passenger services starting on 11 December 2011. The eastern branch is used by TGV trains operated by SNCF. It will become a key link in both the north–south and east–west transport corridors. The line carries regional, national, and intra-European traffic. Mulhouse provides connection to Basel, Switzerland, and then to southwestern Germany and north-western Switzerland. Finance The financing agreement for the first phase of the eastern branch was signed on 28 February 2006. The estimated cost of the first section of the eastern branch is 2.312 billion euros, shared between many organisations. The largest contributors of funds are the Government of France (€751 million), the maintainer of the French rail network RFF (€642 million) and the European Union (€200 million). Significant funding also came from the three regions of France that the line travels through: Franche-Comté (€316 million), Alsace (€206 million) and Burgundy (€131 million). A further €66 million was funded by the Government of Switzerland. Construction Preparatory works began in 2005, and construction officially started on 3 July 2006 with a ceremony in Les Magny, Haute-Saône. Actual construction of the first section started north of Besançon on 7 August 2006. Réseau Ferré de France appointed French engineering and consulting companies Setec and Egis to build the line. The construction of the Eastern branch was divided into two sections : The first section is long, running from Villers-les-Pots, Côte-d'Or (east of Dijon) to Petit-Croix, Territoire de Belfort (east of Belfort). This section opened for service on 11 December 2011. The second section, for which construction was initially planned to begin in 2014 but is not funded yet, would add length to the line. This section would complete the eastern branch from Villers-les-Pots to Dijon, Côte-d'Or, with in the west, and from Petit-Croix to Mulhouse, Haut-Rhin, with in the east. Journey times Upon completion of the first section of the eastern branch, best journey time are: See also High-speed rail TGV Intercity-Express References External links Ligne à Grande Vitesse Rhin-Rhône Association Trans-Europe TGV Rhin-Rhône Méditerranée RFF Inter-regional TGV line will have an international impact Murray Hughes, Railway Gazette International Rhin-Rhone High-speed railway lines under construction Proposed railway lines in France