Rail Europe met at a summit in Saint-Denis (Seine-Saint-Denis), Monday, February 21, at the headquarters of the SNCF. Its CEO, Jean-Pierre Farandou, received his European counterparts, a way of closing 2021, decreed European Year of Rail to promote this mode of transport. In addition to the billions of euros released by governments to help them overcome the health crisis, the leaders of the sector have asked the States and Brussels for more money to increase the share of the train, which is greener than the road or the air, on the mobility and freight market.
Mr. Farandou the first. “We will have to make an effort for the rail network, a major effort. It is absolutely necessary, if we want to meet our objectives., he pointed out. Vincent Ducrot, head of the well-endowed Swiss railways, said to himself “admiring” of the work done “with the few means he has”. The SNCF is also behind the German Deutsche Bahn and the Austrian ÖBB, which are demanding more resources.
Without investments, financed by a cocktail of Brussels subsidies, state aid, green loans and productivity gains, the SNCF will not be able to modernize the network, relieve congestion in stations, create TERs in the provinces and build new lines. “Several tens of billions of euros” are necessary, according to its CEO, to achieve the objective of doubling the number of travelers and the volume of goods by 2030. There is also room for the entire Old Continent.
Towards a “genuine European network”
Rail provides only 7% of passenger transport and a little more for freight, where the road has continued to gain market share. In a grandstand in the Sunday newspaper of February 20, 24 bosses in the sector undertake to “make the train even greener” to curb global warming. A new “rail pact” must allow, according to them, “reduce train greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030 compared to 2015, increase energy efficiency by 25% and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 at the latest”.
Several projects must be opened or accelerated: ticketing and harmonized pricing, interoperability of trains and signaling, recycling of equipment, synergies with other sectors… And the modernization of infrastructure, which is urgent. Brussels is ready to release 80 billion euros of European funds “to support rail investments between 2021 and 2027”said the transport commissioner at the summit.
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