I was exploring the French network a little bit to plan a future interrail trip and to see some extended European friends. Whilst exploring the TGV network and its maps, I noted that the French have a trend of building TGV stations in quite frankly the middle of nowhere.
A few I picked up where Haute-Picadie on LGV Nord (30 minutes away from any major city) and on Est, Meuse LGV of which the closest considerable settlement is Verdun which isn't exactly huge. Are these half-baked compromises for the regions? Or a "parkway" type concept that works and people do actually drive the distance? Or vanity projects? I can't find many passenger number figures out there for these stations, but it certainly appears to be under 500,000 a year which isn't exactly high and mighty.
I'd understand more if they were maybe built at a classic junction allowing people to interchange, but the two I've listed above (and no doubt others) aren't interchange stations either. This isn't an approach we're taking with HS2, so I'm just curious if anyone knows the history behind these stations seemingly in the middle of miles of farmland?
A few I picked up where Haute-Picadie on LGV Nord (30 minutes away from any major city) and on Est, Meuse LGV of which the closest considerable settlement is Verdun which isn't exactly huge. Are these half-baked compromises for the regions? Or a "parkway" type concept that works and people do actually drive the distance? Or vanity projects? I can't find many passenger number figures out there for these stations, but it certainly appears to be under 500,000 a year which isn't exactly high and mighty.
I'd understand more if they were maybe built at a classic junction allowing people to interchange, but the two I've listed above (and no doubt others) aren't interchange stations either. This isn't an approach we're taking with HS2, so I'm just curious if anyone knows the history behind these stations seemingly in the middle of miles of farmland?