A public inquiry was conducted in 1994. The following year, a report conducted at the request of the Transport Minister advocated a complete redesign of the project, with an endpoint of the line at Épernay and from there onwards the adaptation of the existing Paris-Strasbourg line to accommodate high-speed tilting trains. In Nancy, which this route favored, this route was championed locally by Gérard Lignac, director of the "L'Est Républicain" newspaper. Although a budget was not completed and the planned phasing of the project was opposed by Lorraine and Alsace, the "déclaration d'utilité publique" was signed on 14 May 1996, two days before the deadline after which a new public inquiry would have been required.