French railway news – Page 14
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NewsGrand-Est launches regional express network
FRANCE: Passengers travelling in the Strasbourg area now have access to a much improved network of local rail services with effect from December 11 when the Réseau Express Métropolitain Européen was launched by local authorities and national operator SNCF. Driven by a ...
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Metro Report InternationalParis metro Line 13 to be fully automated
FRANCE: Paris transport authority Ile-de-France-Mobilités and operator RATP have given the go-ahead for the automation of metro Line 13. This will be the fourth fully automated line in Paris, after lines 14, 1 and 4, and first with steel-wheel rather than rubber-tyred trains. The 24 route-km line ...
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NewsCDPQ completes acquisition of leasing company Akiem
EUROPE: Canadian pension and insurance investor CDPQ has completed the acquisition of locomotive leasing company Akiem from SNCF Group and DWS. Exclusive negotiations with CDPQ began in August following a competitive auction. Closing of the transaction was announced on December 9 following staff consultations and regulatory ...
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NewsRailcoop makes progress with DMU fleet but passenger service launch remains elusive
FRANCE: Community interest open access operator Railcoop says that an initial audit by ACC-M of the X72500 diesel multiple-units it has acquired for its planned Lyon – Bordeaux service found that they are in good condition. Railcoop has taken on a fleet of nine DMUs from ...
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Metro Report InternationalGrand Paris Express telecoms contract awarded
FRANCE: Société du Grand Paris has selected Nokia to deploy 5G-ready IP/MPLS multiservice, mobile core and radio access network for the automated Grand Paris Express network. The contract announced on December 8 covers lines 15, 16, 17 and 18, which are currently under construction, as well as ...
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NewsAix-Marseille-Provence city region invests in local freight
FRANCE: The Aix-Marseille-Provence Métropole is to invest significant funds in local rail freight services and terminals over the next four years, as part of a strategy to reduce road congestion and associated pollution across the metropolitan area.
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NewsSète – Paris rail motorway launched
FRANCE: A rolling motorway service has been launched to carry unaccompanied lorry trailers between the Mediterranean port of Sète near Montpellier and Valenton to the southeast of Paris. The service has been developed by the government with the aim of reducing road traffic, and is targeted ...
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NewsNovel interior layout in next-generation Paris RER fleet
FRANCE: Paris regional transport authority Ile-de-France-Mobilités and Alstom unveiled the first RER NG EMU at Valenciennes Petite-Forêt on November 22.
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NewsNestlé Waters to use hydrogen last-mile freight trains
FRANCE: As part of a strategy to decarbonise its supply chain, Nestlé Waters is to use a high-power fuel cell generator wagon to enable electric locomotives to haul trains on non-electrified tracks. This will be the first application of fuel cell and renewable hydrogen ‘last mile’ ...
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Metro Report InternationalFormer Prime Minister Jean Castex named RATP CEO
FRANCE: The RATP supervisory board has confirmed the appointment of former Prime Minister Jean Castex as the new Chief Executive of the Paris transport operator, replacing Catherine Guillouard who stepped down at the end of September. Now 57 years old, Castex served as Prime Minister of ...
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Metro Report InternationalDriverless NEOMMA trainsets to operate revamped Marseille metro
FRANCE: The first of 38 rubber-tyred trainsets being built for the Marseille metro was unveiled at Alstom’s Valenciennes-Petite-Forêt plant on November 9.
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NewsConsortium to develop low-cost operations to revive France’s local lines
FRANCE: Thales is part of a consortium of companies and the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region seeking to reduce the cost of running trains on lightly-used rural lines.
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Metro Report InternationalParis tests metro Line 9 signalling upgrade
FRANCE: RATP has started test running with the Octys train control system being installed on Paris metro Line 9.
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NewsSNCF fined over Brétigny derailment
FRANCE: A court has found national operator SNCF guilty of homicide and involuntary injury following the derailment on July 12 2013 of a Paris Austerlitz – Limoges locomotive-hauled Intercités service.
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NewsMarseille – Nice capacity enhancement programme approved
FRANCE: Transport Minister Clément Beaune has signed the Déclaration d’Utilité Publique enabling the start of work on the first two phases of the Ligne Nouvelle Provence Côte d’Azur programme to expand the heavily used Marseille – Nice corridor.
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Metro Report InternationalModernised trains to serve Paris Line 6
FRANCE: Work has started to modernise a fleet of 45 rubber-tyred MP89CC trainsets for use on Paris metro Line 6.
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NewsFrench open access passenger service postponed
FRANCE: Three factors have led Le Train to postpone the launch of its planned open access high speed services in southwest France from mid-2023 until early 2024.
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NewsKevin Speed sets out ambitions to provide high speed trains ‘for everyone, every day’
FRANCE: Proposals to launch high capacity commuter services on high speed lines into major cities have been announced by open access start-up Kevin Speed. The company was founded last year by Laurent Fourtune, who worked at Paris transport operator RATP in 2009-18 and was then Chief ...
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NewsWabtec awarded locomotive component maintenance contract
EUROPE: Leasing company Akiem has awarded Wabtec a five-year contract to maintain Alstom Prima and Traxx locomotive brake components, pantographs and HVAC in France and Germany. The companies will also work together to develop services including additive manufacturing, remote diagnostics and more sustainable HVAC refrigerants. The ...
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NewsElectrification extended southeast of Paris
FRANCE: Electrification of the 72 km Gretz - Longueville – Nogent-sur-Seine section of the Paris Est – Troyes main line and the 7 km single-track Longueville – Provins branch has been completed with the launch of electric services on October 3. Speeds and journey times are unchanged, but electrification is expected to improve reliability.