January 2025 News
Heavy snow fell on the Pyrénées over the second weekend in December, with roads closed and Andorra cut-off for several days. Just after sunrise on 11 December ICN 3751 from Paris pauses at Mérens-les-Vals on the last stage of its journey to the Spanish border at Latour-de-Carol, BB 7254 in charge. For the initial climb away the driver has raised both pantographs to draw down sufficient current from the recently modernised catenary. The catenary on the right hand side track is still the original from the Compagnie du Midi. Weekday running through to Latour has now ceased until 4 June (except for school holidays) due to diversion of the main Toulouse ICN via Bordeaux during POLT engineering work, resulting in lengthened journey time. Departure from Toulouse is brought forward from 22.16 to 19.43 and arrival in Paris is at 07.03 instead of 06.30; the train runs without a public stop from Montauban to Les Aubrais. Usual timings apply at weekends.
When there is no through train, the TER leaving Latour at 16.30 gives a 30min connection into the ICN at Toulouse. Southbound, the revised 07.44 arrival at Toulouse just misses the 07.45 TER to Latour, resulting in a wait of 2h 03 for the next train which arrives in Latour at 12.30. Photo: Ben Pattison.
Christmas specials
On Saturday 30 November MFPN operated CC 40110 is seen entering Arras with a marché de Noël special from Paris.
Photo: Didier Delattre.
On 7 December AAPSL (l’Amicale des Agents de Paris Saint Lazare) ran a special from Paris Est to the marché de Noël at Châlons-en-Champagne with BB 17016 and some of MFPN’s DEV inox coaches, seen above passing Chamigny (77). Photo: Christophe Masse.
Lyon Fête des Lumières
The annual Lyon Fête des Lumières took place on Saturday 7 December attracting four special trains of heritage rolling stock. From Avignon APCC 6570 ran a rake of Corail hauled by BB 25660/25639 seen above arriving at Lyon Perrache. From Besancon L'Autorail X2800 du Haut-Doubs ran a special with X 2816 + XR 6154 (below left), and from Dijon ABFC brought Picasso X4039 (below right). BB67456 and Train à Vapeur d'Auvergne's RRR set arrived from Clermont-Ferrand. Photos Didier Delattre.
Seasonal figures greet new service
Dignitaries gathered to see off new services that ran for the first time on 15 December. At Nancy, le père Noël and Saint-Nicolas took a break from other seasonal duties to watch departure at 07.46 of IC 4200 the restored daily through train to Lyon. Grand Est Régiolis B 84587/88, masquerading as an intercity train, was fully booked for the 4h 30min journey. Photo: L’Est Republicain/CJ.
The following day saw the start of the joint SNCF/DB day train between Paris and Berlin, offering the convenience of a through train though barely faster than existing connections. The service is operated by a DB ICE set in both directions. Officials present for the 09.55 departure from Gare de l’Est included SNCF PDG Jean-Pierre Farandou and DB’s operations director Anja Shöllman, but no Santa Claus and no transport minister as a new French government was yet to be appointed. Photo: DB.
The following day saw the start of the joint SNCF/DB day train between Paris and Berlin, offering the convenience of a through train though barely faster than existing connections. The service is operated by a DB ICE set in both directions. Officials present for the 09.55 departure from Gare de l’Est included SNCF PDG Jean-Pierre Farandou and DB’s operations director Anja Shöllman, but no Santa Claus and no transport minister as a new French government was yet to be appointed. Photo: DB.
One change that went largely unnoticed was suspension of the Ouigo Classic service from Paris to Lyon due to engineering work. Latterly it has run once or twice daily at weekends only. The rolling stock have been redeployed to the Paris – Nantes and Rennes routes, the latter now served by an additional A/R daily.
A few days after the main timetable changes on Thursday 19 December Ouigo Classic introduced their latest route from Paris Gare du Nord to Brussels Midi, operated in partnership with SNCB, who provide the rolling stock, following the trial period during the Paris Olympics. There are three return services a day departing Paris at 07.18, 12.28 and 19.15 and Brussels at 07.39, 13.38 and 18.38 calling at Creil, Aulnoye-Aymeries, and Mons. Journey times are around three hours, roughly double that of the TGV, with ticket prices starting from €10.
A few days after the main timetable changes on Thursday 19 December Ouigo Classic introduced their latest route from Paris Gare du Nord to Brussels Midi, operated in partnership with SNCB, who provide the rolling stock, following the trial period during the Paris Olympics. There are three return services a day departing Paris at 07.18, 12.28 and 19.15 and Brussels at 07.39, 13.38 and 18.38 calling at Creil, Aulnoye-Aymeries, and Mons. Journey times are around three hours, roughly double that of the TGV, with ticket prices starting from €10.
Below. The first service from Brussels is seen entering Gare du Nord on the 19th December headed by SNCB HLE 18 1869 and a set of SNCB I11 coaches although they are not equipped to operate in push-pull mode in France. Photo: Christophe Masse.
Strike support patchy
Disruption came to the railway well before the start of the ‘rolling’ strike against opening to competition and the break-up of Fret SNCF. After a poorly-supported stoppage on 29 November, two of the four main trades unions withdrew their support. UNSA-Ferrrovaire and CFDT signed an agreement for Fret SNCF employees to transfer to Hexafret and Technis with full employment rights conferred for three years. UNSA said it ‘would continue to oppose the break-up of Fret SNCF by other means’. But union solidarity was split, reducing the impact of the strike.
