27 December, 2010

Angers and Anjou change their mind regarding a railway high speed line

Did the politicians of Angers and, almost, Anjou realize that a high speed line is an an asset for the city and the province? It may be the case after Jean-Claude Antonini, mayor of Angers, and Christophe Béchu, president of the Conseil général de Maine-et-Loire expressed in december a common point of view. Both said a stop of that future high speed line must be set at Angers in a national scheme of transportation equipments in 2020.

But this unanimity has not always existed. Fifteen years ago, the Sncf announced its plan to continue the high speed line between Paris and Le Mans toward Angers, then Nantes. But the selfishness of some rural mayor and the stupid reaction of the public opinion lead the national railways company to give up its plan. The late public opinion had, at that time, a incompetent thinking which was : do we have to pay 10 billions francs to gain 10 mn in the jurney Angers Paris? So they refused the Sncf proposal. But the Angers inhabitants nevertheless paid (for another line in the East of France)!


Today the local politicians have changed their mind. Above the gain of time, what is at stake is the presence of Angers in an European network to Munich, Amsterdam or London. Phew! Let's hope it's not too late!

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