French railway news
News about railway, metro and tram infrastructure, operations, policy, projects and the supply industry in France, from Railway Gazette International.
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NewsTrenitalia secures depot site to house French and cross-Channel Frecciarossa fleets
EUROPE: Trenitalia has reached an agreement for a depot in Paris which would be the base for trainsets used on routes in France and for planned services through the Channel Tunnel to London.
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NewsSNCF Réseau reaches network access agreement with high speed new entrant
FRANCE: Prospective high speed operator Le Train has finalised two framework agreements with SNCF Réseau covering access to the high speed network.
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NewsBridges to the future: Brest opens second tram line
FRANCE: Revenue services have started on Brest’s 5·1 km tram Line B between Gare Gambetta and Hôpital Cavale.
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NewsAlstom awarded Paris metro Line 8 CBTC contracts
FRANCE: Alstom is to supply its I-CBTC onboard communication-based train control equipment as part of the resignalling of Paris metro Line 8.
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NewsAlstom Boa trains enter service on Lille metro Line 1
FRANCE: Alstom Boa rubber-tyred light metro trains have finally begun entering passenger service on Lille’s automated Line 1, as part of a long-running programme to upgrade the line.
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In depthTechnology: Asset maintenance takes to the skies
SNCF Réseau subsidiary Altametris has developed a suite of aerial technologies to enhance the efficiency of infrastructure monitoring. Strategy Director Alexis Meneses spoke to Toma Bačić at ProMedia’s Intelligent Rail Summit in Bled, Slovenia.
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NewsRATP suggests ‘Team France’ approach to winning international contracts
FRANCE: Incoming RATP President Xavier Piechaczyk sets out his strategy for the incumbent Paris municipal transport operator as its home market starts to open to competition.
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In depthFrance: Urbanloop promises personal transit
With contracts to deploy its technology in Abu Dhabi and two French cities in the next three years, personal rapid transit start-up Urbanloop is bringing fresh momentum to the ultra-light metro concept. Reinhard Christeller reports.
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In depthComment: Singapore metro ‘scandal’ shows the grass is always greener
A furore over metro reliability in Singapore has shone a light on the complex question of how railways are perceived. There is evidence that users and policymakers across the world feel railways abroad are somehow ‘better’ than their own, but as our Industry Editor Benjámin Zelki argues, such criticism — whether justified or not — will always be the price of doing business.
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NewsBooking platform Kombo acquires KelBillet
FRANCE: Rail, bus and air ticket booking platform Kombo has acquired multimodal travel price comparison website KelBillet.
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NewsWork starts to reopen railway to Contrexéville using novel delivery model
FRANCE: A ceremony marks the start of civil works to reopen the railway from Nancy to Contrexéville via Vittel using a novel delivery model.
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NewsSNCF Voyageurs orders 15 more high speed trainsets
FRANCE: National passenger train operator SNCF Voyageurs has approved a €600m firm order for Alstom to supply a further 15 Avelia Horizon high speed trainsets.
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NewsChannel Tunnel ERTMS deployment project gets underway
EUROPE: Channel Tunnel concessionaire Eurotunnel and signalling company Compagnie des Signaux have begun the first phase of the roll-out of ERTMS across the fixed link.
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NewsNouvelle-Aquitaine trains ordered
FRANCE: National passenger operator SNCF Voyageurs has placed a €80m order for a further 10 CAF-Alstom Régiolis trainsets on behalf of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine région.
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NewsFrench night train rolling stock order delayed
FRANCE: The government has postponed a planned order for locomotives and rolling stock to renew the national night train fleet.
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NewsNexrail orders DE18 SmartHybrid locomotives with updated specification
EUROPE: Leasing company Nexrail has ordered 20 Vossloh Rolling Stock DE18 SmartHybrid locomotives with updated specifications, taking its total order to 50 of the type.
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NewsMontpellier tram Route 5 links people and nature
FRANCE: Revenue services started on Montpellier tram Route 5 on December 20, with the 14·2 km line including two newly-built sections serving 27 stops.
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NewsInvestor backs Trenitalia’s ambition to launch Paris – London train service by 2029
EUROPE: Support for the Italian national railway’s €1bn European high speed rail expansion plans including the proposed launch of Paris – London train services is included in a strategic partnership agreement signed by FS Group and investment group Certares.
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In depthAutomation: Futurail sees autonomous trains within six years
Co-founders Alex Haag and Maximilian Schöffer tell Andrew Grantham how Franco-German start-up Futurail is aiming to bring automation technology from the road sector to rail, where they see a great opportunity to build a Europe-based global champion.
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In depthComment: Demography is destiny
The demographic challenges facing many countries around the world mean that rail’s ability to cost-effectively deliver benefits in low-density regions such as rural Japan or much of France is in the spotlight, our Executive Editor Nick Kingsley warns.