From 13 to 16 May, 600 SNCF staff worked non-stop to resolve the Bordeaux bottleneck without disrupting bank holiday weekend travellers.

The Ascension weekend in Bordeaux was 85 hours of relentless activity for SNCF Infrastructure staff despite the lack of train services, but it lived up to expectations. 350 staff working round-the-clock shifts took on the challenge of connecting the two new tracks on the Pont de la Garonne bridge to Bordeaux Saint-Jean Station and testing the signalling centre's 648 routes, removing the temporary tracks and completing a handful of construction projects. The project planned in minute detail so that the hordes of bank holiday travellers could get away on 12 May, and return on 16 May.

It was executed to perfection.The replacement transport plan did the job - 548 trains departed from other nearby stations (Libourne, St. Mariens, Marmande, etc.), connected by 228 coaches to keep Bordeaux moving. 300 SNCF staff were on duty, including 150 who volunteered to give up their weekend, to meet the other challenge of welcoming and directing passengers in stations via unusual routes.

Roll on 12 September! That's when the 4 new tracks on the Pont de la Garonne will be brought into service, and the first stage in dealing with the Bordeaux railway bottleneck will be complete. The second is now being prepared by SNCF engineers, and will double the capacity of the line between Bordeaux Saint Jean and the Cenon junction. All of this is to get ready for the Sud Europe Atlantique High-Speed Line which will bring Bordeaux to within 2 hours of Paris in 2016.