Charles de Gaulle airport is the hub of a transport network that will shape the economic destiny of the Val d’Oise in the years ahead. A critical advantage is the link between France’s TGV high-speed train and the RER commuter express rail systems at airport interchange . Gains will extend far beyond the immediate vicinity of the airport, with the entire eastern part of the Val d’Oise set to benefit from the opportunities improved transport brings. Technology businesses offices, freight handlers and warehouses, in particular, can look to the future with confidence -a fact which has been recognized and acted on by local authorities. The Val d’Oise was the first département in the Ile-de-France region to form a special association of towns to take charge of common development planning.