September 2025 News
As mixed freight continues to decline in favour of intermodal and block services, BB 26130 carrying silver grey livery with Hexafret logo heads along Ligne 1 at Reuilly (between Mézy and Dormans) on 25 July with a variety of wagons on 56135 Le Bourget – Woippy.
Photo: Georges Turpin.
December decision on Ligne Nouvelle du Sud-Ouest funding
The Conseil d’Orientation des Infrastructures (Infrastructure Advisory Council) will decide by December whether the State should maintain its 40% contribution to the Bordeaux – Toulouse/Dax (LNSO, Ligne Nouvelle du Sud-Ouest) and Perpignan – Montpellier LGVs, as France grapples with proposed €44 billion budget cuts. Whilst coming up with a solution to funding SNCF’s maintenance backlog, Ambitions France Transport (see August News) suggested reassessment of major projects with a view to making cost-savings. Unattributed government sources are quoted as saying ‘the money just isn’t there’ for LNSO. However, AFT also stressed that due regard must be given to the wishes of the régions.
In that context, the wishes of Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Occitanie régions are not in doubt. A cut in funding was “unthinkable” according to Occitanie’s vice-president Jean-Luc Gibelin, interviewed by FranceInfo. Both LGVs are intended to relieve saturated existing routes, he said; they are not “vanity projects”. Development of SERM networks around Bordeaux and Toulouse depended on capacity that the LGVs would free up, while IC, TER and freight services would also benefit. With local communities providing a higher proportion of funding than for earlier LGVs, “it is not an option” he said “for the State to renege on its commitment”; neither project could proceed without public funding. He stressed the local support for LNSO, said to be 86% despite the widespread and vocal opposition, including from elected officials.
On 31 July the maires of Bordeaux and Bayonne, long-time opponents of LNSO, called on the government to bring forward urgently plans for modernisation of the classic line between the two cities, in particular to raise line speed above 200km/h. “France has not undertaken anything concrete for nearly two decades to connect Spain effectively by rail” they said; the Dax LGV was “a costly illusion ill-suited to current climate, economic and territorial challenges”.
Opponents have been revitalised by the funding uncertainty. Petitions against the legality of the schemes have so far been thrown out, the latest rejected by the Toulouse administrative court on 25 July. But anti-LGV groups are redoubling their efforts, encouraged by the pause in construction won by opponents of the A69 Toulouse – Castres motorway (later reversed). A camp near the Saint-Jory four-tracking worksite north of Toulouse was broken up by police for the fifth time on 28 July.
No trains are stopping at Villenave d’Ornon for six months until 28 September whilst four-tracking work takes place south of Bordeaux in preparation for LNSO and SERM. Photo: Sud Ouest/TD.
Ligne Nouvelle Provence Côte d'Azur
Opposition to the works underway to raise capacity on the Côte-d’Azur line has led Région Sud president Renaud Muselier to challenge widespread ‘misinformation’ in a leaflet sent to 60,000 households around Saint-Raphaël. “Too many untruths are circulating” he said, in response to the maire of Saint-Raphaël’s description of the project as “ruinous and destructive”. Contrary to rumours, the town would not lose its TGV service Muselier said, and the investment was €3.6 billion rather than €14 billion. Following rejection of the latest legal challenge by the Marseille administrative court on 18 July, Saint-Raphaël has organised a new Stop LNPCA citizens’ group.
BB 22251 tows a Renfe Talgo Avril set away from Pantin on 6 August en route to Chalindry for trials in Alsace and on the LGV Rhin-Rhône. The set arrived at the Technicentre Est Européen at Ourcq in late 2022 for homologation on the French network. The trials have dragged on with the set parked up in isolation for long periods, attracting graffiti and tagging. Photo: Christophe Masse.
Captrain Espagne Euro 6000 No 6002 is seen at Etangs de Leucate near Port-la-Nouvelle on 19 March 2024 with Train 418159 Toulouse Saint-Jory – Barcelona Can Tunis. Photo: Georges Turpin.
Spain bemoans cross-border inaction
At a meeting in Madrid in May, the EU commissioners for the Atlantic and Mediterranean corridors also expressed frustration. On the Atlantic side, major works are underway in Spain to bring standard gauge to the border at Irun when the Gipuzkoa leg of the Basque Y high-speed line opens in 2027. A contract for pre-tracklaying work on this 60km section was awarded in April, and dual-gauging of the 19km Astigarraga (San Sebastián) – Irun line at a cost of €165 million is well advanced. The dual-gauged line will link the Basque Y with Irun and the French border station at Hendaye, completing a standard-gauge route into France from Vitoria-Gasteiz and the port of Bilbao, as well as from Madrid.
Opposite. At Bordeaux Saint-Jean on 25 April, Train 49276 04.58 Hendaye – Apach waits in Platform 1 for a change of crew. DB Cargo hauls Volkswagen cars manufactured at Pamplona for distribution in Germany.