CGT and Sud-Rail maintained their strike call but members were reluctant to lose pay over the issue, especially as there were to be no redundancies. TGV and Ouigo services ran largely as normal in the early days of the strike, and eight out of 10 TER and Transilien trains, with regional variations. On 13 December for example, 60% of drivers in Occitanie did not turn up for work. On 17 December, staff at Amiens halted their protest against opening up the étoile d’Amiens to competition, seeking further discussions with management.
The outgoing transport minister had assured the public that Christmas travel would not be affected. The strike call was renewed for 20 December, a big day for holiday travel, but in the event most journeys were hassle-free except at Bordeaux where a signal failure caused delays. Sporadic strikes continued throughout the holidays; no trains ran south of Dax on Christmas day due to lightening action which was scheduled to continue into January.
Despite ongoing major infrastructure investment, POLT (Paris – Orléans – Limoges – Toulouse) does not feature in future plans for ERTMS deployment, presumably due to the low level of freight and lack of cross-border passenger traffic. With the introduction of the new Oxygène units now expected to take place in 2026-27 the association 'Urgence ligne POLT' has demanded that fares should be reduced by 50% until the new trains take over and the upgrading work completed. Despite the delays on the initial order for POLT and Paris Clermont-Ferrand the option with CAF to build 20 Oxygène trainsets for the Bordeaux – Marseille route was confirmed on 20 December following a financing agreement between the State, SNCF Voyageurs and Agence de financement des infrastructures de transport. The order is valued at €650 million and the first sets should be delivered in 2028. On 13 November BB 26050 passes through Allassac (Corrèze) with Intercités 3625 10.28 Paris Austerlitz – Brive. Photo: Georges Turpin.
ERTMS ambition set out
Before November’s four-day closure of LGV Sud-Est (see December News), the then transport minister François Durovray joined SNCF Réseau CEO Matthieu Chabanel and Ile-de-France regional director Séverine Lepère on a symbolic last train at 23.05 on 8 November to mark closure of the PAR control centre in Paris which managed the northern section of the high-speed line. The new transport minister used the occasion to unveil the government’s plans for deployment of ERTMS, extending to 6,100 route-km by 2044 over a mix of high-speed and conventional lines. Funding for the work is expected to come from the government, SNCF Réseau and the EU.
At present, ETCS is operational on around 1,000 route-km. Level 2 is used on several high-speed lines: Paris – Strasbourg, Tours – Bordeaux, Le Mans – Rennes, the Nîmes – Montpellier contournement and Perpignan – Figueres, plus a small section of the conventional network around the Luxembourg border which is equipped with Level 1. As well as the Paris – Lyon conversion, two other schemes are underway. Marseille – Vintimille is being equipped with ETCS as part of the Haute Performance project, with the first stage expected to go live in 2027, while Longuyon – Bâle is being fitted as part of the North Sea – Mediterranean TEN-T corridor. Two new high-speed lines will also have ERTMS: the Bordeaux – Toulouse/Dax route and Montpellier – Perpignan.
In addition, SNCF Réseau will roll-out ETCS on high-speed lines not currently equipped, prioritising LGV Nord where the TVM equipment is ageing, and LGV Atlantique where additional capacity is needed. In terms of conventional lines, the aim is to equip the North Sea – Mediterranean, Mediterranean and Atlantic TEN-T corridors, together with the Sablé-sur-Sarthe – Angers – Nantes route.
Progress to date has been criticised as lacklustre, with a 2022 report by the rail regulator ART identifying the limited roll-out of ERTMS as a major obstacle to opening the domestic market to competition. But Durovray said European ambitions for a wider deployment were [running] “too fast”, and the previous TEN-T target of 9,000 route-km equipped by 2030 and 11,700 km by 2040 would not be achieved due to lack of funding and human resources.
Thanks to Railway Gazette International for material on which this report is based.
PSL BB 15000s hanging on by a thread
Class BB 15000s and VO2N push-pull stock were scheduled to finish on services from Paris Saint-Lazare on 10 December with BB 15036 working to Évreux and back on what was expected to be the final working. However, BB 15000 operations have continued on two evening rush-hour services to Vernon-Giverny returning to Saint-Lazare the following morning. On 5 December BB15065 is seen at Vernon-Giverny having arrived with Train 850019 18.21 from Paris Saint-Lazare. Photo: Martin Barnsdall.
Occitanie freight
On 29 November at PK 367 near Douzens on the Bordeaux – Marseille axis west of Narbonne, Akiem-owned BB 27156 (above) was working Train 52751 Hourcade – Fos. This loco is now leased to Euro Cargo Rail for Naviland workings but still carries the livery of its former lessee Lineas. Below. Coming in the opposite direction was BB 26063, the last Sybic in Fret SNCF livery, with Train 489372 Miramas – Saint-Jory. Photos: Georges Turpin.
In both photos there is evidence of catenary renewal with new horizontals but only limited uprights replaced.
Cherbourg port line re-opening
A special train on 10 December hauled by Captrain E4001-3981 brought Brittany Ferries’ Modalohr articulated flat wagons from Caen to Cherbourg for trials of the new port facilities and the 2.5km link to the national network.
Crowds watched it progress at 5km/h over the port line and its eight level crossings, out of use since 2008 and now rehabilitated at a cost of €4 million. Further trials will be run between 19 and 25 March prior to inauguration of the rolling motorway service to Bayonne expected on 31 March.
Situated in the old port area between Cité de Mer and the port ferry building, the terminal consists of a reception line capable of holding a 750m train, a runround loop and a dead-end siding.
