A banner saying “happy birthday” displayed in front of the Bretenoux-Biars station and a small inauguration ceremony at 11am, symbolically carried out this Saturday by the committee defending the Brive-Aurillac railway line. This committee, also a member of the “Sans trains en colère” collective, fully embraces the somewhat provocative aspect of this event, aimed at improving service on this line.
Not enough trains and inappropriate schedules
Each day, several thousand employees come to work in Biars-sur-Cère, with hundreds coming from Brive, Turenne, or surrounding villages according to the railway line defense committee. It goes both ways, but in all cases, they are forced to take their cars, laments Didier Pesteil, one of the committee members. “The first train from Brive arrives at 12:08 at the Bretenoux-Biars station. There are none in the morning and there are not enough.”
Potential savings of €100,000 on an entire career by taking the train
“In the era of climate change and inflation, it’s truly a shame,” insists Didier Pesteil, as according to his calculations, workers could benefit greatly from taking the train. “From Brive, someone working in the Biars area would save nearly €100,000, just on fuel costs. If they could come by train with a work pass, the employer would cover half of it.” It would also save time, allowing for activities other than driving: “they could chat, read, or even continue working.”
The committee defending the Brive-Aurillac line therefore aims to make a political statement with this event and remind that modernization works have been carried out on this route in recent years, especially between Brive and Lot. For its members, there is a need for strong political will and harmonization to adjust schedules and increase the number of trains, as this line spans three regions, with sections in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Occitanie, and Auvergne Rhone-Alpes.