By contrast, in France no progress has been made with the 2013 proposal for Phase 2 of LNSO from Dax to the Spanish border, and as related above the future of Phase 1 from Bordeaux to Dax is now uncertain. Even if Phase 1 opens as planned in 2034, there would remain 88km of classic route on an otherwise high-speed alignment all the way from Paris to Madrid. Capacity here will be further constrained when the Basco-Landais RER half-hourly service is introduced between San Sebastián, Hendaye and Dax in 2032.
On the Mediterranean side, a similar gap remains between Perpignan and Montpellier, where construction of 150km of mixed-traffic LGV running through environmentally-sensitive areas is not expected to be completed until the 2040s. This route is important as the Seat car plant at Martorell and Ford’s Almussafes works are being extended to build electric vehicles. PowerCo’s battery factory at Sagunt north of Valencia is also a potential traffic source. Rail connections to these sites are being augmented by four new intermodal terminals to be built adjacent to the railway north to Barcelona and the French border. Together, these represent an investment of around €8 billion, providing a big opportunity for expansion of existing rail flows of road vehicles to northern Europe.
There should also be potential for passenger growth; today only a handful of SNCF and Renfe trains run across the border via the underused Figueres – Perpignan LGV. There are currently no proposals for high-speed services from France to Spain via the Basque Y; only the Basco-Landais RER project aims to run cross-border services. A Paris – Madrid journey time of 7h 25 would be possible once the Basque Y is open, around 90min faster than present times via Barcelona. This might be an opportunity for Renfe or a new entrant.
Again Spain has big ambitions. A 10-platform station is being built at Irun as part of urban regeneration of the extensive yards and facilities once necessary for cross-border operations. There is also a Portuguese proposal being discussed with Spain for reintroduction of the Lisbon – Irun/Hendaye Sud Express night train discontinued in 2020.
Since SNCF and Renfe trains ceased to run across the border, Euskotren’s metre-gauge line from Hendaye to San Sebastián/Donostia – Lasarte-Oria provides the only cross-border passenger service on the Atlantic corridor. Below. On 29 August 2022, Class 900 EMU No 918 has arrived at Hendaye and will form the 09.03 return to Lasarte. Trains run every 15min from Lasarte to Irun, extended half-hourly 1.5km across the Bidassoa river into France to terminate at the island platform in the forecourt of Hendaye SNCF station. Photo: Ben Pattison.
Freight News
The westbound service is seen above on 22 July passing Fossoy (Aisne) between Dormans and Château-Thierry headed by 66215 and running as train 52764 Metz-Nord – Valenton. Photo: Georges Turpin.
SNCF Réseau. Upgrading is underway to upgrade and modernise the four busiest marshalling yards as outlined in the Ulysse freight development programme (see May News) following EU approval of funding covering 45% of the €156 million cost. The remainder comes from the State 38% and SNCF Réseau 17%. The yards at Le Bourget, Woippy, Sibelin and Miramas handle 80% of wagonload movements and have seen little investment in recent years. The work will restore worn-out equipment, turnouts and trackwork, as well as digitising hump shunting movements, to bring the yards back to 100% operational capacity. Ulysse highlighted investment in hump sorting equipment and other facilities as essential if 8.5 billion tonne-km of wagonload freight was not to be lost to road haulage in the coming years. The work will be completed by 2027.
The project was confirmed by transport minister Philippe Tabarot when he officially inaugurated Brittany Ferries’ Bayonne ferroutage service on a visit to Cherbourg on 17 July.
Above. Transport minister Philippe Tabarot descends from the cab of E4001-3982 before it breaks the ribbon at Cherbourg on 17 July. Photos: Ouest France and France3 Normandie Caen.
Strike over. The rolling strike called in April by Sud Rail, which disrupted freight movements around Paris on 59 days, ended on 17 July. Trains through Villemomble, Le Bourget and Bobigny yards in suburban Paris were affected, with up to 40% of services subject to delay and/or rerouting on strike days. Sud Rail members were protesting against job cuts and changes to working practices at the yards resulting from the break-up of Fret SNCF at the end of last year. SNCF is shelving most of the redundancies and agreed a three-year moratorium on further staff. reductions
Strike over. The rolling strike called in April by Sud Rail, which disrupted freight movements around Paris on 59 days, ended on 17 July. Trains through Villemomble, Le Bourget and Bobigny yards in suburban Paris were affected, with up to 40% of services subject to delay and/or rerouting on strike days. Sud Rail members were protesting against job cuts and changes to working practices at the yards resulting from the break-up of Fret SNCF at the end of last year. SNCF is shelving most of the redundancies and agreed a three-year moratorium on further staff. reductions
Dunkerque. Construction started last month on the port authority’s rail-road transhipment terminal, a €25 million facility being built to encourage modal shift with potential for transfer of up to 50,000 road-vehicle movements per year to rail. Operation has been contracted to Modalis Group whose subsidiary Delta Rail will run trains to and from northern Italy from next March; the terminal will also be open to other operators’ trains. There will be capacity for up to four 750m trains daily. Photo: Dunkerque Port.
