Go-ahead for new Brittany TGV link

New link from Le Mans to Rennes will cut journey times in Brittany by more than half an hour

A NEW high-speed rail link that will cut journey times from Brittany to Paris and the rest of France has been given the go-ahead.

The project will connect Le Mans to Rennes and will speed up journeys by at least 35 minutes.

Paris will be an hour and a half from Rennes and a three-hour journey from Quimper.

Links to other cities will also be quicker: Rennes to Lyon will take 3hrs30 instead of 4hrs10, and Rennes to Strasbourg will be possible in 4hrs10 - a saving of more than an hour.

Rail track operator Reseau Ferré de France has signed a €3.3bn contract with construction giant Eiffage to start building work next July.

The scheduled completion date is autumn 2016, with services starting in spring 2017.