March 2025 News
On 27 January, in heavy rain that has symbolised the beginning of 2025, 'Ouigo Tango' TGV set 734 is seen on the LGV Sud-Est passing Chevry-Cossigny with Train 7875 from Paris Gare de Lyon to Montpellier Sud de France. This set is made up of the automotrices from POS 4403 coupled with the coaches from Réseau Duplex set 607. This combination provides an additional 10 seats compared to other sets in the series. Photo: Christophe Masse.
TGV M further delayed
Reports of another six-month delay to TGV M’s start of public service have not been denied by SNCF, with early 2026 now cited instead of mid-2025, more than three years later than originally planned. Excess vibration at high speed and a problem with the back-up battery power pack, identified in trials last year, have been rectified, but granting of technical certification is taking longer than expected. The necessary one million km of pre-service running should be achieved this spring and SNCF now hopes that 12 sets will be delivered next year, followed by 15 in 2027 and a further 18 in 2028 under terms renegotiated with builder Alstom. SNCF estimates it could be carrying up to 10% more passengers but for the shortage of TGV sets.
The first should enter service in June 2026 between Paris and Marseille where SNCF plans a revamped offer to compete with Trenitalia’s Frecciarossa trains. Extension to Nice will follow as soon as practicable. In winter 2026, some sets will be deployed on ski services to Alpine destinations, followed by the Milan route. Summer 2027 will see the start of SNCF’s Italian domestic services, nine A/R daily between Turin, Milan, Rome and Naples, plus four between Turin and Venice, operated by SNCF Voyages Italie. These will utilise the 15 four-voltage nine-car TGV M sets, the first of which started trials at Velim test track last November. By 2028, TGV M should be covering diagrams to Montpellier, Béziers and Perpignan.
In all, 115 trains are on order at a cost of €3.5 billion. SNCF and Alstom signed an agreement in 2016 for design and build of 100 trains, with entry into service planned for 2022. Later, an option was exercised for a further 15 trains with four-voltage capability for international services. In January Alstom announced an extension to its Belfort plant with a new €10 million workshop covering 3,800 m2 due to be completed early in 2026. A former car park adjacent to the existing plant has been sold to Alstom by Belfort Ville for €1. The new 250m-long workshop will be equipped with a full length pit, two overhead cranes and be able to lift a full length train. It will be used in the construction and testing of new TGVs.
Above. On the evening of Sunday 9th February BB 27042 draws into Vaires Yard with Inoui-liveried TGV M 1007, en route from Alstom's Belfort plant to La Rochelle. Photo: Christophe Masse.
Luchon progress
During February ballasting of the rebuilt Montréjeau – Luchon line took place on the steep southern section between Marignac and Luchon, where the line runs close to the Spanish border. A single ballast train was operating, topped and tailed by a TSO Vossloh G 1206 and an Egénie V211, seen above on the 1.7% (1 in 59) gradient between Marignac and Cier-de-Luchon with the G 1206 leading. A loading depot has been established at Marignac (lower left), where the train is replenished overnight with ballast brought in by road. Lower right shows the position at Luchon with a tamper in the station, the track awaiting ballast; the station building has been renovated but work is still required on the platform. The ticket office has remained open since trains were withdrawn in 2014.
The reopening date has not yet been announced although the current bus timetable runs until 4 July. ACPR has advertised a steam hauled railtour to Luchon’s Fête des Fleurs on 24 August. It seems likely that the railtour will only run to Montréjeau with a transfer to the TER or road transport. All photos taken on the 5 February: Georges Turpin.
The reopening date has not yet been announced although the current bus timetable runs until 4 July. ACPR has advertised a steam hauled railtour to Luchon’s Fête des Fleurs on 24 August. It seems likely that the railtour will only run to Montréjeau with a transfer to the TER or road transport. All photos taken on the 5 February: Georges Turpin.
Technis up and running
It has 11 works located mainly in the eastern side of the country close to major freight traffic flows. Those at Lens, Thionville and Dijon are equipped for heavy repairs, with Lens handling up to Level 4 (mid-life overhaul, major accident repair, retrofitting). The eight other sites are: Woippy (Level 2), Le Bourget (2/3), Hourcade (2), Hendaye (2), Sibelin (2/3), Modane (2/3), Miramas (2/3), and Le Boulou (2).
Masteris. SNCF Voyageurs’ rolling stock maintenance and engineering subsidiary is gearing up to take advantage of opportunities created by liberalisation of the rail market. SNCF established Masteris in 2009 to commercialise its expertise in the rolling stock sector. The business now has revenues of more than €350 million and a staff of 160. Clients include Luxembourg Railways and Akiem as well as other SNCF Group companies.
In a recent interview with Railway Gazette International, CEO Rémi Peltier identified locomotives as “highly important” to future business, as well as the high-speed train sector and new entrants such as those bidding for TER operating contracts. Masteris supports SNCF’s international activities through Eurostar and in Morocco, and sees opportunities in Europe and worldwide. Contracted by Eurostar and in partnership with SNCB, it is currently equipping Eurostar E300 trainsets that run in Belgium with ETCS. Unusually, Masteris is carrying out the work in SNCB premises not in an SNCF Technicentre, paving the way for further collaboration. All eight sets should be equipped by the end of 2028.
Masteris is also a participant in the Opter mid-life refurbishment programme for AGC and TER 2N NG regional MUs, and Peltier sees similar opportunities for upgrading other fleets.
Both Technis and Masteris have lost out on work for Akiem since opening of its own workshop at Ostricourt near Lille last May, where it is carrying out mid-life overhauls of its BB 27000 and BB 37000 locos. Half the space is available for other work on the same loco types, or for outside contracts. Recent work has also been subcontracted to Hiolle Industries in Valenciennes and Ramfer, the workshops owned by Colas Rail.
