Taxing motorways to finance rail infrastructure? SNCF CEO says yes
To finance the 100-billion-euro plan announced last month by French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, SNCF CEO Jean-Pierre Farandou insists that “all accessible sources of funding must be used”. He even proposes taxing motorways and airports...Read more
French ART report confirms post-pandemic rail progress
Over 400 kilometres of rail tracks were taken out of service between 2019 and 2021, according to the annual review by the French Transport Regulation Authority (ART) published this week. However, the intensity of rail...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
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
SNCF’s new TGV M arrives in Czech Republic for dynamic testing
The first train of the fifth generation TGV rolling stock has arrived at the Velim testing facility at Cerhenice in the Czech Republic. There, manufacturer Alstom, SNCF Voyageurs and SNCF Matériel will conduct a series...Read more
Is rail capable of winning back summer holidaymakers?
Trains have long been associated with tourism and discovering a new country or travelling Europe. However, in the past decades mass tourism seems to have deserted one of the oldest modes of transport still in...Read more
DB and SNCF mark 15 years of high-speed connections with special tariffs and new cooperation
Deutsche Bahn (DB) and its French counterpart SNCF are making 15,000 tickets available at a reduced price as of Wednesday to mark the occasion of 15 years of high-speed cross-border connections. DB and SNCF also...Read more
SNCF’s spring holiday tickets sales at pre-corona levels
SNCF has already sold some 7,2 million tickets for its long-distance trains for the spring holiday period in France, which began on April 16 for certain regions and will end on May 9 for others.Read more
SNCF sets out goal: 200 million TGV InOui passengers by 2030
The French state railways SNCF has set its ambition to reach 200 million passengers on their TGV InOui high-speed trains by the year 2030, the company announced at the start of a new campaign this...Read more
Robotics and drones used in SNCF’s biggest maintenance workshop
Atelier 57 in Hellemmes is the largest maintenance workshop of the French rail operator SNCF. The building in northern France is no less than 28,000 square metres in size and 12.5 metres high. Maintenance engineers...Read more
The French TGV celebrates its 40th anniversary
This week, France celebrates the 40th anniversary of the TGV. The French high-speed train has given the potential to help revitalise rail transport that was wondering about its future.Read more
The four high-speed lines that France considers
The extension of the French high-speed network is a recurring topic. For several years now, four projects have been the subject of debate, some of which require substantial funding. The French government is considering the...Read more
Alstom and SNCF present new TGV M power car
Following the presentation of a TGV M body shell on 16 July 2020, Alstom and SNCF unveiled the first TGV M power car last week on Wednesday. The first trainsets of the new modular TGV...Read more