ABSTRACT
The Lyon-Turin train project consists of a plan to build a new high-speed train line for both passenger and freight traffic, including the construction of numerous tunnels through the French-Italian Alps. The planning of the project began over twenty-five years ago, and has gathered speed since the turn of the century. According to its promoters, the project would require an estimated EUR 24-26.1 billion of investments (Cour des Comptes, 2012a). This project is ambitious, not least because of the numerous tunnels to be constructed, including a cross-frontier section consisting of a 57 km base tunnel (at an expected cost of EUR 8.5-10.5 billion). The French and the Italian governments, as well as many local authorities, are highly committed to the project. The investments in the cross-frontier section are expected to come mainly from public sources. Financing of EUR 1 billion has already been either committed or invested in the construction work and preparatory studies.1 The arguments put forward to justify the construction of the train line primarily relate to its expected economic benefits and to the alleged insufficiency of the existing capacity to support the predicted increasing volumes of freight and passenger traffic.
