France is investing two billion euros in the construction of a 52 km high-speed railway section. Travel time will decrease by 18 minutes. France has the second largest high-speed network in Europe after Spain. The country has announced a total investment of 100 billion euros in the railway sector by 2040.

The Montpellier-Béziers section will be 52 km long and will be ready by 2034. The fastest trains now run for 35 minutes, but will only run for 17 minutes when the line is suitable for very high speeds.

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The site is part of a very frequented corridor: Paris – Perpignan – Barcelona. Another high-speed section between Béziers and Perpignan should be ready in 2040 at a cost of €4 billion. Between Béziers and Perpignan, trains take 48 minutes over 89 km.

Between Paris and Perpignan (900 km), the fastest trains take 5 hours and 2 minutes, but will reach 4 hours and 20 minutes in 2030, when sections totaling 150 km are ready.

Sources: International Railway Journal, France Info

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