Perthus Tunnel

The Perthus Tunnel is a twin-bore railway tunnel between France and Spain under the Eastern Pyrenees, built as part of the high-speed railway line Perpignan-Figueres. The tunnel has made possible the implementation of direct high-speed trains connecting the two countries' railway systems since December 2013, linking the Spanish AVE network with the French TGV.[1][2][3]

Perthus Tunnel
Overview
LineLGV Perpignan–Figueres
LocationBorder between France and Spain
Coordinates42°28′N 2°52′E
StatusActive
StartLa Jonquera: 42°26′49″N 2°51′43″E
EndMontesquieu-des-Albères: 42°31′14″N 2°51′34″E
Operation
Constructed2005-2009
Opened2009 (tunnel)
2010 (passenger service)
Technical
Line length8.3-kilometre (5.2 mi)

The tunnel has been designed to allow for freight as well as passenger traffic. It is 8.3 kilometres (5.2 mi) long.[4][5]

History

The tunnel forms part of the 44.4-kilometre (27.6 mi) Perpignan-Figueres high-speed rail line, built through a Public–private partnership scheme by the TP Ferro consortium, a joint venture of Eiffage (France) and Dragados (Spain), under a fifty-year concession.[6][7] It took five years to build and was completed on February 17, 2009, although it wasn't opened for traffic until December 19, 2010.[8] At this time the high-speed (and standard gauge) line ended at Figueres-Vilafant station. An Iberian gauge spur was built from the Barcelona-Figueres conventional line to serve this station. To compensate for this delay, TP Ferro's concession was extended by three years.[9] The high-speed line between Barcelona and Figueres was opened to traffic on 8 January 2013, but until December passengers had to change trains at Figueres Vilafant station, from a French TGV to a Spanish AVE, as neither trainset was approved for use on the other country's network. Finally, direct trains were launched in December 2013.[10][11]

In France, the tunnel connects to the Perpignan-Villefranche line.[4] Formal design studies for a high-speed Perpignan-Montpellier line to connect to the tunnel were launched in November 2009 by Réseau Ferré de France.[12]

Footnotes
  1. "Spain completes Iberia's high-speed link to Europe". International Railway Journal. 2013-01-08. Retrieved 2014-04-11.
  2. "High speed services between France and Spain launched". Railway Gazette. 2013-12-17. Retrieved 2014-04-11.
  3. "Paris-Barcelona TGVs set for December 15 launch". International Railway Journal. 2013-11-28. Retrieved 2014-04-11.
  4. "Tunnel with no trains". Railway Gazette. 2009-04-15.
  5. "Le percement du tunnel du Perthus est terminé" (in French). La Dépêche. 2007-11-23.
  6. "Perpignan – Figueres link inaugurated". Railway Gazette. 2011-01-27. Retrieved 2014-04-12.
  7. "Tunnel with no trains". Railway Gazette. 2009-04-15. Retrieved 2014-04-12.
  8. "Historique. Le TGV a franchi les Pyrénées pour la première fois" (in French). La Dépêche. 2010-12-20.
  9. "Perpignan - Figueres concession extended". Railway Gazette. 2009-11-24.
  10. "High speed services between France and Spain launched". Railway Gazette. 2013-12-17. Retrieved 2014-04-11.
  11. "Paris-Barcelona TGVs set for December 15 launch". International Railway Journal. 2013-11-28. Retrieved 2014-04-11.
  12. "RFF to launch Perpignan – Montpellier study". Railway Gazette. 2009-11-26.
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