Medway. The Portuguese freight haulier has been granted EU approval to operate in France. Working with Aragón Logistics Cluster, Medway plans to launch freight services linking Portugal and northern France by the end of the year.
Réseau Fret BFC. Partners in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Réseau Fret Régional met for the first time on 9 July at the signing of a new five-year agreement between SNCF Réseau and Pagny Technoport. This covers reactivation of the link to the Dijon – Bourg-en-Bresse line, unused since 2009. Principal traffic is Jura timber currently moved by barge on the river Saône but it is hoped to transfer some of this to rail once the port is reconnected to the North Sea – Méditerranean corridor. Réseaux Fret Régional are being set up to promote sustainable freight transport and develop projects jointly with industry and logistics companies aimed at shifting more freight onto rail. They will direct investment into upgrading freight-only lines, private sidings and intermodal facilities, and increasing capacity where necessary.
Helrom. This German freight operator, which opened a branch in Orléans in May as a prelude to expansion into France, has now filed for preliminary insolvency. Founded in 2018 to promote an intermodal system for transport of non-craneable semi-trailers known as Helrom Trailer Rail, its services from Germany to Austria, Hungary and Italy look like being replanned. In May, the company secured a €32.9 million green loan facility to finance purchase of 120 wagons.
Grand Est investment. Urgent infrastructure work costing €1.5 million was approved on 7 July to keep trains running on the Xeuilley – Port-Saint-Vincent – Rosières-aux-Salines freight-only lines, which handle around 400,000 tonnes of cement and steel products annually. Between Xeuilley and Port-Saint-Vincent (5km) the route forms part of the Nancy – Contrexéville passenger reopening project. Port-Saint-Vincent to Rosières (21km) allows trains to avoid the need for reversal at Nancy. Despite remedial work carried out in 2022, both are in a poor state with speed limited to 40km/h. For the Rosières route, the cost of previously-approved renovation has been revised upwards, necessitating an additional expenditure of €870,000, whilst the Xeuilley section requires infrastructure work to maintain freight service until ownership is transferred from SNCF to Grand Est région in mid 2027. The project is funded 45% by the State and 33% Grand Est, with the remainder coming from Meurthe-et-Moselle département and local communautés de communes.
Since the end of 2024, the Hexafret BB 27000 fleet has included 12 examples equipped with ERTMS and KVB, now appearing with an E suffix after the number. Rather surprisingly the ERTMS equipment is maintained by Masteris, the maintenance subsidiary of SNCF Voyageurs rather than Technis which looks after the Hexafret fleet. Below. On 24 July BB 27100E passes Reuilly (between Mézy and Dormans) with train 56135 Le Bourget – Woippy. Photo: Georges Turpin.
Briançon night train diversion?
A test train is to run on 7 September to assess feasibility of diverting the Paris – Briançon night train via Grenoble instead of its usual route via Livron-sur-Drôme in the Rhône valley. If successful, the train would be scheduled for this route on six nights during the weeks of 22 and 29 September following the start of three months of engineering work at Livron.
The trial run utilising empty coaches will focus on compatibility of the rolling stock with infrastructure on the single-track from Grenoble to Veynes, as well as splitting of the Briançon portion from the Paris – Nice train at Lyon instead of Valence as now, and the change from electric to diesel traction at Grenoble. Locomotive diagrams and crew rosters will have to be replanned and timings adjusted as the train would arrive at Briançon later and depart earlier. Having previously rejected the suggestion, SNCF is now looking at the possibility of making the diversion permanent in 2026, when the usual route will be unavailable on 16 nights.
Use of the Grenoble route for diversions has long been an aim of elected officials dissatisfied with the train’s poor reliability, and locals have responded positively to the move. Permanent diversion via Grenoble would have to be approved by the transport ministry as sponsor of the subsidised TET service.
At weekends from 4 July until 31 August FS Treni Turistici Italiani operated the Espresso Riviera between Rome and Marseille. The outward journey left Rome at 19.57 on Fridays and after a leisurely journey arrived in Marseille on Saturdays at 13.57; the return departed from Marseille at 14.46 giving a Sunday morning arrival in Rome at 06.46. On 19 July BB 22320 waits to leave Marseille with the return service to Rome, which it will work as far as Vintimille. Photo: Didier Delattre.
POLT daytime suspension
A seven-month daytime closure between Les Aubrais and Boisseaux (37km) started on 4 August whilst the two main lines of this three-track section are relaid, replacing rail dating from the 1970s. Apart from the Christmas holidays, no trains are running between 09.30 and 17.30 until 26 January; express buses link Paris and Orléans during these times. The daytime closure is to allow the heavy overnight freight traffic to continue using the route. A southbound freight hauled by BB 27056 is seen on 27 July between Toury and Château-Gaillard, where new rail has been delivered ready for relaying of tracks 1 and 2. On the right, the unused fourth track alignment will provide access for engineering vehicles.
