France's Minister of Ecology, Jean Louis Borloo has announced a new TGV link between Nice and Paris. The high speed line will cost around 15 billion Euros and cut journey times between the two cities from 5hrs 25mins to 3hrs 50mins. The route was not the quickest on the table but as it passes through Marseilles and Toulon,  it has great commercial viability.

All of us who live on the French Riviera will welcome the announcement. Paris by train in under three and a half hours opens up a range of possibilities for both commuters and weekenders. A day trip to the Louvre, an overnighter on the Left Bank. All without the stress of busy airports and unpredictable low cost flights. It's a dream.

Well, yes, it is a dream. Or at least you'll have to be very patient. Because with a timescale more associated with big UK rail projects, the PACA TGV service will not start operating until 2025. That's if all goes to plan. A minimum of sixteen years.  It's a long time to wait for a train.