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The state authorizes the railway restoration work.

February 9, 2026
Regulation

The environmental authorization orders for the work to be carried out by SNCF Réseau on two railway lines, upstream of the Seine-Nord Europe Canal works, have been signed by the Prefect of Oise and the Prefect of Somme. These decisions mark a decisive step towards the operational launch of railway construction projects, enabling the adaptation and modernization of existing infrastructure in the area covered by the future waterway.

SNCF Réseau rail service restored on the Paris-Saint-Quentin line
SNCF Réseau rail service restored on the Paris-Saint-Quentin line
SNCF Réseau rail service restored on the Amiens-Laon line

A crucial green light to begin the railway works

The environmental permits issued by the State confirm the project's compliance with regulatory requirements regarding impacts on wildlife and vegetation, water management, nuisance prevention, and ecological compensation. They now allow SNCF Réseau to schedule the start of the initial works, planned for this year and expected to last nearly three years.

Fully mobilized alongside the Société du Canal Seine-Nord Europe (SCSNE) and institutional partners, SNCF Réseau is contributing to a project that will promote modal shift, the ecological transition of freight transport and the economic competitiveness of the territory.

An important milestone that marks the culmination of four years of studies and procedures

The applications for environmental authorization (DAE) for the railway restoration of the Creil-Jeumont line (Paris-Saint-Quentin line) and the Amiens-Laon line were submitted to the relevant government departments in 2023. These applications detail the environmental measures related to the railway works. Following several years of discussions with the permitting authorities, consultations with relevant organizations, and the favorable opinion issued by each of the public inquiry commissions held in the fall of 2025, The prefects of Oise and Somme have each signed, within their respective jurisdictions, the environmental authorization order for the works to be carried out (see below).

So these are nearly 80 hectares of specific environmental developments which will be implemented:

  • 69 hectares across two different sites in the Oise region:
    • the Étangs des Écazieux site, in Pimprez, on an area of ​​43,25 hectares where additional measures to create habitats conducive to biodiversity are planned (creation of wet woodlands, hedges, ponds, reedbeds, tall-herb communities)[1]…
    • the Bois de la Divette site, located in the municipalities of Passel and Pont l'Évêque, on an area of ​​25,7 hectares, where work to strengthen and perpetuate the ecological corridor is planned, as well as the restoration or creation of natural habitats for birds, amphibians, bats.

[1] The tall-herb community or wet fallow land is a heterogeneous grassland plant formation consisting of tall grasses, developing on rich and moist soils.

  • More than 8 hectares in the Somme[1]:
    • the site of the woodlands and wastelands of NesleLocated in the municipalities of Nesle and Rouy-le-Petit, the site covers 8,6 hectares. It will strengthen and maintain a north-south ecological corridor linked to the Ingon Valley and the Canal du Nord. The site will also connect identified migration routes for large wildlife. Plans include the creation of wetlands, hedgerows, dry fallow land, and heathland—all habitats conducive to biodiversity, particularly for birds and bats.

[1] The principle of constructing a viaduct that spans the Ingon valley for the new line greatly limits environmental impacts.

The management of these compensation sites for the Seine-Nord Europe Canal, once completed and operational, is entrusted for 30 years to specialized organizations, and is financed by the SCSNE.

Railway works: a project within a project

The work is being carried out by SNCF Réseau, which is the project owner. The work consists of:

For the works to restore the Creil-Jeumont railway line, which will connect Paris, Noyon and Saint-Quentin by train:

  • Create a new, permanent, electrified double track, 2,200 meters long,
  • Construct a bridge over the CSNE (with a span of approximately 90 meters),
  • Construct a hydraulic structure for the restoration of the Divette river, as well as several smaller hydraulic structures also allowing wildlife passage.
  • Connect the newly constructed Canal du Nord crossing structure to the existing railway line.

For the work to restore the Amiens-Laon railway line:

  • To construct a new 3 km railway line
  • Construct a Warren type railway bridge (77 meters span) over the Seine-Nord Europe Canal
  • Construct a 908-meter-long viaduct spanning the Ingon valley
  • Remove the existing structure on the Canal du Nord to improve the visual openness of the site
  • Construct a flyover to serve the inner port of Nesle
  • Install sanitation systems and replant trees for better landscape integration.

Find out more

Document

Added February 9, 2026 - Updated February 9, 2026

Press release - Environmental authorization for rail diversions on the Paris-Saint-Quentin and Amiens-Laon lines

1.45 MB