs are currently estimated at EUR 14bn.

Procurement tenders expected by end of 2026

First tenders are to be launched before the end of 2026. The line is targeting an opening in 2032–33, cutting the Bordeaux–Toulouse journey to approximately one hour from around two hours today.

The project has been in planning since 1991. The financing plan will be formally revised before procurement opens — the EUR 14bn figure is subject to update, with a recent infrastructure advisory report flagging potential cost increases of up to 20%.

Southern extension completes Paris–Toulouse corridor

The Bordeaux–Toulouse line is the direct southern continuation of the LGV Sud Europe Atlantique, which brought high-speed services to Bordeaux from Paris in 2017. Once complete, the line will create a continuous high-speed spine from Paris to Toulouse.