Opposite the test train is seen heading cautiously through Cherbourg towards the new terminal. Photo: Martin Barnsdall.
DB Cargo France class 66s
The EMD Class 66s, built originally for UK use, have been part of the French rail scene since 2006 with the earliest examples now more than 25 years old. In addition to being DB Cargo France's (formerly Euro Cargo Rail) main diesel locomotive, they have been leased to other operators including Captrain and RegioRail, while Millet Rail has recently returned its 10 leased locomotives. DB Cargo France is to close its Vaires and Dijon wagonload sorting, reducing its requirement for Class 66s. About 15 locomotives are expected to be placed in warm store in anticipation of more demand for hiring in 2025.
Class 66s Nos 66249 and 66232, on hire from DB Cargo France to Captrain France until December 2024, are seen just south of Argentan on 28 November 2024 with Train 444620 stone empties from Verberie to the quarry at L'Oraille. To access the quarry sidings, the train has to run to the south end of the triangle at Surdon then reverse onto the south-to-east section which is cut at its eastern end and now serves as a headshunt. Photo: David Haydock.
Night Train order coming
"At the beginning of 2025 a public notice should be issued for renewal of TET Night Train rolling stock” said Pierre-Christophe Soncarrieu, deputy director of the transport ministry’s Trains d'Équilibre du Territoire (TET) division responsible for the five ICN routes, quoted in a BFMtv report 29 November. Including new maintenance depots, he envisaged expenditure of “several hundred million euros”.
The long-awaited commitment to modernisation of the Night Train fleet followed October’s surprise earmarking by the parliamentary finance committee of €150 million for new stock (see December News). Though the ministry had set out a plan in 2021 for up to 10 new routes by 2030, expansion seemed unlikely without new rolling stock. Observers noted that the report refers to ‘renewal’ as well as ‘new’ stock; the tender specification remains to be seen, but further spending on renovating ancient couchette cars at €1+ million each would surely be poor value for money. The 2021 proposal recommended construction over 10 years of 600 night train cars and 60 locos, costed at €1.5 billion. To date, SNCF has spent €91 million on refurbished cars for the current services which carried 1 million passengers in 2024. There are no sleeping cars refurbished or otherwise.
Soncarrieu also said that the 2023 option with CAF for 20 Oxygène trainsets for the Bordeaux – Marseille IC route would be confirmed “within weeks”, the first trains scheduled for delivery in 2028. Along with the planned maintenance centre at Bordeaux, this would represent an investment of €650 million.
Who might bid? With the decline in night trains over the past 20 years and replacement of loco-hauled day coaches by self-powered trainsets, there’s little new night stock running in western Europe. Scotland’s Caledonian Sleeper has 2017-built cars by CAF, whilst Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) is taking delivery of Siemens Nightjet trains; 33 seven-car sets costing €20 million each. These comprise two seating cars (driving trailer and multi-function car with low-floor area for disabled access), three couchettes and two sleeping cars, capacity 254 passengers. Among the features are compartments with private toilet and shower, and mini-cabins offering individual sleeping pods in the couchette cars.
There are two ComfortPlus compartments in each Siemens Nightjet rake equipped with private shower and toilet, with fares from €159. The mini-cabins owe something to the design of Japanese ‘pod’ hotel accommodation; cheapest fare is €58.20. Photos: ÖBB
Alstom is building trains for Mexico’s Tren Maya which include compartments that convert for night use, and has developed designs for night stock interiors. Stadler FLIRT Nordic Express trains being built for Norske tog have compartments convertible for day use.
Several eastern European manufacturers still turn out loco-hauled day and night stock. Škoda, which is currently building cars for Finland and Italy, has developed the ‘Sleep in motion’ concept of stacked sleeping cubicles in a double-deck car, said ‘to provide the privacy of business class… with the efficiency of super-economy’.
‘Sleep in motion’ stacked cubicles are just 90cm high. Photo: Škoda.
Heritage stock soldiers on in Alsace
Strasbourg is the last remaining stronghold of Class BB 67400s on passenger work, and apart from BB 75300s on night trains also of diesel-hauled services. The Strasbourg BB 67400s still have a morning and evening rush-hour turn to Lauterbourg and two evening runs on the Saint-Dié-des-Vosges line that return the following morning. BB 67599 is seen above arriving at Strasbourg on 4 December with the 06.11 from Saâles having worked 20.04 from Strasbourg to Saint-Dié, then ECS to Saâles, the previous evening. Like most of the remaining BB 67400s, it is some years since a works overhaul; in the case of BB 67599 its last works visit was an RG (revision generale) at Quatre Mares in April 1998.
Strasbourg also sees the last workings of RRR inox push-pull stock, running the majority of Saverne – Strasbourg – Sélestat services. Hauled by BB 22200 locomotives, the high power-to-weight ratio can provide some exhilarating acceleration on these stopping services. A heavily-tagged BB 22298 is seen opposite on 3 December propelling the 11.19 Saverne – Sélestat alongside the Canal de la Marne au Rhin at Steinbourg.
Other Grand Est Fluo TER services in Alsace are operated by Régiolis, AGC and X 73500 units in Grand Est Fluo, Alsace Metro Lot and Champagne Ardennes liveries, with some X 73500s in Normandie livery.
30 new class B 85500 Régiolis units in a distinctive ultramarine blue livery (see ( October News) are being delivered for use on cross-border services starting this summer between Alsace, Lorraine and the neighbouring Lander of Rheinland-Pfalz, Saarland, Baden-Württemberg.
