FRENCH GOVERNMENT READY TO INVEST €100 BILLION FOR RAIL UNTIL 2042
As indicated by French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, the French government is ready to allocate €100 billion to implement the plan presented by the Infrastructure Orientation Council (COI) in February. The COI report illustrates all the necessary investments for mobility in the country between 2023 and 2042, displaying a strong emphasis on rail.
The report estimated costs, elaborated by the French infrastructure manager SNCF Reseau, amount to a total of €138 billion to double railway traffic for both freight and passengers, indicating that the government would have to increase its yearly investment by €1 billion every year. The COI stressed that ‘there is no economically viable technical alternative to the electrification of continuous lines for heavy and long-distance freight trains.’ SNCF Reseau identified three railways of over 900 kilometres that would be dedicated to rail freight, the first one connecting Chagny with Nevers, in the heart of France, the second one from Rang-du-Fliers to Chalindrey, crossing the northwest of the country and the third line connecting the port of Rouen to the Loire River. The report also highlighted the importance of investments on last mile freight lines, which would require €195 million per year instead of the €25 million currently allocated.
The full COI report can be found here.
Source: Railfreight.com