FRANCE TO HALVE TRACK ACCESS CHARGES
Last week, the French government announced that it will invest €170 million per year until 2024 in the rail freight industry, in view of doubling rail freight transport by 2030. Among other measures, half of the track access charges will be subsidised, meaning that the current 50% reduction will continue to exist beyond 2021. Next to that, €70 million will be invested into isolated wagons, €47 million into the operation of combined transport services, and another €15 million into railway “motorways”.
The share of rail freight transport in France is 9%, compared to a European average of 18%. Just before the pandemic, French rail freight represented only 33 billion tonnes/km, while road transport represented 322 billion tonnes/km in 2019.
The announcement of the measures, which are more dedicated to the rail freight sector, was accompanied by the signing of a pact for the development of the sector with its main players, represented by the Alliance 4F “French rail freight of the future”, the Association of freight transport users (AUTF) and SNCF Réseau.
Source: Gouvernement.fr, Railtech