Assembled by CAF at the former Alstom plant at Reichshoffen, 11 units have now been delivered and since the end of November have been used on domestic services in Alsace. On 2 December an inaugural run took place for elected officials between Haguenau and Wissembourg. The following day B 85549 is seen opposite at Saverne with the 11.19 Strasbourg – Nancy.
During December, heavy passenger traffic in connection with the Rhine Valley christmas markets was causing delays on the BB 26000-operated TER 200 services between Strasbourg and Bâle. Long-distance travellers with heavy luggage had difficulty negotiating the small doors and two steps of the Corail stock, along with regular travellers carrying bicycles, fold-up bikes, pushchairs and e-scooters, resulting in the 2min stops at intermediate stations being inadequate.
The 12/13 minute turnarounds at Strasbourg and Bâle provide no opportunity to recover lost time, with cumulative delays resulting in trains being turned short at Saint-Louis, Mulhouse and even Sélestat to get back on schedule, leaving passengers to reach their destinations on following services. Below. On 5 December, BB 26168 propels the late-running 15.51 Strasbourg – Bâle away from Colmar. Having arrived 25min late it was held for a TGV to overtake, leaving some 35min late and delaying the following 16.21 Strasbourg – Bâle.
Régiolis to the rescue
The sight of a TGV being hauled by a TER EMU was captured at Auxonne east of Dijon on 5 December when Duplex set 249 failed on TGV 6700 05.23 Mulhouse – Paris. With no locomotive available, six-car Régiolis Z 54507/08 was sent out to tow the immobilised train to Dijon. A second TGV had failed the same morning close by at Genlis but that breakdown was more easily resolved. Use of EMUs to rescue TGVs is not unusual, though a similar operation in the Vendée a week earlier came to grief when the EMU also broke down.
Photo: ©bfc_spotter.
News in Brief
Le Havre. The new depot built at a cost of €65 million and covering 4,500m2 is fully operational, taking over maintenance of Omneo 1 EMUs (Z 56600) previously carried out at Sotteville and Clichy. Sotteville will now be dedicated to the 27 Omneo 2 EMUs (Z 56800) currently entering service.
Sud Ardèche. The vélorail between Saint-Jean-le-Centenier and Alba-la-Romaine (5.2km) has closed after the local communauté des communes approved its conversion into a voie verte. The Le Teil – Aubenas line shut in 1973 leaving Ardèche as the only département without passenger service.
Perpignan – Figueres. LFP Perthus reported a rush for paths on the route following an announcement last September that track access charges would be cut to one-tenth of the previous rate. From 15 December the number of booked freight paths in each direction was expected to rise by 19 to 43 if all requested are taken up, double the figure recorded a year ago.
HS2 overhead. Colas Rail will be responsible for design, manufacture, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of HS2’s catenary systems, adapting the V360 overhead electrification design under licence from SNCF Réseau. This is the first electrification in Europe to be certified for speeds of up to 360km/h.
Saint-Gingolph. Following the commitment last year by the Swiss canton of Valais of funding towards reopening the Évian – Saint-Gingolph line (see April 2024 News), the then transport minister François Durovray agreed in October to guarantee French participation in the €300 million project.
Bretagne. An agreement was signed on 6 December between the région and the municipalities of Quimper, Concarneau, Quimperlé, Lorient, Auray and Vannes, paving the way for an additional 21 daily TER services between the towns from September under the BreizhGo Express Sud plan.
Wage rise. SNCF announced a 2.2% across-the-board pay increase for 2025 after two of the four trades unions agreed to its proposals. The deal is unconnected with the dispute over break-up of Fret SNCF and will be financed entirely from internal resources.
Cévenol. Following the landslide near Villefort on 24 October the line remains closed between Langogne/Mende and Genholac, with remedial work unlikely to be completed before April.
Railpool France. Signed its first contract, a full-service agreement under which Regiorail will lease three Traxx Universal electric locos with an option for a further four. It will increase Regiorail's cross-border capacity and is Railpool's first step into the French market. Photo: Alstom.
Léman Express. On 11 December the canton of Genève unveiled a 25-year rail plan that proposes a 20km underground line linking Saint-Genis-Pouilly in the Pays de Gex with Eaux-Vives and Saint-Julien-en-Genevois in France via the airport and Quartier des Nations. Also on the horizon is a possible direct line from Saint-Julien to Annecy and much-improved links between Genève and Lyon via Bellegarde, the latter strongly supported by AURA région.
We have a problem. Swiss office digitisation company Technis, whose French subsidiary counts SNCF as a client, is angry at SNCF’s alleged trademark infringement by choosing Technis as the name of its new loco maintenance organisation. Legal representations are underway.
We have a problem. Swiss office digitisation company Technis, whose French subsidiary counts SNCF as a client, is angry at SNCF’s alleged trademark infringement by choosing Technis as the name of its new loco maintenance organisation. Legal representations are underway.
Tourist trains. Meeting in Dax at the end of November, the 300 members of the Tourist Trains & Museums Association (Unecto) reported 3.2 million visitors during 2024, back to pre-covid levels.
Wheelset maintenance. A 14,000m2 workshop at SNCF’s Picardie Technicentre at Tergnier is nearing completion at a cost of €60 million. It will specialise in wheelset and axle maintenance, capacity 12,000 units per year.
Wheelset maintenance. A 14,000m2 workshop at SNCF’s Picardie Technicentre at Tergnier is nearing completion at a cost of €60 million. It will specialise in wheelset and axle maintenance, capacity 12,000 units per year.
