French railway plans

IF you have bought your house, only to find out a new train track is to pass the bottom of your garden, then your dream could turn into a nightmare.

But you can do a little research before deciding on a property by taking a look at the Réseau Ferré de France (RFF) website.

The RFF work alongside the French national rail operator SNCF to ensure that services are run cost effectively and meet the demands of passengers.

But they are also responsible for investment in the rail network, which involves improvements to the existing track and the construction of new lines.

On the site there is a section that allows you to check where new projects are planned, either by region or by project.

For example, plans for the extension of the TGV Mediterranean network into Nice and along the coast are currently being displayed in cities within the area.

And on the RFF page outlining this project you can see that the work will cut journey times to Paris from Nice by around 90 minutes.

You will also see that many of these projects are so large and expensive that it takes many years for them to actually come into existence.

And the site provides contact details for those responsible for the projects so that you can request further details about proposed rail routes.