Soldiering on till 2030? BB 7254 dating from 1978 has arrived at Latour-de-Carol on 11 December with ICN 3971 from Paris in its last week of daily operation. This train now runs weekends only until 4 June due to overnight engineering work on the POLT main line. Régiolis Z 54911/12 was waiting to form TER 871472 10.31 to Toulouse, but this service was cancelled due to the bad weather. Photo: Ben Pattison.
Night stock procurement begins
Pre-tender information was published on 16 February for the long-discussed night train replacement rolling stock fleet. Expressions of Interest are sought for design, construction and financing of rolling stock, and management of orders with the successful manufacturers; provision of stock to the operator(s) responsible for TET Night services; and heavy maintenance facilities. Estimated date for ‘contract execution’, that is start of the design and construction phase, is the third quarter of 2026. The State intends to open the ICN network to competition (as Lot C) in 2028, and its preference is for the stock to be acquired through a rental company. It would then be leased to the new operator for a period of 15 years. Given long lead times, new stock is unlikely to be delivered before 2030.
Rather than 30 locomotives as previously mentioned, the base order is for 27 bimodes (ie electro-diesel), with four options to supply up to 15 more. Estimated value of the contract is put at €500 million. The coaches will be to UIC-Z standard (26.4m long), with an order for 180 of various types and options for a further 160 in batches of 40 each. Estimated value of the coach and maintenance contract is €1.8 billion.
Pierre Soncarrieu, deputy head of TET services, said: “The State wants to provide travellers with a wider range of comfort options”. Though not detailed in the pre-tender documents, it is understood that five types of accommodation are planned:
● individual reclining seats;
● compartments for families or groups, similar to today’s couchettes;
● individual sleeping pods providing private space for single travellers;
● sleeping compartments with berths for one or two with washing facilities;
● luxury sleeping compartments with berths for one or two with private shower and toilet.
There would be special compartments for wheelchair users and eight cycle spaces with electric charging points in each rake, probably in a seating/service car which might also include a lounge area and possibly some form of catering provision. Sets would comprise at least one of each type of car, forming trains of one or more portions up to a maximum of 16 cars. The base order would provide sufficient stock for the five existing services (current fleet 129 coaches), with some surplus to augment short trains (Albi, Latour-de-Carol, Aurillac) and to cater for holiday traffic peaks.
As illustrated in January News, Austrian Federal Railways’ Siemens-built Nightjet has set a high standard for Europe’s expanding night train network. Passenger groups hope that France will aspire to accommodation of similar quality. Nightjet stock is certified to operate in Germany, Italy, Austria and Switzerland, but regulatory issues have so far prevented ÖBB from seeking approval to run in France.
With just over three months before they take over Marseille – Toulon – Nice services, the first of Transdev's Class Z 59000 Regio 2Ns is finally en route to Nice. The first unit in the series, 101 ZOU is seen heading towards Paris near Noues (Val d'Oise) on 24 February. Before reaching Nice it will need to undertake validation at 200 km/h under 1.5kV between Les Aubrais and Vierzon. Only eight of the 16 Regio 2Ns ordered in December 2021 are expected to have been delivered when Transdev takes over the service in June. To make up the shortfall, Grand Est will lease eight EMUs and AURA probably a further four; Centre-Val de Loire may also offer stock. Trains often move between régions to cover short-term needs but leasing of stock to a ‘competitor’ of SNCF has proved controversial. Local reports say that Transdev has only 70% of the staff complement it needs, with drivers still refusing to transfer from SNCF on the terms offered. Photo: Christophe Masse.
LGV Picardie link underway
Construction started on 6 January of the 6.5km Roissy-Picardie interconnection between the Nord-Est LGV north of Roissy-Aéroport-CDG and the Paris – Amiens classic line, designed to improve access to the airport from northern France. Described in February 2024 News, construction had been delayed by several factors; now the link is scheduled for completion by the end of 2026.
Discussed for 25 years, the €541 million interconnection will bring dramatic local journey time reductions and open up new opportunities for long-distance travel without the need to change stations in Paris. Some 5,000 new daily commuters are expected between Creil and CDG airport, journey time for which will be 17min against 1h 10 currently. Long-distance examples include planned TGVs from Amiens to Marseille in 4h 55 and from Amiens – Strasbourg in 3h 10 . Visual detail in video opposite.
Nouvelle-Aquitaine refurbished AGCs on stream
Nouvelle-Aquitaine’s refurbished AGC MU was unveiled at SNCF’s Charentes-Périgord Technicentre at Périgueux on 7 February. Under a contract signed in 2022 between NA and SNCF Voyageurs, 52 Class B 81500 three-car bimodes and 10 B 82500 four-car BiBi sets dating from 2002-11 are being given a mid-life refit. This represents one-third of the région’s fleet. The €193 million cost is covered by a loan from the European Investment Bank negotiated jointly with Occitanie.
The dismantled trains receive a full mechanical and electrical overhaul, with corrosion treatment where necessary. Energy consumption is improved by installation of an eco-parking system that reduces power consumption whilst the train is stationary. Athermic treatment of the glazing reduces air-conditioning needs and air-cycling is adjusted according to passenger loading. Together these measures save up to 35% of heating and aircon power consumption.
Interiors are completely refitted with new grey/blue seating, wooden armrests, LED lighting, new luggage racks, video surveillance cameras, more cycle space with new racks, extra wheelchair space, and electric/USB ports at each seat. The replanned interior includes longitudinal seating in place of the former curved banquettes over the central bogies.
