Return of the train to Le Teil in 2027?

The project, which has been a long-running issue in the Ardèche for several decades, involves the return of the train between Nîmes in the Gard and Le Teil in the Ardèche: a public consultation is taking place from today for 3 months.

After an absence of more than fifty years, the Ardèche is (perhaps) about to see a return to passenger trains thanks to a project to reopen the railway line on the right bank of the Rhône.

This initiative, spurred on by the Occitanie region and long promised by the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, is marked by the launch of a public consultation on 24 November 2025, giving residents the opportunity to have their say on this long-awaited future service.

Le Teil railway station in the Ardèche, circa 1900 / Wikimedia

A local mobility project

The reopening concerns a section of around 37 kilometres linking Pont-Saint-Esprit, in the Gard department, to Le Teil, in the Ardèche department, on the 800,000 line from Givors-Canal to Grezan¹. This section, which is currently used mainly for freight transport, will be upgraded to accommodate passenger trains, with service scheduled to begin in early 2027. One of the major objectives is to improve connectivity between the Ardèche and the major urban centres of Occitanie, pending a possible link to the north and Valence, with a connection to the high-speed lines.

The announced frequency provides for several daily return trips, a service that should facilitate travel for users and multimodal connections in the Southern Ardèche. The return of the train is designed to meet the growing need for inter-regional mobility, while supporting a more sustainable transport model. Reducing dependence on the private car is a crucial issue for a region seeking to reconcile economic development with environmental protection.

It should be noted that the Occitanie region, in partnership with SNCF Réseau, has completed the introduction of passenger service ² from Bagnols-sur-Cèze and Pont-Saint-Esprit stations since 2022, as far as the Gard and Ardèche borders.

Map of the train line and stations

Map of existing stations in the Occitanie region (Gard) and Le Teil station in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (Ardèche) in 2027 on the railway line on the right bank of the Rhône River :

An essential public consultation

To accompany this project, a public consultation phase has been opened for a period of three months, until 24 February 2026. This process, orchestrated by the prefects of the Gard and Ardèche departments, will enable local residents to express their opinions, questions and suggestions via several channels: online participation, postal correspondence and scheduled public meetings.

The aim of this approach is to guarantee transparency and co-construction of the project by integrating the expectations of the local population. The issues addressed include both environmental aspects and the quality of service envisaged for future users. It is hoped that a major effort will be made to ensure that the reopening meets the real needs of the local population and that Le Teil station becomes a genuine multifunctional mobility hub, rather than just a symbolic terminus.

How can I take part in the consultation?

On site, at Le Teil Town Hall, rue de l’Hôtel de ville, during opening hours.
Location and access routes

By email, by writing your suggestions, observations and remarks.

Via the Internet, using the online digital register:

A driving force for regional development

As well as improving mobility, the return of the train is seen as an opportunity to boost the economic and tourist appeal of the Teillois and Bas-Vivarais areas. The region hopes that easy access by train will stimulate tourist flows, boost local businesses and encourage the establishment of new economic activities. This project is part of an overall approach to sustainable development, in which less polluting modes of transport are favoured.

Improving rail infrastructure would be a potential lever for strengthening the social fabric by promoting inclusive mobility and making car-free transport accessible to all, especially young people and senior citizens.

The renovation of the line could also become a vector of territorial equity while contributing to the opening up of the route along the D86 departmental road in the Ardèche: Le Teil, Viviers, Bourg-Saint-Andéol in the first phase, Peyraud, Serrières, Tournon-sur-Rhône, Saint-Péray, La Voulte-sur-Rhône in the future.

A TER train in the colours of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region

Challenges and issues

While the work and the first trains are eagerly awaited, a number of challenges still need to be overcome to ensure the success of the project. Making level crossings safe and bringing existing infrastructure up to standard are essential to guarantee the safety of users.

In addition, it will be necessary to ensure that the service offered is regular, reliable and sufficiently attractive to encourage a significant modal shift from car to train.

The user associations are also asking for guarantees that this reopening will not be just a one-off event, but the start of a sustainable rail policy, with long-term investment and a service that will be extended over time, particularly to the north of the Ardèche. Coordination between the various local, regional and national authorities will be crucial if this project is to be a long-term one that benefits the whole of the Rhône Valley, between Drôme and Ardèche.

Renovation project at Le Teil station / Ardèche Rhône Coiron

Rail renewal within reach

The launch of the public consultation marks an important step in the return of the train to the Ardèche, symbolising a real potential turning point in regional mobility.

For the residents of Le Teil and the surrounding communes, this prospect offers the hope of improved accessibility, facilitating daily travel and promoting regional dynamics.

For the southern Ardèche, it offers the prospect of access to the national rail network in the Rhone Valley, synchronised with the development of the Via Ardèche greenway towards the Via Rhôna, and the existing bus service between Montélimar, Aubenas, Les Vans and Vallon-Pont-D’Arc.

The success of the project also depends on public participation during the consultation, to ensure that local feedback is fully taken into account. By 2027, the train could well be a powerful symbol of renewal for the Ardèche, combining modernity, economic development and ecological transition.

A petition for the right bank train

In addition to this project, for many years associations in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region have been campaigning for the right bank of the Rhône to be reopened to passengers, via the railway line between Givors and Nîmes.

The aim is to double the capacity of the TER 5 train line between Lyon and Avignon, which is often saturated, particularly as far as Valence, with numerous road connections to the southern Ardèche.

The association of TER users in the Rhône Valley, AuterVR , and the association of public transport users in Sud-Ardèche, CUTPSA , recently put a petition online to ensure that the project does not stop at Le Teil.

You can consult it and take part directly online: