How a new high-speed line in Basque Country will connect the north of Spain
BackgroundSpain is building a high-speed line in the Basque Country, a Y-shaped railway line which will connect several cities in the Northern region. Work is progressing with some of the engineering structures already completed and...Read more
New Railway Deal for France: 100 billion by 2040
The French government will invest 100 billion euros to expand and upgrade the rail network to reduce the country’s carbon emissions. This was announced last week by French Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne.Read more
Is France giving up on this border crossing with Spain?
France might not participate in the financing for the modernisation of the Pau-Canfranc-Zaragoza railway, one of the lines crossing the France-Spain border, closed since 1970. No budget was allocated for this project in a leaked...Read more
The trials of Alstom’s new TGV M in Czech Republic
Since 7 December 2022, the first TGV M test train from Alstom’s Avelia Horizon range has been at the Velim test site in the Czech Republic. This test campaign will last almost 6 months and...Read more
Beyond B100: SNCF’s ‘PlaneTER’ strategy for greener rail operations
Following the successful implementation of rapeseed-based biofuel B100 in Normandy, SNCF Voyageurs is also looking into Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), batteries and hydrogen. RailTech.com sat down with Stéphane Chwalik, head of decarbonisation efforts for the...Read more
Renfe saw its 2022 energy bill explode, eyes new office in France
Renfe spent 630 million euros on traction energy in 2022, an increase of 78.6 per cent over the 277.4 million spent in 2021. This resulted in a loss before taxes of 108.6 million euros, the...Read moreSNCF hits 3.5 million kilometres travelled on biodiesel
Trains on the Paris-Granville line in Normandy have recently hit a milestone of 3,5 million kilometres covered on B100, a biofuel entirely made from French rapeseed, instead of running on diesel. This makes the tests...Read more
SNCF and SBB extend their partnership for TGV Lyria services
The French and Swiss state railways SNCF and SBB have renewed their cooperation agreement until 2027. The TGV Lyria cross-border services will thus continue running for at least another five years.Read more
Talgo to supply LE TRAIN with high-speed trains
LE TRAIN, the first private train operator to offer a high-speed service, dedicated to regional and inter-regional travel in France, will be receiving a fleet of Avril high-speed trains from the Spanish manufacturer Talgo.Read more
Four French entrepreneurs want to operate trains differently
AnalysisLaunching your own trains in France is not easy, yet four entrepreneurs are trying to put private trains on the rails where the SNCF has abandoned services. They all have a different business model and...Read more
12-billion-euro overhaul of major rail hub in France takes shape
Following Macron’s announcement at the end of November to focus on the creation of the express regional network or ‘Réseau Express Régional’ (RERs) in the 10 largest French metropolises by 2040, studies are beginning to...Read more
Schedule for next stop for HS1 in wine region Bordeaux is a tight one
High Speed 1 (HS1), also known as the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, remains serious about its long-promised plans to open a new route connecting St. Pancras International Railway Station in London to the Gare de...Read more
Renfe plans to run new trains to France before summer following end of SNCF cooperation
Spanish national operator Renfe wants to once again operate trains to France on the routes Madrid-Marseille and Barcelona-Lyon before the summer of 2023, the operator says in response to questions from RailTech.com. After its cooperation...Read more