A further five sets will be delivered this year, after which work ramps up to nine per year through to 2030. Including orders from other régions, Périgueux will refit around 200 trains by the end of the decade, a renaissance for this works that had been threatened with closure. SNCF has invested €15 million to broaden the Technicentre’s capabilities, making it the centre of excellence for refurbishment aimed at future contracts for Régiolis trains as they come to mid-life. An additional 200 staff have been recruited over the past three years, bringing the total to 600. Photos: Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
Omneos change face of Normandie services
Normandie then ordered 27 similar sets, numbered as Class Z 56800 (sets 801 XL to 827 XL), limited to 160 km/h and with higher density seating, the same as Regio 2N sets elsewhere. These are replacing 16 older Class Z 26500 five-car double-deck EMUs (sets 551 to 566) used mainly on limited-stop Saint-Lazare – Rouen services and Class BB 15000 plus VO2N or V2N double-deck push-pull stock on Saint-Lazare – Vernon/Serquigny (see January News). Class BB 15000 will shortly be withdrawn while the Class Z 26500 EMUs have been sold to Grand Est région which will deploy them on the Metz – Luxembourg route after refurbishment and fitting with ETCS (see January News). December also saw three Régiolis MUs acquired from Centre-Val de Loire enter service on the Le Havre – Bréauté-Beuzeville – Fecamp line, replacing older stock.
At the end of January, the région celebrated five years of the Nomad branding for its TER routes. Since then some €2.3 billion has been invested in new trains, helping boost patronage by 20% to 493,000 journeys daily. Having introduced a further 70 additional trains (mainly off-peak) with last December’s timetable change, the région is now looking at improving peak-time services into Caen to encourage more commuters from Lisieux and Bayeux to switch to rail. One long-mooted proposal, reopening of the Caen – Flers line (65km), will not be taken forward. The likely cost of €200 to €300 million is “not within our financial means” said transport vice-president Jean-Baptiste Gastinne.
News in Brief
Val de Saône. Construction started in January of a 28km rapid bus route (Bus à Haut Niveau de Service, BHNS) linking Trévoux and communities on the left bank of the Saône with Lyon at a cost of €192 million. It will utilise 18km of railway alignment between Trévoux and Sathonay-Camp, closed to passengers in 1938 and bought from SNCF by AURA in 2022. Existing structures, such as the Viaduc de Rochetaillée (above, with bus digitally superimposed), are being reused. Photo: Région AURA.
Brief encounter? SNCF Connect and dating app Happn joined forces for a Valentine’s survey to discover the stations where people were most likely to find love. Almost 30% of respondents said they had met a partner in a railway station, with Lille Flandres (on Sundays) named the number one location followed by Lyon Part-Dieu and Marseille Saint-Charles. SNCF offered six prizes of €200-worth of tickets for the best love stories.
Travel if you dare. Many would applaud the €150 fine imposed on a passenger who refused to switch off his mobile phone loudspeaker when taking a call at Nantes, but complaints of staff heavy-handedness abound. Also at Nantes, a woman was forced to leave the ticket office by security guards because she was breast-feeding her child; SNCF apologised and reimbursed her ticket. Later, a group of women held a ‘mass suckling’ at the station in protest. A wheelchair user received an on-the-spot fine for occupying the ‘wrong’ seat reserved for disabled passengers. Someone who never travels by train has been harassed over two years for €22,600 in unpaid fines for ticketless travel, apparently due to identity theft.
Oddly, some infractions go unremarked, such as smoking on station platforms. Dwell times of several minutes are common for TGV and Intercités stops and passengers can still be seen in the vestibules with unlit cigarettes waiting to jump off for a quick drag before the doors close again.
Occitanie. A new SNCF Direction Régionale des Gares has been set up to manage and develop the région’s 292 stations. With headquarters at Montpellier and 300 staff, the group will concentrate on improving accessibility, promoting commercial use of redundant buildings and developing the city’s SERM plans.
Eco rail. SNCF has placed an €1 billion order for delivery of 170,000 tonnes of rail annually for six years with Saarstahl Rail at Hayange. The steel used will be manufactured from 100% recycled sources, 65% from scrap and 35% from old rail, and produced in low-emission electric arc furnaces. The rails will be produced at Hayange and Saint-Saulve with CO2 emissions reduced by 70% compared to traditional methods using raw materials.
Solar power. SNCF is trialling temporary installations of photo-voltaic panels on redundant track to provide a local source of renewable power during maintenance work. Developed by the Arep subsidiary of SNCF Gares & Connexions, the Solveig system will be rolled out widely if tests are successful.
Photo: SNCF-Arep/YA.
In another first, 890m2 of pv panels have been installed on the roof of Sedan gare, the 40 x40cm ‘tiles’ matching the existing slates. They will be capable of supplying 25% of the station’s electricity needs.
SERM. On 20 January, Grenoble launched the process which will lead to preparatory studies and establishment of funding and governance parameters for the city’s SERM network. Similarly at Clermont-Ferrand where preliminary studies were approved on 23 January, the €2 million cost 50% funded by the State; and at Saint- Étienne where €1.8 million was granted on 17 February for revising existing plans to conform with the pre-study parameters.
Eus. Wrangling continues over responsibility for the bridge here over the Perpignan – Villefranche Vernet-les-Bains line which was badly damaged by a derailed train last July, the commune not wishing to sanction demolition until SNCF Réseau agrees to finance reconstruction. A proposal by SNCF was rejected on 12 February; Eus council undertook to make a counter-proposal. Meanwhile trains are only running as far as Ille-sur-Têt.
Le Teil. AURA has budgeted €2.4 million this year for refurbishment of the closed station so that trains can call. Nîmes/Avignon to Pont-Saint-Esprit trains currently run empty to Le Teil to reverse but cannot pick up passengers. From late-2026 five A/R daily will serve Le Teil, restoring passenger service to Ardèche département after 50 years. Intermediate stations at Viviers and Bourg-Saint-Andéol will not be reopened.