Photo: Georges Turpin.
Following extreme weather during the summer of 2023 SNCF announced that the roofs of Corail stock would be painted white to reflect the heat. Only a small proportion of the fleet has been treated, possibly due to it having lass impact than hoped. On 14 May BB 26073 and Intercités 4665 Bordeaux Saint-Jean - Marseille Saint-Charles head through Grisolles with only three of the ten coach rake having been treated. Photo: Georges Turpin.
Extreme heat causes cancellations
A second prolonged heatwave or canicule during the first two weeks of August saw temperatures across central and southern France of over 40degC. Speed limits were imposed in the many départements on red alert and at Captieux in Les Landes the temperature reached a record 43.1deg on 11 August.
This was deemed too hot to operate elderly Corail stock, resulting in cancellations on the Paris – Clermont-Ferrand, Paris – Toulouse, and Bordeaux – Marseille routes. A typical day on the latter route saw the IC 4661 12.10 and IC 4663 14.10 departures from Bordeaux and IC 4760 11.22 and IC 4762 13.25 departures from Marseille cancelled, whilst other trains were delayed due to equipment failures and speed restrictions. Curiously, on the 13th trains were cancelled between L'Isle-Jourdain and Auch following a warning of severe thunderstorms and strong winds. Replacement buses were laid on, although it seems surprising that buses are deemed safer than trains during storms.
On POLT there was less impact as services were already suspended due to the engineering work outlined above. On Paris – Clermont-Ferrand, four early-afternoon trains were cancelled, with those trains that ran suffering delays as thunderstorms bought down trees; some services were diverted via Vierzon. The transport ministry stated that only 16 trains a day had been cancelled out of the 15,000 scheduled to run, though that was of little comfort to regular travellers on the three routes affected.
Introduced in 1975, the air-conditioned Corail stock was designed when summer temperatures rarely exceeded the low 30s centigrade and thus are not as robust as more recent rolling stock. The air-conditioning is designed to maintain a temperature of between 20 and 24degC, with air cooling switching in when the temperature reaches 24C. When the external temperature is 33degC, the internal temperature should be no more than 26degC, but when the external air temperature reaches 35degC the air-con safety system trips out, soon rendering the coaches a health risk.
The extreme heat has also caused problems for preservation and tourist lines. Steam traction has been banned due to the fire risk, with diesel subsitutions.
Photo: Le Dauphiné Libéré.
TGV M testing has now moved on to operating in multiple. On 3 July two of the prototypes, M 996 made up of seven coaches and M 999 with nine, are seen passing Ronchin operating as 805776 Tourcoing – Roissy TGV. Photo: Didier Delattre.
Farewell Felletin
With the line between Busseau-sur-Creuse and Felletin closing at the end of August, the final L'Autorail Creusois between Guéret and Felletin ran on the 28 August. With high demand both of Autorail Limousin's X 2800s were needed. As normal on summer Thursdays, the 13.01 service TER from Limoges to Felletin was cancelled to give the tourist train a path on the branch! Vegetation is already beginning to overwhelm the track at Felletin with trains only using the far end of the platform (below left). X 2844 and X 2907 are seen at Busseau-sur-Creuse with X 73784 on TER 868705 the afternoon train from Montluçon alongside (below right) and above crossing the viaduct at Busseau on the return from Felletin to Guéret.
News in brief
SNCF. Higher fares, increased TER access charges and record TGV passenger numbers helped SNCF to a surplus of €950 million in the first half of 2025, six times higher than 2024’s figure. TGVs recorded 81.2 million journeys, up 1.7%, while TER patronage grew by 4%.
Pays de la Loire. Awarded a €68.5 million contract to a consortium of ACCM Clermont-Ferrand and Neopolia Saint-Nazaire for mid-life renovation of 17 AGC DMUs used on the Nantes – Pornic/Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie lines. The first should return to service in spring 2027.
Nantes IC. Transport minister Philippe Tabarot and SNCF Voyageurs Océan signed a 10-year contract on 18 July for operation of the Nantes – Bordeaux/Lyon TET services, the first Intercités routes to be opened to competition (see February News). The new operator takes over with the December 2026 timetable. A contract was also signed for construction of a new Nantes maintenance depot for the trains used on the two routes.
Vierzon. SNCF’s plan to demolish the old PO goods shed, latterly used by Sernam, has been blocked by the prefecture of Cher on the grounds that it is worthy of preservation. A 2024 agreement to convert the building into the station’s multimodal hub failed when it was found to be unsafe; two adjacent platforms were closed in July for safety reasons. Independent experts appointed by the administrative court will decide the building’s future.
Chambéry. On 20 July TER 18564 17.44 to Lyon Part-Dieu, a Corail push-pull set with BB 22260R, was stranded for 7 hours when violent storms brought down trees, cutting the OHL at Saint-Cassin. Passengers were eventually rescued by bus.