Christmas tragedy. The Paris – Lyon route was disrupted on 24 December when the driver of TGV 6689 19.00 Paris Gare de Lyon to Saint-Étienne committed suicide by jumping from his cab at Moisenay near Melun in Seine-et-Marne. The moving train came to a halt automatically following activation of the VACMA driver’s vigilance control; passengers were not endangered. A dozen trains were immobilised, some not reaching their destinations until 01.30.
Tende. With the line from Nice to Tende closed for engineering work, PACA région and Piedmont are funding additional trains between Tende and Limone during the winter sports season at a cost of €650,000. Trenitalia is running six A/R daily until 31 March. The cross-border operating agreement between the two regional authorities has been renewed until the end of 2026.
Spanish links. Officials on both sides of the border are complaining of French unpreparedness for opening of the Basque Y lines in 2027, which will bring Bilbao within 45min of Irun/Hendaye. A meeting at Bordeaux on 11 December, headed by Nouvelle-Aquitaine president Alain Rousset, highlighted the lack of progress on the French side, with the Bordeaux – Dax LGV not opening until 2037. TGVs from Hendaye to Bordeaux currently take 2h 28 with four stops, suggesting a through train from Bilbao could be timed at around 3h 15 using the classic line, better than Google’s suggested driving time of 3h 47. No operator has proposed such a service, let alone the possibility of through trains from Spain to Paris. The grim economic outlook in France, together with ill-feeling between Renfe and SNCF, seems likely to leave these areas poorly-connected for years to come.
New operators. Three new operating companies took over services on 15 December: SNCF Voyageurs Sud Azur (Étoile de Nice routes), SNCF Voyageurs Hauts-de-France (routes radiating from Amiens) and SNCF Voyageurs Loire Océan (the Nantes – Châteaubriant tram-train).
Transdev. Said it will lease trains from other operators if Alstom does not deliver sufficient stock for the new Marseille – Toulon – Nice service starting on 29 June. Responding to criticism that SNCF services would suffer, Transdev said ‘TER trains are 100% financed by the régions…these are not SNCF trains. Régions rent trains to each other regularly [including] equipment that is not being used’.
The German services group Rethmann, already holding 34% of Transdev, has acquired a further 32% of shares from Caisse des Dépôts, making it the majority shareholder. CD retains the remaining 34%.
Aytré. Alstom’s La Rochelle plant will recruit up to 60 permanent staff this year to help cope with a full order book and to prepare for commissioning of a second Citadis tramcar production line in 2026. There will also be opportunities for temporary workers.
Sète. Official opening on 9 December of the new footbridge marked completion of two years’ work to make the station fully accessible. The 71m-long bridge built at a cost of €8 million has four lifts to the platforms. Further work will see construction of long-term parking for 220 vehicles and replanning of the northern forecourt.
Photo: Sète agglopôle méditerrané.
New minister. The fourth transport minister of 2024 was appointed with the new government announced on 23 December. Philippe Tabarot is a senator for Alpes-Maritimes and has served as president of transport for PACA région.
Montluçon. “The Étoile Montluçonnaise has a future”, said Frédéric Aguilera, AURA’s deputy vice-president for transport, on 9 December. His optimism is based on development of the lithium mine at Échassières and upgrade of the railway between Montluçon and Gannat (see July 2024 News) for which the State has agreed to contribute €100 million. As well as enabling transport of lithium ore, the upgrade would provide capacity for improved passenger service between Montluçon and Clermont-Ferrand, and for AURA’s proposed Lyon – Bordeaux train. Also, the région is to take over responsibility for the Montluçon – Bourges line, currently shared with Centre-Val de Loire. Despite last year’s track renewal, around half the service continues to be provided by bus, a situation AURA hopes to remedy so as to improve links to Paris from the northwestern part of the région.
Marguerittes. The station here, between Nîmes and Avignon (closed 1973) is to reopen in 2026 at a cost of €1.5 million, one-third financed by Gard département.
Tire-Bouchon. On 13 December local officials approved a 25% contribution towards expenditure of €8.5 million for upgrading the Auray – Quiberon line over the next two years.
Train Rouge. Occitanie région has approved a subvention of €500,000 towards the cost of emergency remedial work on the freight line from Rivesaltes to Caudiès-des-Fenouillèdes which is also used by the Train Rouge heritage service to Axat. Occitanie president Carole Delga warned that this would be the last such grant, as the région “is no longer able to afford [the necessary] investment to maintain rural lines”.
Saint-Charles evolves
Designs for the rebuilding of Marseille Saint-Charles station were unveiled on 2 December in an exhibition entitled Les Halles de Saint-Charles, referring to the four-platform underground through station planned for opening by 2035. Accommodating TGVs on the Paris – Nice axis and cross-city services, the low-level platforms will free-up space for more trains in the historic terminus, raising capacity from today’s 15 million passengers to 23 million and cutting journey times for many. They will also facilitate proposed international services linking Spain, France and Italy. Together with the 8km tunnel from Saint-André through Saint-Charles to La Blancarde, the works will cost €2.2 billion.
The new station will be built 300m to the east of the existing buildings so as to avoid a road tunnel, underground parking and the metro beneath the original station. Old and new sites will be linked by an underpass with travolator, keeping passengers clear of the terminal platforms. Outside, the new structure will have open views across the city, with 4,300m2 of green space and two large forecourt areas. Below ground at 25m depth there will be four 400m-long platforms capable of taking pairs of TGVs. Above. View westwards along the new parvis with the existing trainshed in the background. Architect’s impression: AREP/Atelier Roberta.
