Perthus Tunnel
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| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Line | LGV Perpignan–Figueres |
| Location | Border between France and Spain |
| Coordinates | Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. |
| Status | Active |
| Start | La Jonquera: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. |
| End | Montesquieu-des-Albères: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. |
| Operation | |
| Opened | 2009 (tunnel) 2010 (passenger service) |
| Technical | |
| Construction | 2005-2009 |
| Line length | 8.3-kilometre (5.2 mi) |
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]
The tunnel has been designed to allow for freight as well as passenger traffic. It is 8.3-kilometre (5.2 mi) long.[4][5]
Contents
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]
See also
Footnotes
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