It is a repeated invocation of Jean-Pierre Farandou, his ultimate strategic objective as CEO of the SNCF: in ten years, the SNCF will transport twice as many people and twice as much goods as today. Rail is now at 10-11% of trips, road at around 90% (87% for passengers, 89% for goods in 2019). Doubling the modal share of the train would lower that of road transport by ten percent. “It seems accessible to me”he assured the Worldon December 15, 2021.
The objective is commendable, essential even, in a society which seeks to fight against global warming and the nuisances linked to accidents and pollution. A freight train, for example, is 9 times less CO2, 8 times fewer particles emitted and 85 times fewer accidents than the 40 equivalent trucks. Traveling from Lille to Lyon by TGV means emitting 30 times less CO2 than by car and 50 times less than by plane. However, the only sector that has not managed to significantly reduce its greenhouse gas emissions over the past ten years is that of transport. In this respect, the climate leverage effect of the train can be considerable.
It remains to achieve the goal. Under the presidency of Emmanuel Macron and particularly under the government of Jean Castex, the State and the SNCF have acted for the improvement of the railway. Bercy took over 35 billion euros of SNCF debt. The renovation of the aging network has been seriously advanced and 4 billion euros have been sanctuarized in 2020, in the midst of the crisis due to Covid-19, for its regeneration.
Development of low cost
The projects for new lines have not, however, been completely abandoned: the Lyon-Turin, the doubling of the Marseille-Nice line, the LGV Montpellier-Perpignan and Bordeaux-Toulouse-Dax are either advanced or launched. Virtuous projects, because they make it possible to desaturate railway nodes in Lyon, Nice, Marseille, Bordeaux, Toulouse and to consider the creation of metropolitan regional RERs. Finally, a freight plan was launched in 2021, programming investments of 170 million euros per year and a 50% reduction in rail tolls.
The SNCF, meanwhile, has undertaken to make the train more financially accessible. By relying on the Advantages reduction card, it limits price increases in order to avoid exorbitant fares during long departures. It is also developing its low-cost Ouigo range, adding an ultra-competitive Ouigo intercity train to its low-cost TGV in the spring on Paris-Lyon and Paris-Nantes.
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