The Haut Bugey railway line is 65 km long and runs from Bourg-en-Bresse to Bellegarde-sur-Valserine. It provides links to Evian, Saint-Gervais, and Geneva. Part of the line is currently not in use. In 1998, there were studies to upgrade the line, backed by the signing of a Franco-Swiss agreement to improve rail links between the two countries.

The aim of this project was to reduce journey times between Paris and Geneva from 3 hours and 22 minutes to 3 hours. It was also designed to allow the stations in Haute-Savoie and Ain to benefit from the reduction in travel times and from the development of the TER. Freight traffic going to Italy should also benefit from the freeing-up of the line, due to the withdrawal of TGV traffic from the Bourg-en-Bresse–Culoz section.

In September 2003, the consortium composed of SYSTRA and SNCF South-Eastern Engineering was appointed to manage the project. Financed by France and the Swiss Confederation, work covered renewal of the track, electrification, alterations to tunnels and bridges, removal of level crossings, creation of a dual track section and a direct link to Bellegarde.

Once pre-project and project designs had been finalised and tender documents drawn up, SYSTRA’s role developed in 2007 to provide assistance with the awarding of contracts and the supervision of work and delivery. SYSTRA is especially responsible for lots relating to new structures, track and catenary. SYSTRA is also responsible for Organisation, Management and Coordination and for Quality.

Key Dates

• 2003 : award of project management contract ;
• 2004 : planning permissison ;
• end of 2006 : ministerial approval for the project and call for tenders ;
• 2007 : start of work ;
• mid-2009 : end of work.

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