Photo: Le Progrès/JC.
Poitou-Charente. Tenders to operate Lot A Poitou-Charente of Nouvelle-Aquitaine’s TER services closed on 25 July. There are understood to be four bidders: SNCF Voyageurs, Transdev, Le Train and Renfe. The winner will be announced in mid 2026.
Fares loophole. Canny travellers have discovered the savings sometimes possible by searching for cheaper fares to destinations beyond the one intended. Unlike in Britain, SNCF permits passengers to alight short of the destination shown on their ticket when the ‘intermediate’ fare is more expensive. This arises when yield management adjusts fares upwards for popular destinations, while keeping them low for others served by the same train. The ruse is also useful when a train is shown as full for one’s destination but may have seats available for stations beyond at a lower fare. SNCF confirmed the legality of the option but reminded passengers that the unused portion of the ticket was invalid for further travel and not reimbursable.
Brive – Rodez. As in past summers, staff shortages led to closure of intermediate stations for several days in July, disrupting services as trains were unable to cross at their scheduled passing loops. The 06.06 Rodez – Brive and 11.16 return were replaced by buses.
Puy du Fou. Visiting the area on 18 July, transport minister Philippe Tabarot confirmed State support of up to €20 million for reopening in 2030 of the 32km Cholet – Les Herbiers line to provide car-free access to the Puy du Fou theme park.
Canal du Midi. A 5km section of the former Narbonne – Bize-Minervois line has opened as a vélorail between Sallèles-d’Aude and Argeliers, parallelling the Canal du Jonction which links the Canal du Midi to Narbonne and the sea. More information at: https://velorailducanaldumidi.fr/
Mont Blanc Tramway. Over 200 passengers were stranded at 1,800 metres altitude on 14 August. A warehouse near St Gervais directly underneath the high voltage cable supplying the MTB caught fire and the power supply was switched off as a precaution.
Eus. Despite the timetable from 5 July showing trains running again from Villefranche-Vernet-les-Bains to Perpignan, the line remains cut following the derailment at Eus on 24 July 2024, Villefranche being served by buses to Ille-sur-Têt. Following July’s agreement between Eus commune and SNCF Réseau (see August News), demolition of the damaged bridge was expected to start this month, with the train service resuming 12 to 14 weeks later. Z 27541/42 was stranded by the accident and on 23 June was seen, opposite, amongst the weeds at Villefranche, where it had been standing for 11 months. Photo: Malcolm Ravensdale.
Eus. Despite the timetable from 5 July showing trains running again from Villefranche-Vernet-les-Bains to Perpignan, the line remains cut following the derailment at Eus on 24 July 2024, Villefranche being served by buses to Ille-sur-Têt. Following July’s agreement between Eus commune and SNCF Réseau (see August News), demolition of the damaged bridge was expected to start this month, with the train service resuming 12 to 14 weeks later. Z 27541/42 was stranded by the accident and on 23 June was seen, opposite, amongst the weeds at Villefranche, where it had been standing for 11 months. Photo: Malcolm Ravensdale.
Saint-Hilaire. France’s steepest funicular, linking Lumbin in Isère with Saint-Hilaire-du-Touvet 700m above, closed since 2021 after severe storm damage, is to be rebuilt at a cost of €6 million. Now owned by the local communauté des communes, the line should reopen in 2027. Photo: Le Dauphiné Libéré.
Bidart. Public consultations were held in July for reopening a station here, part of the Basco-Landais RER project. A multimodal interchange would be built adjacent to the former station building. Journey time to Biarritz would be 4min and Bayonne 10min.
Occitanie. Despite the pause announced last year in the région’s reopening programme, with the Luchon line now open local groups are stepping up pressure for work to start on Sévérac-le-Château – Rodez. This is considered the weakest of Occitanie’s five proposed revivals, having been closed and reopened several times over the years due to poor patronage. A 2021 estimate puts the cost at €3.6 million per km. At Quillan, a ‘vigilance committee’ has been set up to pool resources of the several groups supporting reopening to Limoux.
Montargis. €26 million funding was agreed on 18 July for station renovation and accessibility works. The commune has been pressing for easier access to the platforms from the rear carpark; this will be achieved by a new footbridge with five lifts. Work starts in 2027.
Le Grau-du-Roi. This summer’s reservation system has worked well with overcrowding eliminated; police were employed to regulate day-trippers boarding at Nîmes. Occitanie région said that work to consolidate the loop track at Vauvert would be carried out in ‘mid-2026’, though whether in time to run a two-train service next summer was not clear.