TGV is ‘not a public service’. Said PDG Jean-Pierre Farandou on 24 January, responding to criticism of this year’s fares increases. “The TGV business has to earn a living, there is no subsidy” he said, pointing also to SNCF Group’s overall profitability.
Valdunes. Surprise has been expressed that France’s last maker of wheels and axles, rescued from bankruptcy last year with public money totalling €20 million, plans to turn some capacity over to armaments manufacture. Production of wheelsets has resumed but at only 50% of the previous output. Staff fear that investment will go into machinery for arms production rather than modernisation of the rail business, which the company denies.
Ussel pledge. Nouvelle-Aquitaine is ready to put €15 million towards the cost of reopening between Ussel and Volvic for passenger trains, regional conseiller Pascal Cavitt told a meeting at Ussel on 14 February. He called on AURA, in which most of the route lies, to commit to its majority share of €25 million, to provide €40 million for upgrading between Ussel and Laqueuille (40km), whence the line remains open for freight. A year ago, SNCF Réseau had estimated the cost of restoration at over €50 million. AURA did not comment. The Brive – Clermont-Ferrand line was severed at Ussel in 2014 when AURA refused to pay €7 million towards infrastructure work necessary to maintain safety, a decision now seen as short-sighted.
Budget 2025. The draft budget agreed at the beginning of February provides for a regional mobility tax (VMR) of 0.15% to be levied on businesses with 11 or more employees. The proceeds would be used to finance improved local transport as compensation for withdrawal of the State’s 0.2% regional mobility grant. Normandie, AURA, Hauts-de-France and Pays de la Loire have said they will refuse to levy the tax.
Intercités loco shortage. The Paris – Tarbes night train was cancelled for a fortnight from 27 January due to shortage of motive power, resuming on 10 February in time for the winter holidays. Passengers forced to use day trains must pay up to four times the night fare. Paris – Toulouse Intercités services were also cancelled. (see item below). From 9 February six BB 26000 were loaned by Hexafret until the end of March
Albertville. With the N90 road reduced to an alternate single lane by a rockfall between Albertville and Moutiers, AURA put on an extra Chambéry – Bourg-Saint-Maurice A/R on Friday evenings and two additional A/R on Saturdays to ease access to ski resorts during the winter holidays starting on 8 February. Paris – Bourg-Saint-Maurice TGVs were already fully booked, so SNCF added an extra daily A/R for the holiday period.
Saint-Brieuc – Pontivy. SNCF is in discussions with Association Du Rail au Vert which has proposed conversion of this 70km disused line to a voie verte at a cost of €120,000 per km.
Rodez. With Occitanie région pausing its plan to reopen the Rodez – Sévérac-le-Château line, local officials have seized the initiative to promote its conversion to a voie verte.
Montenvers. Following transfer of the railway from Compagnie du Mont-Blanc to Haute-Savoie département last October, the two parties are in dispute over €17.3 million CMB says it is owed for assets it owns but which are essential for railway operations.
Basque gap. The president of Nouvelle-Aquitaine and his Euskadi (Basque) counterpart met with the EC transport commissioner on 29 January to seek support for the proposed high-speed line from the Spanish border at Hendaye to Dax, the Atlantic Corridor, to provide a continuous HS route from Madrid to Paris. Both reaffirmed their political and financial commitment to the project which has met strong opposition.
Paris – Munich. SNCF and DB will collaborate to introduce a direct service, the start date of December 2026 depending on completion of the Stuttgart21 project. There will be five A/R daily, using both TGV and ICE trainsets.
Culmont-Chalindrey. The Technicentre is to be extended to take on maintenance of Coradia Liner trains operating Grand Est’s Paris – Belfort service as well as MUs serving the Marne valley line. A new two-track shed will be built at a cost of €40 million, 100% financed by GE région. Construction starts in October for opening in 2027.
Retournac. This town of 3,000 inhabitants between Saint-Étienne to Le Puy is to retain its staff and passing loop at least in the short term after locals resisted SNCF’s plan to close ticket offices and reduce the number of crossing places on the 73km single track between Firminy and Le Puy. There are nine A/R daily, of which two cross at Retournac in the evening peak.
Niort – Saintes. Reopened on 13 February after a nine-month closure for rebuilding. Rail, sleepers and ballast have been replaced over 77km, a bridge renewed at Saint-Hilaire and four level crossings eliminated at a cost of €115 million, 76% funded by Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Line speed is now 100km/h throughout, cutting journey time by up to 10min. Four A/R run daily at peak times only until 26 June when the full service of nine A/R will be introduced. At Prissé-la-Charrière, Villeneuve-la-Comtesse and Loulay, service will increase from three to five A/R daily plus a Friday extra, while Saint-Hilaire-Brizambourg goes from four to five A/R. The worksite at Saint-Jean-d’Angely was open to the public on the day trains resumed running. Photo: La Nouvelle République/BD.
Jura timber traffic. Recent investment of €5 million at Andelot-en-Montagne south of Besançon supports a new flow of timber from the Jura mountains destined for pulping at Tarascon. Severe drought and unusually high temperatures have caused an epidemic of bark-beetle weevils in spruce forests. Despite the infestation, the timber can still be used for pulp but must be harvested before too much damage occurs. Trains of up to 20 wagons operated by Régiorail leave Andelot on Tuesdays at 18.03 reaching Tarascon the following morning at 07.38. Haulage to other destinations is envisaged, including Italy.
Photo: © France Télévisions/HP.
Tartas branch reopened
Trains are running again on the 12.6km freight branch from Laluque north of Dax to Tartas in Les Landes, unused since renovation was completed in 2023. Private sidings serve the Rayonier Advanced Materials (RYAM) cellulose bioethanol refinery and Maïsadour grain silos at Tartas, and the intermodal hub planned for Laluque, customers which it is hoped will transfer 200,000 tonnes annually from road to rail. Operations are handled by Europorte-Socorail. On 3 February, BB 75402 hauled the first grain train for Maïsadour.
