They cycle from Bordeaux to Lyon to defend the railway line project.

About sixty of them left Bordeaux on Sunday to begin their activities, about ten on Monday for the long stage of 110 kilometers between Libourne (Gironde) and Périgueux (Dordogne). And since then they have continued on their way. In total, more than 160 cyclists and tourists are participating in a festive caravan until March 2 to reach Lyon (Rhone).

“We follow the route of the Bordeaux-Lyon line, closed by SNCF in 2014, stopping at every station,” explains Eric Tratz, a member of the Friends of Railcoop, an organization of supporters and members of Europe’s first railway cooperative. Railcoop has set itself the task of restarting this line.

At the moment there are no subsidies for its implementation.

Banners and signs adorn the bikes, which “are often joined throughout the ten kilometers by curious people who want to get to know the project,” smiles Eric Tratz. There will also be time for discussions along the route.

The first one, in Bordeaux, was full. “Valuable enthusiasm,” greet the friends of Railcoop, whose project is under threat. “With 15,000 members, we have raised 10 million euros, but we are still 30 million short,” recalls Eric Tratz, who laments “the reluctance of the regions to invest in the project, the banks, and the inaction of the state, while Limoges Airlines -Lyon is heavily subsidized and is designed to carry 10 passengers per flight. »

The countdown has already begun to save Railcoop, which went into receivership in October 2023 and whose fate is due to be decided in mid-March by the Cahors Commercial Court.