Construction is expected to start in 2027 or 2028 and last several years, thus the new facilities will not be open in time for Marseille’s hosting of the 2030 Winter Olympics. No events are taking place in the city itself, but large numbers of visitors are expected to be arriving and changing trains for destinations on the Étoile de Veynes routes northwards to Gap, Briançon and Grenoble. Construction will therefore be paused for several weeks and care taken to ensure that the existing station facilities are not compromised.
Works associated with Ligne Nouvelle Provence-Côte-d’Azur Phase I are expected to start this year after the steering committee of local officials agreed a finance package on 20 December. The partners in LNPCA validated initial funding of €1.2 billion shared between the State, PACA région and the départements of Alpes-Maritimes, Bouches-du-Rhône and Var. Work includes four-tracking the existing Saint-Louis tunnel at Saint-André, the tunnel beneath Marseille, and upgrades at several locations eastwards towards Les Arcs to accommodate more TGVs and SERM services from Marseille to Aubagne, Toulon and Hyères. North of the city, existing infrastructure will be augmented to raise TER capacity from 28 trains/day to 76. East of Marseille, several stations will be four-tracked to separate fast and slower trains, multi-modal interchanges built, and a flying junction provided at La Pauline for trains to Hyères.
€72 million buys ‘one train’ working for Carhaix
Odd then that according to Élisabeth Puillandre, transport vice-president of the Guingamp-Paimpol Agglomération, expenditure of €71.9 million does not include renovation of the line’s two passing loops at Callac and Moustéru. “The work will permit operation of only one train” she told Ouest-France at the end of November. It also transpired that line speed will remain at no more than the 65km/h currently permitted on the formerly metre-gauge alignment.
Today, there are up to seven weekday trains, with lunchtime and evening peak services crossing at Callac; the loop at Moustéru, 11km out of Guingamp, is not in daily use. As well as regular passengers, the Vieilles Charrues summer music festival brings large numbers of visitors to Carhaix, the railway making a modest contribution by running three-car trains. Removal of the loops would hamper operation of anything but a basic three-hourly service.
The work will be funded by Bretagne région (€35.9 million), the State (€30 million), SNCF Réseau and the two local councils Poher communauté (Carhaix, €1.2 million) and Guingamp-Paimpol Agglomération (€2.8 million). Debating the local budget on 28 November, Poher council members balked at what some felt to be a very large sum for a poor outcome. Nevertheless, both councils approved their contribution.
Above. X73588 pauses at Callac with a Carhaix bound service on the 5 June 2023. Photo: David Haydock.
‘Turning point’ for Eurostar competitors
The rail industry has reached a ‘turning point’ which will facilitate launch of new international passenger train operations competing with Eurostar, Getlink CEO Yann Leriche told the UK All-Party Parliamentary Rail Group on 19 November. He gave four reasons:
● Demand is there, with passengers wanting through trains between London and cities including Köln, Frankfurt, Genève, Marseille and Bordeaux.
● Regulatory, access and certification processes have been simplified so that ‘if we decided tomorrow to launch a UK to Germany service’ the time to start of operations has been reduced from an estimated 10 to five years.
● There is political consensus that new services are required.
● Private sector willingness to both finance and operate new services, despite the high costs of entry.
The final point is illustrated by the proposals outlined by new entrants Evolyn and Virgin, the former planning an investment of €1 billion and the latter seeing “a market we can disrupt and grow”, according to Phil Whittingham, Virgin’s Project Leader. He said Virgin had shortlisted two rolling stock suppliers, and believes it can finance new trains without government guarantees, although more clarity is needed about access to depots and stations. Both Virgin and Evolyn emphasised their ambition to grow the market rather than cannibalise Eurostar’s traffic. “Competition will be good for consumers”, said Whittingham, adding “we think we can get people out of planes” for journeys of up to 4h duration.
Getlink is naturally interested in expanding use of the Tunnel. Capacity is not an issue as the infrastructure was built to handle much more than the current traffic, which 30 years ago was predicted to be double today’s level. One aspect of the current situation was not mentioned: security and border controls. As these have become more onerous, longer check-in times have begun to eat into the advantages of high-speed journeys. Eurostar now recommends 75min check-in at St Pancras and 75 to 90min at Paris Gare du Nord. At both terminals, disruption can lead to long and uncomfortable waits for passengers.
A study carried out for St Pancras station operator HS1 found that expanded infrastructure and enhanced border security processes could increase throughput from 1,800 currently to around 2,400 passengers/h over the next three or four years. Replanning the layout of the international areas could bring a further increase to 5,000 passengers/h in the longer term, providing additional capacity for future operators. More detailed studies are planned to assess what can be achieved while maintaining the integrity of the Grade I listed building.
Meanwhile a report from campaign group Transport & Environment published on 8 December judged Eurostar to be Europe’s ‘worst-performing rail service’ having assessed 27 operators on the basis of criteria such as fares, punctuality and refund policy. Eurostar’s fares were found to be nearly twice the European average per kilometre over comparable distances. Trenitalia received the highest score; Eurostar disputed the findings.
Eurostar’s trains to Marseille and Bourg-Saint-Maurice no longer run. Winter 2022-23 was the last season of ski trains from London to Bourg-Saint-Maurice, subsequently replaced by a connection from Lille operated by THI Factory SA. On 18 February 2023, Set 4022 arrives at Moutiers for departure at 10.18 non-stop to London (crew change at Lille Europe). Photo: Jo-Anne Purchase.