Lightly-laid on the sandy soil of Les Landes, the line was closed after a derailment in 2019. Nouvelle-Aquitaine (NA) then decided to rebuild under its programme of support for the région’s freight lines. The €16.6 million cost was financed 70% by NA and 30% by the State. Photo: Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
Lightly-laid on the sandy soil of Les Landes, the line was closed after a derailment in 2019. Nouvelle-Aquitaine (NA) then decided to rebuild under its programme of support for the région’s freight lines. The €16.6 million cost was financed 70% by NA and 30% by the State. Photo: Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
New entrants criticise tendering process
Following SNCF’s successful bid for the Nantes Intercités contract (see February News), would-be competitors complained of deficiencies in the tendering process. Le Train, which had high hopes of winning, told a Senate hearing on 29 January that it had presented a competitive and attractive offer with improved customer experience, increased frequency and a 20% better financial outcome, which it was disappointed to see rejected. Renfe’s bid also failed.
The previous day, transport minister Philippe Tabarot had said SNCF’s winning bid “demonstrates the concrete progress made possible by opening up to competition”. In contrast, Le Train felt that the State’s position as managing authority for Intercités, as well as being stakeholder in SNCF and Transdev, did not deliver a level playing field and could affect adjudication of bids. It called on the State to ‘guarantee a transparent and fair competition framework for the next tenders…to ensure access to complete and robust data, and to structure future lots with acceptable operating conditions to avoid asymmetries between competitors’. In the limited bidding so far, only Transdev has managed to beat SNCF, having won contracts for the Nice – Marseille TER service (PACA), and the Nancy – Contrexéville reopening (Grand Est) as part of the Nova 14 consortium.
Trenitalia, Renfe and Transdev, also present at the hearing, pointed to obstacles facing new entrants to both open-access and tendered services: the often degraded state of regional network infrastructure, high access charges, lengthy administrative delays, thousands of documents to be completed, technical hurdles and cumbersome procedures. Trenitalia said that it had taken four years to complete documentation necessary for accessing the French market.
Regarding Renfe’s position, Spain’s transport minister Oscar Puente had previously said "It is clear to everyone that France is doing everything possible to prevent a genuine process of liberalisation”. Transdev described the TER bidding process as having ‘poorly calibrated batches [of lines], and a lack of transparency around rolling stock’. The poor state of much of the infrastructure, prohibitive pre-operating costs and cumbersome procedures made it very hard for new entrants to assemble credible bids.
Users association Fnaut, commenting on the Nantes contract, said ‘Our feeling is that the government did not dare entrust these lines to a company that has never run a train’, suggesting that the bidding was a merely a means of forcing SNCF to up its game. In an interview, Le Train president Alain Getraud said he was disappointed but not surprised at the outcome; nevertheless “we will respond to further tenders where we [feel we] can make a real improvement in service” he said. “France resists…the railway is lagging behind other European countries where competition is already in place; but I am convinced that in five to 10 years the French railway landscape will no longer be recognisable”
Clermont/POLT bidding
Pre-tender information for the bidding to operate these two IC routes (Lot B) was published in the Journal Officiel on 5 February. The contract period will be for 10 years starting on 9 December 2029. CAF’s Oxygène trains, still two years away from commissioning, are stated as the rolling stock to be used by the new operator, along with their depots at Villeneuve-Saint-Georges (Paris), Clermont and Brive. SNCF Voyageurs immediately announced its intention to bid. Le Train’s position was unclear, and observers considered other potential bidders to be thin on the ground in the light of the obstacles mentioned above.
The process has been described as a smokescreen to cover up the continuing poor reliability and operational failings on the two routes. At the Senate economic affairs committee on 22 January, Michelin Group president Florent Menegaux described Clermont-Ferrand’s service as “the third world in rail transport" and a brake on Michelin's development. “I'm hesitant to send people by train” he said “because I don't know if they're going to arrive on time. We've seen incredible things…hours of delay, trains without heating."
Despite a big effort last year, SNCF continues to grapple with infrastructure deficiencies and poor reliability of the 40-year-old BB 26000 locomotives used on the two routes. The fleet suffered badly in January’s severe weather, with delays of up to 12h in freezing conditions. As a result, two return Paris – Toulouse trains were cancelled every day for a fortnight from 27 January due to shortage of locomotives. Despite borrowing six locos from Hexafret, breakdowns were still too numerous to ensure normal operations during February. Intercités had hoped to resume the full service of eight daily A/R Clermont trains for the start of the winter holidays, but IC 5954 05.51 Clermont and IC 5977 17.57 ex-Paris Bercy remained cancelled until the 14th.
SNCF PDG Jean-Pierre Farandou, challenged on the France 2 programme Complément d’Investigation on 13 February, apologised to Auvergnats for the poor service. "I agree with…Michelin's boss. The Paris – Clermont service is in difficulties….because the rolling stock is 40 years old, and the railway [is undergoing] major work. There have been huge investment gaps…the State took the right decisions, but a little late. I'm sorry for the Auvergne…We do the best we can."
On 10 January, IC 5963 14.01 Paris – Clermont-Ferrand failed near Montargis, with no power supply and blocking a level crossing. Croix Rouge volunteers brought blankets and refreshments to sustain the passengers. Clermont was reached 4h 40 late.
Photo: © Député Nicolas Bonnet.
