Montpellier-Perpignan: The government gives the green light

Declared of public utility by the government, the future Montpellier-Perpignan train line could (in part) become reality by 2034 and will be much faster.

An additional step in the realization of the line connecting Montpellier and Perpignan is validated following the announcement by the Minister Delegate for Transport. The first section of the Nouvelle Ligne Montpellier-Perpignan (LNMP) linking Montpellier to Béziers has just been approved by the government as an “interest of public” element. This project, under consultation through several sessions since 2009, will allow travelers to save 36 minutes on their journey. Currently, it takes between 1h40 and 2h to connect the two cities.

The Montpellier-Perpignan New Line will be put into service starting in 2034 (see below stages). The government states that LNMP is “the missing link” in the chain to unite Paris and Madrid.

This train line will also serve for freight transport (“fret”). Indeed, the Montpellier-Perpignan line is located on a European freight corridor connecting Hungary and Portugal. The project website specifies, however, that only the line between Montpellier and Béziers will allow for freight and passenger transport. Improving rail transport on this line would reduce environmental and noise nuisances in the region.

The SNCF estimated this project at 5.52 billion euros in 2014, including 1.855 billion for the section up to Béziers.

What are the stages of the Montpellier-Perpignan project?

This Montpellier-Perpignan New Line intends to incorporate four new elements along the route between these two major cities:

• A new 150 km train line connecting Montpellier and Toulouges (Pyrénées-Orientales);
• Creating two new stations in Béziers and Narbonne;
• Adapting existing lines to accommodate trains of the new line;
• Measuring and minimizing the impact on residents and farmers.

The regional transportation portal liO indicates two phases for constructing the new line:

• Between 2030 and 2034, SNCF will handle phase 1 connecting Montpellier and Béziers. It involves laying 52.3 km of new tracks and connecting 7 km of existing railways.
• The second phase will link Béziers and Perpignan, currently scheduled for 2040. This involves 97.7 km of tracks with 23 km of connections, as well as the construction of two new stations in Béziers and Narbonne.

Just like the construction of Rouen’s station, this schedule is currently provisional and subject to future modifications. Construction is expected to begin in 2029.

Also read: Are Spanish Renfe trains cheaper than SNCF?