Lyon – Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne Transalpine route confirmed
With six tunnels totalling over 70km to be bored, and six viaducts over 300m long to be built, the new line is not expected to open until 2043, 10 years after the main Transalpine link opens in 2033. In the meantime, work will start on modernising the existing Dijon – Ambérieux – Modane route to cope with the increase in freight traffic. Map: Transalpine.
On the traditional Modane route, still closed due to the rockfall at Praz, Trenitalia France has introduced a weekend service for skiers from Paris to Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne. Operated with Trenitalia Frecciarossa units, the service runs on Saturdays and Sundays until the end of March.
Opposite. The first Frecciarossa arriving at Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne on Sunday 15 December. Photo: Le Dauphiné Libéré/VD
Final steam of the year
The final steam workings of the year took place in December when 140 C 38 undertook a film shoot between Gien and Orléans for 'Les enfants de la résistance' based on the book by Christophe Barratier. Seen above on the 11 December crossing the Pont aux Moines on the Orléans Canal between Chécy-Mardié and Saint-Denis-Jargeau. Due to maintenance the canal is currently drained.
The following day the locomotive and stock returned from Les Aubrais to Limoges with 140 C 38 unusually sandwiched between BB 67556 and BB 67590 seen opposite passing through St-Sulpice-Laurière.
Photos: Jean-Louis Poggi.
241 P 9 moves to Carmaux
On 17 December 241 P 9 travelled from Toulouse Matabiau to its new base at Carmaux, the first time that it has moved in 16 years. Since 2008 it had been housed in the former depot at Matabiau where AAATV- MP (Amicale des Anciens et Amis de la Traction Vapeur Midi Pyrénées) has spent 40,000 hours on a restoration that is nearing completion. The locomotive frames and boiler have recently been lifted back onto the wheels, with boiler retubing, repair to the front tube plate, fixing the ACFI feed pump and cosmetic work on the casing and smoke deflectors the main areas of work outstanding.
With closure of the depot at Matabiau and redevelopment of the area, AAATV-MP had been searching for a new home for some years, with little success until the former mining town of Carmaux and the communauté de communes Carmausin-Segala expressed an interest in housing the locomotive as a symbol of the area’s coal-mining heritage. A 30m shelter is being built around 241 P 9 to provide protection whilst a permanent 100m two-road workshop is constructed that may also provide a permanent home for 141 R 1126, currently stored in the open at Saint-Jory. It is also hoped to save the smaller (24m) of the two turntables at Matabiau and install it at Carmaux. SNCF has made the former depot offices at Carmaux available to AAATV-MP for installation of its machine tools and use for storage.
For the move from Toulouse to Carmaux, CMR provided BBs 67613 and 67558 towing Y 7738, 241 P 9, a postal coach, and covered and flat wagons containing tools and parts. The journey validated the restoration work undertaken on the bearings and axles. In the initial stages of the journey, speed was limited to 35km/h but increased when it was clear there were no problems. The highest temperature recorded on any of the bearing was 32C.
Above. The convoy is seen between Tessonnières and Marssac-sur-Tarn, and opposite between Montastruc and Roquesérière, with 241 P 9 sans boiler cladding and smoke deflectors and the tender awaiting final painting. Below. BB 67613/67558 running around at Carmaux and 241 P 9 in its new location, the first 241 P to visit Carmaux. Photos: Georges Turpin.
Above. The convoy is seen between Tessonnières and Marssac-sur-Tarn, and opposite between Montastruc and Roquesérière, with 241 P 9 sans boiler cladding and smoke deflectors and the tender awaiting final painting. Below. BB 67613/67558 running around at Carmaux and 241 P 9 in its new location, the first 241 P to visit Carmaux. Photos: Georges Turpin.
CC 40109 arrives at Oignies
Having left Mohon on 6 November for Dourges, Delta 3, CC 40109 finally arrived at CMCF Oignies by lowloader on 13 December (see December News). It is seen above being manoeuvred for loading at Dourges by BB 60040 and opposite upon arrival at CMCF Oignies. With the loco in poor external condition, sponsorship has been obtained from bank Crédit Agricole for a refurbishment. Photos: Didier Delattre.
Urban Rail
Nice. Construction of Line 4 to Cagnes-sur-Mer (7.1km, 14 stops) starts this year having been delayed by financial pressures due to severe weather and covid; the cost to the city of these crises is put at €300 million. Opening is now scheduled for 2030 instead of 2028. Capacity is to be augmented on the saturated Line 1, now carrying 120,000 daily passengers, with delivery starting in September of new 44m-long trams.
Toulouse. With the last of its 58 spans slid into position at the end of November, the 2.1km viaduct on the Line B extension to Labège will be completed next month. The 2.7km extension will link the existing Line B terminal at Ramonville with Line C under construction for opening in 2027.
Photo: Innoprod/Demathieu & Bard.
Construction has been approved of a station at Labège-La Cadène on the SNCF line towards Narbonne to provide interchange with Line C, serving the developing Enova live/work neighbourhood. Work on the €30 million project starts next yea
Montpellier. Line 5 will open for public service on 20 December, the maire has announced. A car on Line 2 was involved in a collision with a rubbish-collection lorry on 6 December. Two of the 100 passengers were slightly hurt, as were the lorry crew.
Photo: © Yannick Le Teurnier.
