French railway news – Page 6
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NewsFirst Vectrons for France in 70-loco framework contract
EUROPE: Leasing company Alpha Trains has awarded Siemens Mobility a framework contract covering up to 70 Vectron locomotives of various configurations including Multi-System and Dual Mode, with a firm order for 35 to be delivered from the end of 2026. The order signed in July and ...
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NewsChannel Tunnel shuttle Entry/Exit System preparations completed
EUROPE: Channel Tunnel concessionaire Getlink has completed a €80m three-year programme of changes to its car and lorry shuttle train terminals at Folkestone and Coquelles ahead of the introduction of the EU Entry/Exit System, which is now scheduled for November 2024. EES is an automated system ...
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Metro Report InternationalBattery-electric tampers ordered for rubber-tyred metro lines
FRANCE: Infrastructure maintenance contractor TSO has ordered two Plasser & Theurer MetroFlex E³ battery-electric tamping machines customised for use on the rubber-tyred metro lines in Paris. A special tamping concept is necessary to deal with the complex trackform; the rubber tyred wheelsets run on horizontal guideways ...
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NewsFunding deal secures future of Nice – Digne line
FRANCE: A fleet of eight diesel-battery bi-mode trains, renovated stations, better reliability and easier ticketing have been promised under a modernisation programme agreed for the 1 000 mm gauge Nice – Digne line operated by Chemins de Fer de Provence.
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NewsSurveillance stepped up following French high speed rail sabotage
FRANCE: Surveillance of the rail network has been stepped up using human and technical resources on the ground and in the air following the large-scale disruption caused by carefully targeted sabotage on July 26, the opening day of the Paris Olympic Games. Around 1 000 maintenance ...
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NewsVossloh to acquire concrete sleeper manufacturer Sateba
FRANCE: A €450m agreement for Vossloh to acquire concrete sleeper manufacturer Sateba Group from TowerBrook Capital Partners was signed on July 30. Sateba has 1 120 employees and 19 production sites in 10 European countries, with a total capacity of around four million sleepers per year. ...
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NewsNancy – Contrexéville reopening contract signed
FRANCE: Another step towards restoration of commercial services over the 89 km route from Nancy to Contrexéville was taken at the end of June with signature by the Grand Est région and the Nova 14 consortium of the 22-year concession announced on May 24 for rehabilitation ...
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Metro Report InternationalRoubaix-Tourcoing tramway project planning advances
FRANCE: Métropole Européenne de Lille has awarded the Tramelis consortium a 10-year contract to provide project management services for the development of the planned 22 km Roubaix-Tourcoing tramway. The Y-shaped network to the northeast of Lille would run from the Neuville area ...
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NewsBattery-hybrid trainset enters service with Grand Est
FRANCE: Commercial trials with a hybrid multiple-unit featuring conventional electric, diesel and battery traction were launched in the Grand Est région on July 15. The train will operate on the Strasbourg – Sarreguemines route until November 24, during which tests will also be undertaken using hydrotreated ...
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NewsAustralasian rail industry study tour to visit London and Paris
INTERNATIONAL: The Australasian Railway Association is organising a study tour to London and Paris the week before InnoTrans, to provide delegates with insights into topics including interoperability, high speed rail, sustainability, infrastructure development and operations, as well as networking opportunities with industry leaders. The London leg ...
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In depthFrance: Fret SNCF faces an uncertain future
Christian Scasso assesses the changes that are set to transform France’s nationalised rail freight operations in 2025.
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NewsLow-cost high speed train operator Ouigo aims to double ridership
FRANCE: National passenger operator SNCF Voyageurs is aiming to double ridership at its low-cost subsidiary Ouigo to 50 million passengers/year by 2030, and to increase Ouigo’s share of the domestic high speed rail market from 20% to 30%.
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Metro Report InternationalParis metro Line 14 extended north and south
FRANCE: The length of Paris’ driverless metro Line 14 was more than doubled on June 24, when President Emmanuel Macron joined transport authority Ile-de-France-Mobilités and operator RATP to inaugurate northern and southern extensions
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NewsBusiness travel leaders say European train operators are missing an opportunity
EUROPE: Senior figures from the business travel sector have expressed frustration at the difficulty of incorporating rail options into corporate travel systems, saying the sector is failing to respond to demand as companies look for alternatives to flying.
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Metro Report InternationalParis metro and light rail operating contracts awarded
FRANCE: Paris transport authority Ile-de-France-Mobilités has awarded Keolis and RATP Cap Ile-de-France contracts to operate the future Grand Paris Express metro Line 18 and existing tram-train services T12 and T13. The 35 km fully automated Line 18 is to open in three phases, from Massy to CEA-St-Aubin ...
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NewsSurvey finds perceived cost deters rail travel
TER train. FRANCE: A survey of rail passengers and potential users has found that national train services are perceived as too expensive and too inflexible. Carried out by market research group IFOP for the National Federation of Transport User Associations (FNAUT), the survey also determined that ...
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Metro Report InternationalParis opening doubles length of metro Line 11
FRANCE: The length of the Paris metro’s rubber-tyred Line 11 is almost doubled with the opening of a 6 km six-station extension from Mairie-des-Lilas to Rosny-Bois-Perrier.
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NewsHigh speed train start-up Proxima announces €1bn launch plan
FRANCE: High speed rail start-up Proxima has announced a €1bn plan backed by investor Antin Infrastructure Partners to acquire 12 Alstom trainsets and launch open access services from Bordeaux, Nantes, Rennes and Angers to Paris. Proxima has been established by former Voyages SNCF CEO Rachel Picard, ...
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NewsMidnight Trains drops plans for hotel quality sleeper train network
FRANCE: Start-up Midnight Trains has abandoned its ambitious plan to develop a network of premium overnight trains offering hotel-standard accommodation on European routes of up to 1 500 km from Paris, after being unable to raise the necessary funding. Co-founder Adrien Aumont said the rail sector’s ...
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News‘Audacious’ contract to revive Nancy – Contrexéville route
FRANCE: The Grand Est regional authority has awarded a contract to facilitate the rehabilitation and reopening of the 89 km route from Nancy to Contrexéville by December 2027.