As the first-ever province-to-province high-speed project, the Rhine-Rhone line will form a vital link on the high-speed European map. It has the financial backing of Switzerland and is one of the “priority projects” selected by the European Union, a factor doubly demonstrating the Community importance of the line.
With its dual orientation – North-South and East-West – the line will provide a link over French territory in relation to two of Europe’s principal diagonal routes.

When completed, it will connect a remarkable number of different areas:

 North-South: Alsace, Burgundy, Franche-Comté, Languedoc-Roussillon, Lorraine, Midi-Pyrenees, Provence-Alps-Riviera, Rhone-Alps…

 East-West: Brittany, Greater Paris, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Loire Valley region, etc.

In all, 12 of the 21 regions in Metropolitan France will feel the benefits of the project.

Looking at the present and future European high-speed network, it is easy to see that the new Rhine-Rhone line will have the dual strategic role of:

 linchpin in a continent-wide network,

 link between the different parts of Europe.