Monaco. Proposals have been sought for development of a 2km metro line linking the principality with a 3,400 vehicle park-and-ride at La Brasca over the border in France, where Monaco owns a 20Ha site purchased in 2017. Initial capacity would be 2,400/h with a journey time of 3min.
Lyon. On 25 November work started on the 135m crossing of the canal de Jonage at Villeurbanne (opposite) for Lyon’s T9 under construction between Vaulx-en-Velin La Soie and Charpennes. The structure will include a pathway for pedestrians and cyclists. Photo: Sytral/JS.
Paris updates
Eole connected. RER Line E now lives up to its name, Est-Ouest Liaison Express. Since 15 December, trains run through to Nanterre-la-Folie from the eastern terminals (Chelles-Gournay, Villiers-sur-Marne and Tournan) with all-day service, eliminating the change at Magenta or Haussmann-Saint-Lazare necessary since the western extension opened last May. With 34 Z 58000 RER NG sets delivered, there is now sufficient rolling stock to run a full service, though for the moment the line still operates with three types of stock: MI 2N, Z 57000 and RER NG. Trains run every 4min during peak hours and 10min off-peak from Nanterre through central Paris to Rosa Parks; maximum speed is 120km/h.
Line E is poised to bring relief to the busiest section of Line A between Châtelet-Les Halles and La Défense, where a 15% reduction in passengers is expected, along with transfer of 12% of Line D travellers between Gare du Nord and Châtelet. Daily patronage of Line E is expected to reach 650,000 against today’s 350,000.
That good news was tempered by SNCF Réseau’s announcement that the last part of the project, extension over existing tracks of Transilien Line J to Mantes-la-Jolie, would be further delayed. It now hopes that a limited service of through trains will start running at the beginning of 2027, but introduction of the planned six trains/h from central Paris would have to await commissioning of the NExTEO control system, apparently delayed until the end of 2029. Planned in the 1990s and under construction since 2015, Eole was originally scheduled to open by 2020 at a cost of €3.8 billion. Now the final bill is expected to be nearer €6 billion.
A third option for NG trains was exercised on 9 December, with Alstom to supply a further 35 sets valued at €520 million. A total of 166 trains are now delivered or on order out of the 255 required for Lines E and D. Two trains from the latest batch made their debut on Line D on 16 December.
Above. On 31 May last year, Bombardier Z 57000 set 119HE was working the NOMY off-peak-only shuttle to Nanterre-la-Folie at Haussmann-Saint-Lazare.
Paris T1. The first new-generation Citadis X05 cars ran on 10 December when 12 entered service. Three sets will be commissioned per month, with all 37 expected to be running by August, when headway will be reduced from 5 to 4min.
Photo top: actuParis/ES.
Photo middle: Grand Paris Express.
Safe space. After a year-long trial at Auber, RATP is setting up Lieux Sûrs (safe places) for victims of harassment or aggression on public transport. Working with mobile street safety app UMAY, RATP plans a network of 64 locations, oftentabacs or restaurants, where distressed passengers can seek refuge and assistance. The first two, close to stops on T3b, were inaugurated by the transport minister on 25 November.
Photo lower: BFMtv.
Transilien. Pre-covid service levels were finally resumed with the 15 December timetable change, thanks in part to recruitment over the past three years of 1,100 additional personnel including 455 drivers. Staff shortages and poor rolling stock availability had led to gaps in the timetable during off-peak hours and school holidays on RER C and Transilien Lines U and N. These issues are now resolved and services are generally back to 2019 levels, with 15 or 30min intervals restored on sections that had been reduced to hourly. The 15km shuttle between Massy-Palaiseau and Versailles-Chantier, detached from RER Line C when tram route T12 opened at the end of 2023, was officially designated Transilien Line V from 15 December.
Fares. The simplified fares system came into force throughout Île-de-France on 1 January. Just two tickets replace over 50,000 combinations for the 4 million occasional users who do not have a Navigo pass; fare zones have been abolished. €2.50 is the new flat fare (tarif unique) for journeys by metro, RER and suburban trains regardless of distance, while a bus and tram only version costs €2. Journeys must be completed within 2h. The NavigoJour ticket used by tourists will be €12, replacing fare bands from €8.30 to €20.60. For airport travel, a single ticket at €13 allows travel from any station in Île-de-France to Orly or Roissy-CDG by any combination of modes except for the dedicated OrlyBus and RoissyBus services.
At the same time, the price of a monthly Navigo pass rose 2.8% from €86.40 to €88.80 under the financial agreement between Île-de-France Mobilités and the State which provides for regular increases until 2031. At roughly €3 per day, the pass costs less than one-third of London’s all-zone monthly ticket.
Anti-fraud controls have been stepped up throughout ÎdF, in particular on the bus network which suffered a 15% revenue loss in 2023 due to ticketless travel, three times that of the metro where gated access helps reduce fraud. Simplification of the fares system is expected to lead to revenue reduction of €30 million this year but ÎdFM hopes the tarif unique will discourage ticketless travel as well as stimulating demand in suburban areas where the new fare is particularly advantageous.
The €4 single-journey fare charged during the Olympic Games raised €270 million, sufficient to cover the estimated €265 million cost of providing additional capacity to cope with the 30% rise in patronage.
© Peter Lovell & Chris Bushell. The French Railways Society 2025. With thanks to Georges Turpin, Christophe Masse, David Haydock, Didier Delattre, Martin Barnsdall, Jean-Louis Poggi, Jo-Anne Purchase and Ben Pattison