French railway news – Page 10
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Metro Report InternationalLyon Line B extension opens
Photos: Jérémie Anne FRANCE: Lyon transport authority Sytral Mobilités and operator Keolis inaugurated a 2·4 km extension of metro Line B from Gare d’Oullins to Saint-Genis-Laval Hôpital Lyon Sud on October 20. The fully underground southwestern extension serves one intermediate station at Oullins Centre. The journey ...
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NewsEvolyn trains not ordered yet, Alstom confirms
EUROPE: Alstom has confirmed that no contract is currently in place for the supply of high speed trainsets to Evolyn, which has announced plans to launch a Paris – London service completing against Eurostar.
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Metro Report InternationalKeolis and SNCF Voyageurs awarded Paris operating contract
FRANCE: Paris regional transport authority Ile-de-France Mobilités has formally awarded the Stretto consortium of Keolis-SNCF Voyageurs the first tendered contract for the operation of Transilien passenger services. The contract awarded on October 12 covers three routes operated using a fleet of 41 Alstom Citadis Dualis tram-trains. ...
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NewsEvolyn to launch Paris – London trains in competition with Eurostar
EUROPE: High speed rail start-up Evolyn has announced plans to launch passenger services to compete with Eurostar on the ‘strategic and high demand’ route between Paris and London. On October 11 the company said it had reached an agreement to acquire 12 Avelia high speed trains ...
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NewsCEO sets out how the merged Eurostar business aims to go further
EUROPE: ‘We are opening a new chapter of the Eurostar story’ with ‘our most loyal customers as the main characters’, Eurostar CEO Gwendoline Cazenave said at an event on October 9 marking the launch of an international marketing campaign following the completion of the merger with Thalys.
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NewsRENFE reiterates Paris plans after successful open access launch
FRANCE: Spanish incumbent RENFE Viajeros reported on October 3 that its entry into the French market under open access rules has been a success. The company has been running Barcelona – Lyon and Madrid – Marseille services under its own safety case since July; these routes ...
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NewsMacron proposes German-style national rail pass
FRANCE: The French government is examining proposals for a national rail pass modelled on the Deutschland-Ticket introduced in Germany in May this year. The German pass gives one month’s unlimited travel on local and regional trains for a flat fare of €49, and the French government ...
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NewsGrand Est invests in secondary routes
FRANCE: Rural railways and branch lines in the Grand Est région are to receive a funding injection worth more than €52m to ensure continuity of service over the next few years. The funds are destined for 14 routes where little or no maintenance has been carried out ...
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News‘Fragile’ Railcoop plans restructuring to secure investment
FRANCE: Open access co-operative Railcoop is planning to split into two companies in the wake of its decision to cease running freight trains and ahead of the launch of its planned Lyon – Bordeaux passenger service. Rolling stock Rolling stock availability remains the critical element for ...
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NewsMore trains and Spanish connections planned as SNCF signs Occitanie operating contract
FRANCE: The Occitanie région has directly awarded SNCF Voyageurs a €4bn contract to operate regional passenger trains for 10 years, and has set a target of increasing ridership from 80 000 to 100 000 passengers/day as soon as possible. President of the région Carole Delga said ...
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NewsOpen access start-up Le Train raises funding
FRANCE: Aspiring open access operator Le Train has raised a further €8m to support its plans to launch passenger services from Bordeaux to Angoulême, Poitiers, Tours, Nantes and Rennes. The funding was raised from Aquiti Gestion, Charente Périgord Expansion, Naco and Tudigo, joining existing investors Crédit ...
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In depthEurope: Approach route impasse threatens Lyon – Torino link
Plans to boost rail traffic between France and Italy through the Mont Cenis base tunnel maybe in jeopardy as the French government dithers over the choice of approach route. Christian Scasso reports
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Metro Report InternationalPrecise planning as bridge rebuilt for tram project
FRANCE: Contractor NGE says precise planning is paying off as it undertakes a complex project to replace a road bridge over the River Huveaune in Marseille with a new structure which is 2 500 mm wider to accommodate a double-track extension of tramway Line 3. The ...
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Metro Report InternationalParis metro Line 8 train refurbishment gets underway
FRANCE: Refurbishment of the 44 Alsthom MF77 trainsets used on Paris metro Line 8 has begun at the ACC M plant in Clermont-Ferrand. The work will be similar to that undertaken by the company on the Line 7 fleet. It will take 29 days to refurbish ...
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NewsRENFE expands its open access operations in France
FRANCE: RENFE Viajeros began running open access international high speed services between Madrid and Marseille on July 28, having introduced a Barcelona – Lyon service on July 13. The two routes had previously been operated by RENFE in co-operation with SNCF since 2013, but these services ...
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Metro Report InternationalSytral sets out Lyon metro investment plan
Photos: Jérémie Anne FRANCE: Lyon transport authority Sytral Mobilités has presented a €1·6bn programme covering renewal and enhancement of the city’s four-line metro network from 2023 to 2035. The investment is split into three tranches, funded from Sytral’s own resources. In 2023-26, €222m is to be ...
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NewsRailpool orders 50 Traxx Universal locomotives
EUROPE: Leasing company Railpool has awarded Alstom a €260m contract to supply 50 Traxx Universal multi-system electric locomotives suitable for cross-border freight and passenger operation in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg and Poland. The locomotives will be fitted with Alstom’s Atlas onboard equipment for ...
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NewsFirst of SNCF’s Oxygène inter-city trains heads for testing
FRANCE: The first of a fleet of CAF-built inter-city EMUs being supplied to SNCF Voyageurs has been sent for testing in the Czech Republic.
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Metro Report InternationalParis metro operator sets out major investment programme
FRANCE: Paris transport operator RATP has announced a major investment programme for 2025-29, with spending to increase from €1·9bn to €2·5bn a year. CEO Jean Castex said developing a culture of automation is one of the main priorities, along with greater standardisation. There will be an ...
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Metro Report InternationalGrand Paris Express Line 15 West construction contract awarded
FRANCE: Automated metro project promoter Société du Grand Paris has awarded the Intencités15 consortium a design and build contract for civil works on the first section of the orbital Line 15 West, running from Pont de Sèvres on Line 15 South to La Défense. The €2·7bn ...