The city of Strasbourg is poised for the June 10 launch of long-awaited TGV Est Europeen high-speed train service from Paris, which is expected to boost inbound rail traveler traffic to eastern France by as much as 65%.
“We’re late; 20 years too late,” said Jacques Dreyfuss, president of the Alsace Regional Tourism Board, at the inauguration of the recent Rendez-Vous France 2007 inbound tourism trade show in Strasbourg, France, capital of the Alsace region and headquarters of the European Parliament. But the wait was worth it, he said, because the new rail service will be the fastest offered in Europe, at just under 200 mph.
The first phase of the high-speed rail link was inaugurated in March, connecting the French stations of Vaires-sur-Marne and Baudrecourt.
Starting in June, 10 cities in eastern France will welcome the TGV, an abbreviation of train a grande vitesse, or high-speed train. The TGV will cut travel time from Paris in half and expand a national TGV network that already spans France’s north, west and southwest.
The new TGV Est Europeen is to be followed by the inauguration of another high-speed line, the Rhine-Rhone TGV, in 2011. Having the two services will make Strasbourg a crossroads with rail connections to more than 200 destinations, including Munich and Zurich.
To gear up for the increase in inbound traffic, Strasbourg has embarked on infrastructure expansion, according to Keller, including the construction of a concert hall with a capacity of 10,000 seats, which will double the number of spectators able to attend concerts in the city. Also on tap are a new ice rink and a new sports arena.
In all, 9 million visitors come to Strasbourg every year. The city boasts the greatest number of associations per square foot in the world and the most foreign investors of anywhere in France, said Dreyfuss. There are 650 hotels in the city and 2,500 jobs in tourism as well as more than 20 restaurants with the coveted Michelin star designation.
By Felicity Long
