The future high-speed line, measuring 182 km, will be an extension of the actual 180 km of high-speed line between Paris and Le Mans, created in 1989. This new line is worth an investment of more than €3.3 billion, and is the first public-private partnership contract ever signed for the construction of a high-speed line. At the end of the five years needed to complete the construction works, the line will permit a dramatic increase of accessibility to the West of France : every city will be 37 minutes-closer to Rennes, and Angers, Nantes and beyond will be 8 minutes–closer. Paris will then be connected to Rennes in less than 90 minutes. The Brittany-Loire valley high-speed line contract is part of a global ambitious project (following the Grenelle act), expecting more than 2000 km of new lines to be constructed before 2020. The Brittany – Loire Valley high-speed line will become one of the new major railway junctions, at the European level as well as for the local territories.

An innovative regional high-speed line service has been integrated to the initial partnership contract signed with Eiffage Rail Express. The ‘Virgule’ of Sablé-sur-Sarthe, 3.6 km long, will be connected to two sections of the projected line, enabling direct connections between Rennes, Laval, Sablé, Angers and Nantes. These connections were enabled with the creation of regional high-speed line services. Costing 36.3 million Euros, the ‘Virgule’ will be financed by local authorities, the State, and RFF, and realised by Eiffage under the actual partnership contract.

 
Funding methods
 
The private contractor, Eiffage Rail Express (ERE), will finance, design, build and maintain the infrastructure for 25 years. In exchange, ERE will receive contribution from the local authorities and RFF during the construction work. During the operating phase, it will also receive an allowance coming from the State to compensate the investment made, and from RFF to cover the costs related to line maintenance and renewal.

During the construction phase, no less than 12 commercial banks are contributing for almost 1 billion euros, under the Eiffage Rail Express contract.

Moreover, the savings fund of the Caisse des Dépôts (CDC) will, during 20 years, contribute for more than 250 million Euros to the project. The European Investment Bank (EIB) will contribute for 552.5 million Euros, disposable at the end of the construction phase. Since January 2011, the EIB dedicated more than €1.9 billion to the transport industry in France, through public-private partnerships.

The 13 July of this year, the State, local authorities and RFF have signed the financial agreement in Rennes, agreeing on the following terms : -RFF : around 43 %, representing no less than €1.4 billion at today’s values ; -Equal participation of the State (through the AFTIF, a public company created to finance various infrastructure works) and the local authorities : around 28.5 % each, being €1.9 billion in total ; During the preliminary studies, the project also received a €11 million help from the European Union.


Important spin-offs related to the construction work

Important spin-offs, in an economic and social way, direct or indirect, are expected from the construction work. Indeed, Eiffage Rail Express will contract out more than 30% of the work to local companies : moreover, 10 000 jobs will be created during the construction work, and 8% of the total hours devoted to infrastructure works will be set aside for social insertion efforts.

 
Town and country planning : a shared priority
 
Following actual engagements and helps received from public actors, Eiffage is willing to take actions to preserve local territories and their natural environment, agriculture and habitat. The constructor is planning a sustainable development strategy, developing measures to preserve local biodiversity and ensure ecologic neutrality, and proposing innovative solutions (with the creation of an internal fund of 6.4 million euros, aimed at compensating the potential higher cost of carbon-free solutions which could reduce greenhouse gas emissions).