Noisy-le-Sec. An €87 million redesign and expansion of the RER Line E station was approved by Île-de-France Mobilités on 10 July. The aim is better passenger flow management, improved accessibility and interchange with T1, and opening up the station to the surrounding area. There will be a glass-sided building and two new footbridges with lifts linking the four island platforms. T1 will be extended a short distance from its present terminus to a new green space on the south side of the station, ready for the future extension towards Val-de-Fontenay. Tram-train T11 is expected to reach Noisy-le-Sec in 2033. Image: ÎdeFM.
Angoulême – Limoges. SNCF Réseau's estimate for renovating the 72km closed section between Angoulême and Saillat-Chassenon has risen to €360 million according to studies undertaken for Nouvelle-Aquitaine, jointly funded with the State to the tune of €34 million including preliminary works. At closure in 2018 the figure was €80 million, revised to €240 million in 2023 as the infrastructure became degraded.
Book to book. Passengers are not impressed by SNCF Voyageurs' imposition of an appointments system for booking TGV Inoui journeys in person at some guichets at Strasbourg gare, designed 'to reduce waiting times and improve the passenger experience'. As online ticket sales grow, reduction of opening hours and closure of ticket offices has put pressure on those that remain.
Coach deregulation. Ten years after deregulation permitted operation of long-distance coaches, which had hardly existed before, passenger-journeys on the so-called Cars Macron rose to a record 18 million in 2024. Almost half the routes are run between Paris and 52 cities and towns, with Lyon an important interchange. The busiest routes are Lille and Rouen to Paris. SNCF’s low-cost offer Ouigo, introduced in 2013 to counter coach competition, carried 27 million passengers in 2024.
Aérotrain. Three prototypes of Bertin's experimental Aérotrain, stored in a warehouse at Versailles by the association Amis de Jean Bertin, have been designated as historic monuments. It is hoped to house them in a museum planned at Gometz-la-Ville (Essonne) where the first speed trials were made in 1967.
Nouvelle-Aquitaine. TER maintenance requirements are being reassessed to cope with the région’s growing MU fleet. Studies are being made into consolidation and modernisation of the two sites at Limoges, and provision of more work and storage space at Bordeaux, Saintes and Hendaye.
Nouvelle-Aquitaine. TER maintenance requirements are being reassessed to cope with the région’s growing MU fleet. Studies are being made into consolidation and modernisation of the two sites at Limoges, and provision of more work and storage space at Bordeaux, Saintes and Hendaye.
Luchon. Patronage in the first few weeks of operation averaged 380 daily, driven by passage of the Tour de France on 20 July when trains were full, and by popularity of the joint ticketing scheme with the town’s thermal baths.
Grand Est Régiolis reaches Atlantic
In addition to lending eight Régiolis sets to Transdev, Grand Est TER has also lent MetroLor-liveried B 84665 to Pays de la Loire région. Seen above on 3 August between Olonne-sur-Mer and Les Sables-d'Olonne with the popular but threatened Train des Plages 08.50 (Sundays) Saumur – Les Sables-d'Olonne (TER 859081), and opposite after arrival at Les Sables.
Grand Est's apparent surplus of rolling stock is due to use of B 85500 Régiolis sets prior to their introduction on cross-border services between Grand Est and Germany. Photos: Georges Turpin.
Tours consults on SERM
Scenario 1 envisages trains from all eight routes converging as now on Tours Centre station, a terminus which would require major track alterations to accommodate the proposed increased service levels.
Scenario 2 would see an interchange station built at Verdun, south of Tours Centre, to be served by two new cross-city routes avoiding the need for reversal at the terminus; central Tours would be easily accessible by changing to other trains or the tramway. A station here would also improve access to the university campus and regional hospital.
In the second scenario, traffic flows would be distributed between Tours Centre, Verdun and Saint-Pierre-des-Corps stations, providing cross-city journey opportunities without changing trains. Many other options would be available by interchange at one of the three or by changing to tram Line A at Verdun, which would also be served by proposed Line B. The two cross-city routes would link Saumur with Blois and Château-du-Loir to Bléré-La-Croix, each running hourly all day and half-hourly at peak times. The other four routes forming the Étoile de Tours would also have hourly trains, increasing to every 30min at peak times to Loches and as far as Azay-le-Rideau on the Chinon line. Operation of a north-south through route via Verdun is not possible as there is no west-to-south connection.
The substantially increased rail offer would see a total of 186 daily trains by 2040, running between 05.00 and 23.00, supplemented by 11 hourly (20/30min in the peaks) and 16 two-hourly (hourly peak) express bus services providing easy interchange with rail and tramway. Several stations on the main lines out of Tours would continue to be served by longer-distance TERs, such as Amboise on the line towards Orléans where there will be four trains/h. New halts are planned at Fondettes-Saint-Cyr-sur-Loire (under construction), Joué-Gutenberg, La Ville-aux-Dames, Gués de Veigné and Mettray; additional passing loops would be built at several stations on the mainly single-track lines; and platforms provided for terminating trains at Château-du-Loir, Amboise, Port-des-Piles and Rivarennes.