Lyon area developments
Lyon freight bypass
Plans for CFAL date back to the late-1990s. Public consultations were held in 2001, and after a decade of studies the northern section (now called Nord Phase I) was declared to be of Public Utility in 2012. Though largely contained within existing infrastructure and railway land, the plan was strongly opposed and no progress was made until capacity pressures brought it back onto the agenda in 2021. Last October, during a visit by the then transport minister François Durovray, the project was described as ‘a priority issue’ for the State, and it is now seen as essential both for access to the Transalpine line avoiding Lyon and to free up capacity for development of the city’s SERM.
The principal work is construction of 48km of new double-track to link the Ambérieu-en-Bugey – Lyon line with that from Grenoble to Lyon. It would be built in two phases, the first 26km from a junction near La Valbonne turning sharply southwards at Montluel to join the alignment of LGV Rhône-Alpes. Running parallel with the LGV for several km, the new line then passes east of Gare Saint-Exupéry before turning west to join the line from Grenoble by a burrowing junction. Traffic from the north will thus be able to access Vénissieux yard without passing through Part-Dieu station.
Phase II would see the Phase I line extended 22km from La Valbonne eastwards to the outskirts of Ambérieu, together with a connection from the existing line at Beynost and a triangular junction outside Gare Saint-Exupéry to that trains can access the Transalpine route via the LGV. Later, CFAL Sud would form a southern bypass between the Grenoble line at Heyrieux and Sibelin for trains heading south towards Marseille and west to Saint-Étienne. This would require purchase of non-railway land; it was costed at €1.4 billion in 2007.
As planned 20 years ago, the alignment will mostly follow existing railways and roads, with 24 underbridges and 45 overbridges, two viaducts (Rhône and Ain river crossings), a 1.4km twin-tube tunnel and nine cut-and-cover sections totalling more than 2km to minimise noise and visual pollution. The bridge over the Rhône would be integrated with the existing structures carrying LGV Rhône-Alpes and the A432 motorway over the river north of Saint-Exupéry. The alignment would be suitable for 220km/h running to accommodate passenger as well as freight trains. About 8km would be single-track connections to and from existing lines.
Finance for this major project has yet to be allocated but the conjunction of SERM and the Transalpine railway make it a priority for Lyon’s maire as well as the State. The new government has yet to comment.
Vénissieux-Saint-Priest. The €18.7 million extension of Lyon’s intermodal hub opened in January. Three additional tracks have raised capacity from seven to nine trains daily, with a tenth planned for 2026. Around 10% of all rail freight is handled here.
On 7 December BB 25660 and BB 25639 are seen arriving at Lyon Perrache with a special from Avignon for the annual Fête des Lumières. Also on that day Perrache hosted X 2816+XR 6154 from Besançon, X 4039 from Dijon and BB 67456 + RRR from Clermont-Ferrand.
Photo: Didier Delattre.
Ouvrons Perrache
With rebuilding nearing completion at Lyon Part-Dieu, last month saw the start of Phase II of the Ouvrons Perrache project to modernise and transform the city’s other main station and its adjacent interchange with metro, tramway and parking (Centre d’Échange de Lyon Perrache, CELP). This will equip the station to handle a doubling of daily footfall from 100,000 to 200,000 by 2030 as TER services expand under SERM. €140 million of public and private money is being invested.
Impression of the view from Place Carnot through the ‘window’ in the CELP towards Perrache station, its newly-revealed façade in the background. Photo: Dietmar Feichtinger Architects.
Confined on the presqu’ile between the Rhône and Saône rivers, Perrache station traditionally faced northwards but redevelopment of the formerly industrial Confluence district at the tip of the peninsula created a need for improved southern access. In Phase I, completed in 2021, an entrance was built opening onto Place des Archives and a pedestrian underpass created to link the two sides of the station. Tramway T2 was extended south to Hôtel de Région Montrochet, relieving overcrowded T1 and providing improved service to the Confluence area, now revived with striking residential buildings, offices, shops and restaurants.
In Phase II, part of the CELP will be demolished to create an ‘urban window’ with uninterrupted vistas from Place Carnot to the station’s main building, currently obscured by the footbridge that links it with the CELP. It will open up a ground-level walkway between the two, with new areas of public green space. Demolition of the 1970s footbridge started in mid-February, kicking off work that will see 27,000m2 of the CELP redeveloped by 2030 as residential, co-working, sports and commercial space, plus a 150-room hotel. The roof terrace will be redesigned as a 3,700m2 garden with city-wide views and a food court.
Urban transport provision is being increased by some 30%. T1/2 stops will have platforms extended to accommodate new 43m-long tramcars. Regional bus services are being moved to a new site to free up space for more city routes, and new or redeveloped parking will accommodate 300 cycles and 530 cars.
Above. Now being demolished, the ugly 1970s footbridge obscurs the 1857 classical style station building, architect François-Alexis Cendrier. Photo: Métropole de Lyon/TF.
Farewell Toulouse Matabiau depot
Work is underway on dismantling and rationalising the former depot in preparation for demolition of the main workshop buildings as part of the Grand Matabiau redevelopment. Twenty years ago there would be up to 50 locomotives visible on the grid and in the workshops, constantly turning over to work passenger and freight services. These photos show the position at the beginning of February.
Access is now only possible from the north end of the station. The south entrance has now been lifted (top left), along with the tracks under the high level inspection point for electric locomotives. The servicing shed (top right) and fuelling point remain in use, mainly for Infra locomotives in the area, although on this occasion a DB Cargo G1000 is just visible. On the far right of the photo is an orange crane on the construction site of metro Line C. The 24m turntable (lower left), used to turn locomotives 90 degrees to access the traverser and workshop, should be joining 241 P 9 at Carmaux; behind it are rails from the traverser that is earmarked for CMCF at Oignies. Most of the lines on the former grid (lower right) have been cut back into sidings. On this occasion, they contained only the two former snowplough BB 8500s (CN 1 and 2) and an AURA AGC X 76769/70 waiting return to Aurillac or Clermont-Ferrand. Photos: Georges Turpin.
