[5] The programme was developed with the aim of providing the capacity for several new passenger services, including a 30% increase in the frequency of regional trains, as well as additional freight traffic.

Additional benefits include a reduction in travel times for both national and international traffic traversing the route.

In June 2012, SNCF Réseau entered a 25-year public-private partnership with the OC’VIA consortium for the financing, designing, building and maintenance of the line.

[7] The Nîmes–Montpellier bypass was developed initially by French railway infrastructure manager SNCF Réseau, and later in conjunction with the OC’VIA consortium under a public-private partnership arrangement.

[5] Companies involved in the OC’VIA consortium include Bouygues Construction, Colas, SPIE Batignolles, Alstom Transport, Meridiam infrastructure, and the Public-Private Partnership Investment and Development Funds (FIDEPPP).

[5] In 2005, a déclaration d'utilité publique was passed;[8] by May 2009, three bids had been received,[9] out of which in January 2012, a joint venture led by Bouygues in cooperation with Setec, Systra and SGTE was selected to build the railway at a cost of €2.06 billion.

[5] In June 2012, SNCF Réseau entered a 25-year public-private partnership with OC’VIA for the financing, designing, building and maintaining of the line.

[5] Under the terms of the agreement signed in June 2012, construction of the line was to start during late 2013 or early 2014 after 18 months of permitting and land acquisition.

Société Générale serves as the programme's financial advisor, as well as the mandated lead arranger, hedge provider and security agent for the OC’VIA consortium.