Extra capacity would be needed at Tours Centre under either scenario, and the single-track connection to the Loches, Chinon and Port-des-Piles routes would be doubled. An interchange would be built at Joué-les-Tours where the line to Chinon and Loches crosses the tramway south of the existing stop at République. A tram-train link has been proposed to join the Chinon and Loches branches at Joué with the Vendôme and Château-du-Loir lines in the north, but this would serve neither Verdun nor Tours Centre stations.
Several preliminary projects have been carried out or are underway. Track and platform alterations at Tours Centre and Saint-Pierre-des-Corps stations, along with timetable replanning, have freed up capacity by eliminating 24 empty stock movements a day between the two stations at a cost of €7.5 million. Two new A/R will be introduced on the Vendôme line in December, when the halt at Fondettes-Saint-Cyr-sur-Loire will reopen with seven A/R. The Loches branch is currently closed for the €64 million second phase of upgrading. The disused loop at Reignac is to be renovated and a second platform built so that trains can cross here.
Marcheprime base for new entrants
A foundation stone was laid on 15 July for Lisea’s TGV maintenance depot at Croix-d’Hins close to Marcheprime, alongside the Midi main line 25km south of Bordeaux. This will be the first private-sector Site de Maintenance et de Remisage (SMR), marking a big step forward for new entrants to the high-speed market who will have access to depot facilities independent of SNCF. The 14Ha site opening in late-2027 will have space for up to 20 trains; Lisea hopes to attract at least two operators. The first client will be Proxima, whose 12 Avelia Horizon trainsets for Bordeaux – Paris Velvet services will be maintained here by Alstom for 15 years under the €850 million contract signed in October 2024.
As well as handling high-speed trains, the depot will be equipped to service Régio2N, Régiolis and other EMUs including the Oxygène trainsets on order for Intercités routes. Thus the facilities would be suitable for any future private-sector operator chosen for Nouvelle-Aquitaine TER services. Full maintenance, repair, testing, verification and train-cleaning will be provided, along with overnight turnround and storage sidings. Some 200 jobs will be created; Lisea is recruiting locally both for site construction and longer-term technical and engineering personnel.
Work over the summer has concentrated on clearing the site and setting-up a concrete-production plant, intended to minimise lorry movements on local roads, along with preparatory groundwork for the geothermal energy plant that will heat and cool the buildings. This month work starts on a 175m-long and 6m-high acoustic barrier to shield nearby residents from noise during the 27-month construction period and when the depot is in operation. Photos: Lisea.
Line C summer works
West of Gare d’Austerlitz, all three branches were closed for up to six weeks until 23 August whilst other work was carried out. The1868 Pont des Souverains, which carries 1,600 trains daily into and out of Gare Saint-Lazare over Line C at boulevard Bertier, is being replaced at a cost of €34 million (see June news). To limit the construction site footprint and keep tracks free for Saint-Lazare trains, the 25 new deck segments were installed from beneath the bridge, accessed via the Line C tunnel, hence the closure. New lifting equipment was designed in collaboration with Bouygues TP, small and powerful enough to raise the new bridge segments into position (the heaviest weighed 60 tonnes).
In the east no trains ran between Pont de Rungis and Massy Palaiseau from 12 July to 23 August for installation of a second track for TGVs on the Massy – Valenton Interconnexion (see July News). Photo: SNCF Réseau.
Sunday 24 August saw ABFC (Autorails de Bourgogne Franche-Comté) Picasso X 4039 autorail touring the Vendée. Departing from Thouars in the morning, it traveled to La Roche-sur-Yon and then Nantes. From Nantes, X 4039 ventured to Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, arriving mid-afternoon. With five AGC trains already in the station, the Picasso was received on an "occupied" track and then manoeuvered onto the seawall for photographs. Photo: Georges Turpin.
Le Train de l'Histoire
Over the weekend of 28/29 June CFTVA held a themed weekend with 'Le Train de l'Histoire' re-enacting the liberation of France in 1944. Former Polish 150 Ty 2 6690 operated between Arques et Lumbres with numerous volunteers undertaking the roles of German and allied troops. Photos: Didier Delattre.
Pithiviers Anniversary. The Musée des transports de Pithiviers will celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2026. To celebrate the event a special event is planned from Friday, 1 May to Sunday, 3 May. It is hoped to have two visiting locomotives, a range of vintage vehicles and a model railway exhibition.
Pornic. Is holding a weekend of festivities on 20/21 September to commemorate 150 years of the railway from Nantes. Four preserved railcars that worked the line will make special runs each day: X 4039, X 2403, X 2140 and X 2208. Tickets are €5, bookable at: ter.sncf.com/pays-de-la-loire.
La Mure. Services resumed on the 6 August, having been suspended since the end of June due to a major locomotive failure. nine engineers worked for five weeks to overhaul the locomotive and install new components that were specially manufactured. Two trains a day should now operate until 2 november.