Testing and training
Research will include innovations in ballast and sleepers plus new methods of maintenance and controlling vegetation. Levels of wear-and-tear by different types of rolling stock (passenger and freight) will be assessed, along with their environmental impact. This year will see studies to determine the project’s research parameters and the standards to be adopted for the test track. Construction should begin next year for 2028 completion.
Track machines undergoing maintenance at the Montceau depot. Photo: Mecateamcluster.
Ferrocampus. This project takes a step forward in May with opening of a showroom at SNCF’s Saintes Technicentre which will highlight innovations of the Ferrocampus partners, including the latest on the TELLi lightweight train concept. Construction starts later this year on the €34.6 million centre of rail technology, scheduled for completion in 2028.
EFMO. École du ferroviaire et des mobilités d’Occitanie (EFMO) was launched in December. Located at the Occitanie chamber of commerce Purple Campus site at Pérols (Montpellier), the school has funding of €550,000 for purchase of technical equipment and start-up needs. The aim is to train students for jobs in the transport and mobility sectors, with an emphasis on rail projects in Occitanie such as the two LGV lines and Toulouse SERM. Courses should start later this year and by 2030 EFMO hopes to have 900 apprentices in training.
Pont des Cathédrals
Following extensive preparatory work at the end of last year (see October and December News), the new Warren truss girder bridge at Saint-Denis was rolled into position over two weekends last month. Now known as the Pont des Cathédrals, Pont 1 carries Transilien Line K and Paris – Laon trains over RER Lines B and D 2.6km outside Gare du Nord; it will also take CDG Express trains when that line opens in 2027. The skew crossing determined the choice of a Warren truss that requires no support between the four tracks below; at 143m long and 16.5m high, it is the largest such span in Europe.
Photo: SNCF Réseau.
Veynes celebrates
While lamenting the poor state of the lines today, the maire of Veynes Christian Gilardeau-Truffinet looked forward to this year’s start of major works that will upgrade the routes for their role in transporting visitors to the 2030 Winter Olympics. The four lines were allocated €151 million in the PACA State/Région Contract-Plan agreed in 2023 and a further €400 million will be invested in rail transport through to 2030. €140 million is for the Grenoble, Valence and Marseille routes, the first two of which are in AURA and will be upgraded in conjunction with that région.
The remainder has funded studies for associated work on the Veynes – Briançon line with the aim of introducing a fast service between Marseille and Briançon in 2029, at least two trains daily with a journey time of 3h 40 against today’s 4h 45min. Beyond Aix-en-Provence, the entire line is single apart from 4km outside Veynes. Double track between Veynes and Chorges (43km) was singled during the second world war and it is planned to reinstate a section of this to create a dynamic loop. In addition, platforms and loops are to be extended to accommodate trains of up to nine cars, station areas upgraded to handle the expected Olympic crowds, and several multimode interchanges (PEMs) developed.
As part of the Olympics planning, Franco-Swiss association Alprail is proposing restoration of through Marseille – Grenoble trains via Veynes, possibly continuing to Genève. This would be an echo of the former Alpazur service which until 1989 linked Digne with Genève, connecting with CFP trains from Nice.
Photo: Le Dauphiné Liberé/BE.
Winter maintenance on La Rhune
Chemin de fer de la Rhune, located 10km south of Saint-Jean-du-Luz, links the Col de Saint-Ignace with the summit of La Rhune (905m) on the Franco-Spanish border, the 4.2km line climbing over 730m with gradients of up to 1 in 4. It celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2024.
During February, winter maintenance and upgrading to new safety standards was taking place. On 21 February locomotive No 5 (top left) is seen descending with a works train consisting of car 16 (ex-Jungfraubahn) and a flat wagon also of Swiss origin. This locomotive was originally No 3 when delivered in 1924, but spent 1938-65 on the CF Luchon – Superbagnères, the two lines sharing the same rolling-stock design. To the right is a monument with the cogs and wheels of a steam locomotive used during construction of the line in early 1924 The cogwheel came off the rack and the locomotive descended 100 metres before derailing.
The line’s most recent locomotive (right), and the newest metre gauge locomotive in France, was built by Stadler in 2022, and is nearly 100 years younger than the remainder of the fleet. It is seen at the midway point with the summit in the far distance on the right. The 2025 season opens on 5 April and runs until 11 November.
Photos: Georges Turpin.
Velay Express - Saint-Agrève gare
The station at Saint-Agrève in Ardèche, terminus of the Velay Express preserved section of the CF Vivarais from Raucoules, is being renovated at a cost of €1.3 million. Now owned by the commune, the building will have gîte accommodation and a tourist office, together with left-luggage and picnic facilities. Passengers have a 3h lunch stopover here and staff will be on hand to recommend nearby restaurants and local produce. Also undergoing renovation is a Berner Oberland Bahn driving trailer coach BDt 403 which is being converted into a gîte for six people. One of two BOB coaches bought in 2020 and stored at Raucoules, No 403 was brought to Saint-Agrève in November by road as storm damage had made the railway impassable.
The Velay Express 2025 season opens on 1 May.
Photo: La Commère43.
Urban Rail News
MF19 trains unveiled
The first MF19 train was presented to the public at Bobigny depot on 14 February by ÎdF Mobilités president Valérie Pécresse and RATP’s Jean Castex. Some 50% of the metro fleet is being replaced by new-generation MF (métro ferrée, steel-wheel) trains of which 147 are being built by Alstom for delivery through to 2033. In all, up to 410 MF19 trains are likely to be ordered, valued at €2.9 billion.
