Major Shake-Up of French Overnight Services.

[Sir Felix Pole]

'Today's Railways Europe' is reporting a major shake-up of French overnight services.
In summary:-
1. Paris to Lourdes service extended to Hendaye from 07/07.
2. Paris to Cerbère becomes a separate train from 10/12 and runs via the PLM main line.
3. Paris to Tarbes and Paris to Toulouse (inc. Latour de Carol?) from 10/12 will run via Bordeaux and over the LGV SEA line.
4. Paris to Rodez will from 10/12 once again have an Aurillac portion.

 

[30907]

3. Paris to Tarbes and Paris to Toulouse... over the LGV SEA line.

TRE says "is expected to run." Is this speculation based on a test run with Corail stock on said HSL, or agreed? I can find reference to the new routing via Bordeaux in French media, but nothing more - my suspicion is that it will be a contingency to cope with engineering works on the conventional line, but I would be intrigued if it were otherwise.

 

[James H]

Isn't the Hendaye extension just for the high summer season?

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

More on the revisions to overnight services (Scoll down)

French Rly Soc

On other changes to the night network, the Lourdes portion of Le Pyrénéen will be extended to Hendaye during the summer holiday period, serving Pau, Orthez and Dax (reverse), while the Cerbère portion will run via the Rhône valley stopping at Nîmes Centre, Montpellier Saint-Roch, Sète, Agde and Béziers before regaining its usual route at Narbonne. Stations between Toulouse and Narbonne will now be served by TER connections. This route change is to ease pressure at Toulouse once work starts on the Bordeaux – Toulouse LGV. With Le Pyrénéen likely to run via Bordeaux for the same reason, SNCF has not been able to say what will become of the Latour-de-Carol portion (carrying 40,000 passengers annually) which is accordingly seen as vulnerable by the pressure group Oui au train de nuit.

 

[43 302]

Likely to mean a change of traction from BB 7200 to either BB 22200 or BB 26000 for the portions currently booked BB 7200.

 

[WessexEclectic]

Likely to mean a change of traction from BB 7200 to either BB 22200 or BB 26000 for the portions currently booked BB 7200.

What would be the reason for the change of traction - the change of route(s)? [/stupid question]

 

[43 302]

What would be the reason for the change of traction - the change of route(s)? [/stupid question]

Due to the aforementioned routes being of different voltages. BB 7200 are single voltage only. 1.5kV DC.