European Sleeper’s Amsterdam-Barcelona night train faces French hurdles
European Sleeper plans to operate night trains between Amsterdam and Barcelona starting in 2025 but faces opposition from the French rail infrastructure manager. Co-founder Elmer van Buuren revealed this to BNR. Among other issues, the...Read more
RATP Dev to manage Lyon’s public transportation network
SYTRAL Mobilités, the governing body overseeing transportation in the Lyon metropolitan area, has awarded RATP Group the contract to operate the city’s metro, funicular, and tramway network for a decade. This ends the monopoly that...Read more
SNCF announces collaboration with Banksy
In a groundbreaking announcement that sent shockwaves through the art world, the illustrious French SNCF Group revealed a clandestine partnership with none other than the enigmatic virtuoso of urban expressionism, Banksy. Unveiled today, this collaboration...Read more
SNCF Réseau launches FRMCS prototype initiatives
In a bid to modernise and enhance railway communication systems, Europe is gearing up to usher in the Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS-5G), slated to replace the ageing GSM-R (2G) by 2035. The system...Read more
Alstom secures order for 103 MF19 metros to upgrade Paris region network
Alstom secured a significant contract with Île-de-France Mobilités and RATP for the supply of 103 state-of-the-art MF19 trainsets, marking a milestone in modernising the Paris region’s metro network. This contract, valued at over 800 million...Read more
Temporary closure of Paris-Lyon high-speed line
The LGV Sud-Est, Paris and Lyon, and France’s first high-speed line, will be closed for four days from November 9th to 12th, 2024, in preparation for the implementation of new signalling. Consequently, SNCF Voyageurs is...Read more
Kevin Speed to launch three new high-speed lines in France
In a massive leap forward for market opening in French rail, the SNCF will no longer be the only option for those wishing to travel at high speed between the French capital, and three major...Read more
Altametris digitalises ballast management on SNCF network
The French railway network is 47,000 kilometres long. Until 2020, these tracks were inspected on foot by agents on average every 2 months. Since then, they have been replaced by measurement trains that collect 3D...Read more
Île-de-France Mobility’s 2023 punctuality “satisfactory”
While punctuality and service quality had significantly deteriorated between September and December 2023, the situation is now improving at RATP on the Paris metro. However, some issues persist, many of which are external factors to...Read more
Saint-Denis – Pleyel station in final construction phase
Saint-Denis – Pleyel station, set to become a flagship station of the Grand Paris Express, is gearing up for its grand opening in the coming months. This station is poised to be among the largest in...Read more
Hitachi finishes dynamic tests on Digital Interlocking signalling system in France
Hitachi Rail completed the initial dynamic testing of its new Digital Interlocking signalling system on the Paris-Lyon High-Speed Line in France. The completion of the first dynamic test marks progress towards the operational deployment of...Read more
RER B: ‘Ramette’ plan implementation begins
To address declining punctuality on the RER B, the second busiest commuter line in the Paris region, a mass transit expert has proposed 14 recommendations. This ‘Ramette’ plan, commissioned in March 2023 by Valérie Pécresse,...Read more
Rail punctuality challenges persist in Paris region
Île-de-France Mobilités has released consolidated punctuality figures for RATP and SNCF rail services in the Île-de-France region for November 2023, revealing continued disappointment on certain lines.Read more