MF19 trains are described as more comfortable, more environmentally friendly and more accessible than their 50-year-old predecessors. They bring the boa walk-through design to steel-wheel lines, allowing better distribution of passengers at busy times and improving their personal safety. Better insulation, LED lighting, USB sockets, forced-air heating/cooling, comprehensive visual and audio information, and more comfortable seating should all improve ambience. Interiors are fitted for regular or high-density use. The ‘Comfort’ version intended for Lines 3, 10 and 12 has 146 seats (102 fixed and 44 strapontin), while the ‘Capacity’ configuration for the busier Lines 7, 8 and 13 has 90 plus 32, thus ‘optimising standing space’ according to ÎdFM.
The trains were designed from the outset to be environmentally-friendly throughout their lifespan. Constructed using 20% recycled materials, they will be 98% recyclable when broken up. They will consume almost 25% less energy compared with MF77 trains, thanks to 100% electric braking and LED lighting; electric braking also helps reduce fine-particle emissions at stations. Modular construction gives suitable configurations for all steel-wheel lines: four- and five-car short-bodied sets for Lines 3bis, 7bis, 3, 10 and 12, and five-car long-body sets for Lines 7, 8 and 13. Cars are interchangeable so that different formations can be made up, and the driver’s cab module can be replaced by one equipped for GoA2 semi-automated operation, with the possibility of conversion for GoA4 unattended operation.
RATP has revised the timetable for entry into service of MF19 stock: after Line 10 comes Line 7bis (2026), then Lines 3bis and 13 (2027), Line 12 (2028), Line 8 (2029), Line 3 (2031) and Line 7 (2033). A further tranche of 147 trains is expected to be ordered later this year.
Line 10 ready. The first MF19s will run on Line 10, where 14 are expected to enter service in October. Modernisation to equip the line for the new trains is nearing completion after three years’ work. Infrastructure, platforms, power supply and signalling have been upgraded; 3.5km of track has been relaid and the whole line tamped. Several km of cables have been replaced, including new high-voltage lines to boost power supply; platform-edge profile adjusted over 610m; 288 transponders installed for the train control system; and 140 signals replaced. Much of this is unseen by passengers but stations have also received deep-cleaning and cosmetic improvements to match the ambience of the new trains. Line 10 is used by 39 million passengers a year. Photo: Île-de-France Mobilités.
GPE further delayed. ÎdFM has announced another six months’ slippage in opening dates due to delays in commissioning operating software. Bugs found during trials on Line 15 will take several months to iron out, and similar work for Lines 16 and 17 cannot take place until the system has been proved. Line 15 Sud is now expected to open in late-2026 and the first sections of Lines 16/17 in the second quarter of 2027.
Line 6 access. On 13 February Île-de-France région and ÎdF Mobilités approved preliminary studies into making Line 6 fully accessible, the first fruits of last year’s agreement on a 20-year metro accessibility programme (see October 2024 News). Line 6 is considered one of the easier tasks as half its stations are elevated and three already have lifts. Even so, the work is likely to take up to 10 years and cost €650 million.
RATP staff. The operator is seeking to fill 5,500 positions this year, of which 3,000 are full-time. Bus drivers and maintenance staff are urgently needed. Absenteeism was down by 8% in 2024 after a big push to counter the problem, with a 25% decline amongst metro drivers; 134 staff were dismissed for malingering. RATP has boosted its housing policy to help personnel live closer to their workplace, and improving work/life balance by offering a four-day week to all staff.
Voting with their feet. Following January’s 43% rise in the cost of a single Paris metro ticket, Le Monde reports an increase in walking by those unwilling to pay for short-distance travel. The ticket’s wider validity is of no use to those who travel only within the périph (the former Zone 1). Nevertheless, sales of the Navigo Liberté+ card, aimed at those without monthly or annual passes, have reached 800,000 and are running at 10,000 per day. With this card, one journey costs €1.99. Smartphone tickets now account for one-third of daily validations.
Marseille. From 1 September, public transport will be fares-free for children under 10 and those over 65-years-old. With some 500,000 pensioners and 240,000 children eligible, the cost is put at €10 million per year.
New RATP locomotives on stream
The first of 12 hybrid locomotives for infrastructure work has been delivered by CAF to the RATP workshops at Sucy-Bonneuil. Initially ordered in 2017 as part of a €65 million contract, the locomotives were expected to be constructed at Bagnères-de-Bigorre in the Pyrénées, but appear to have come from the former Alstom plant at Reichschoffen now owned by CAF.
The 1,000kW (1,340 bhp) locomotives can operate under 1.5kV catenary or autonomously from nickel-cadmium batteries.
Photo: Christophe Masse.
The 1,000kW (1,340 bhp) locomotives can operate under 1.5kV catenary or autonomously from nickel-cadmium batteries.
Photo: Christophe Masse.
Additions to FRS Photographic Archive during February 2025
To Photographic section
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Additions to the FRS public folder during February 2025
- Five photographs of David Cuthbert’s models (0-gauge) and twenty photographs of Jacques Poré’s models (H0)-gauge)
- Twelve colour images by John Sloane to the Miscellaneous Colour 2 gallery
- Four station track plans dated 1862 to Folder 14 of the archive
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Additions to the FRS public folder during February 2025
- Updated photo index for Miscellaneous 2 gallery
- Livret technique SNCF série 2D2.5503/5537
- Livret technique SNCF série 2D2.9101/9135
- Livret technique SNCF série BB.12001/12113
- Livret technique CC.14101/14202
- Publicity brochure SNCF 1984
- Brochure SNCF matériel 1984
- PLM trains de voyageurs 1932
- La France vue du train - Paris/Cote d’Azur
- Livret technique SNCF BB.9001/9002
© Peter Lovell & Chris Bushell. The French Railways Society 2025. With thanks to Georges Turpin, Christophe Masse, Didier Delattre and Ben Pattison.