Vapeur du Trieux. Having started the season two weeks later than planned due to certification issues with 141 TB 424, services were suspended for a week when the locomotive failed on 4 August, believed to be due to very poor quality coal. Operations resumed on 11 August.
Vapeur du Trieux. Having started the season two weeks later than planned due to certification issues with 141 TB 424, services were suspended for a week when the locomotive failed on 4 August, believed to be due to very poor quality coal. Operations resumed on 11 August.
AJECTA. Faced with mounting financial pressures, due in part to closure of the line to Villiers-Saint-Georges over which income was generated from steam specials, AJECTA is looking to sell some of its exhibits. Based at the former locomotive depot at Longueville there are many items that are never likely to be restored due to limited resources and they are now being offered for sale to organisations that have the capacity to restore them.
On 28 July a 1918 tank wagon built in the UK, is seen being loaded. After restoration it will be displayed at the site of Modalis, a road and rail transport company based in Aix-en-Provence.
Photo: © Guillaume Grison
Train à Vapeur d'Auvergne / Association de la 141R420
following a competition the Fondation du Patrimoine has made an award of €20,000 for the restoration of a DEV B9 coach that is part of TVA's classic train. The work will fund new wheelsets and bogie repairs as part of complete overhaul of the coach which has been out of service since 2018. Photo: © TVA/Association de la 141R420.
following a competition the Fondation du Patrimoine has made an award of €20,000 for the restoration of a DEV B9 coach that is part of TVA's classic train. The work will fund new wheelsets and bogie repairs as part of complete overhaul of the coach which has been out of service since 2018. Photo: © TVA/Association de la 141R420.
Transvap. On 14 August Sarthe préfecture suspended Transvap's operating permit for both trains and the vélorail between Beillé and Bonnétable, due to the poor state of the track. The suspension was requested by Sarthe département which owns the track. It is estimated that repairs costing €8 m are required to secure the long term future of the 17km line.
Following an inspection by Service technique des remontées mécaniques et des transports guidés (STRMTG), agreement was given for limited operations to resume from 23 August. This would allow locomotive hauled trains between Beillé station and Tuffé-ville station, autorails between Tuffé-ville and Tuffé Plan d'Eau, and the velorail between Tuffé Plan d'Eau and Prévelles-les-Potiers. A maximum speed limit of 20km/h will apply along with monthly examination of the track.
On 19 July Association du Train Touristique du Centre-Var's (ATTCV) X 2204 pauses at Marseille Blancarde while operating an ATTCV excursion from Carnoules – Sète. Photo: Didier Delattre.
The first of the new Paris Métro Class MF19 is undergoing overnight testing on line 10 in Paris, 147 sets are on order. On 1 July a set in the special test livery is seen passing Raismes en route to Valenciennes. Photo: Didier Delattre
The MF 19 procurement from Alstom is designed to replace 50% of the Metro rolling stock. They will initially be introduced on Line 10 later this year and progressively on lines 3, 3bis, 7, 7bis, 8,12 and 13 by 2033. Work to upgrade platforms, power supplies and signalling systems will need to be undertaken on each line and at the five depots that will eventually maintain the fleet as they are introduced.
Paris bounces back
Figures published by Transilien SNCF Voyageurs show that Île-de-France rail patronage in 2024 fell just short of the levels recorded in 2019, the year before the decline caused by the covid pandemic. Averaged across all modes, usage was 98% of the 2019 figure, driven by the upsurge in passengers during and after the Olympic Games, by extensions to metro and tram lines, and opening of new routes. In addition, over the five-year period, the population of Île-de-France région grew by 130,000 and 300,000 new jobs were created. This was sufficient to offset the 4% drop in peak-hour journeys attributed to working from home (télétravail). Previously, RATP had reported a 4.3% rise in passenger traffic across the Île-de-France region, with 3,108 million metro, tram and bus journeys recorded in 2024.
For the fifth year running, Transilien SNCF Voyageurs teamed up with L’Institut Paris Région, the Mass Transit Academy and Hove Sustainable Mobilitiés to track public transit usage and assess new trends. For 2024, the most prominent were the ‘Olympic effect’ and the hangover of télétravail after covid. Key points were:
● Network extensions, new lines and improved frequencies absorbed all additional transport demand, avoiding any increase in car trips which remained at their 2019 level.
● Weekend travel grew 10% over the five-year period.
● Peak hours were less busy due to continued working from home, down 4% overall; Friday is now the quietest day, with morning journeys 21% lower than 2019.
● The Olympic Games have had a lasting effect on travel habits, with 42% of ÎdeF residents who used public transport to reach a games venue reporting increased use subsequently.
Services operated by Transilien SNCF Voyageurs carried 8% more passengers between 2023 and 2024; further growth is expected from the 26% of those polled who said they planned to use public transport more often, and as a result of this year’s tariff simplification which considerably reduces fares for those living furthest from central Paris.
RATP. Thanks to route extensions bringing increased patronage and divestment of the loss-making London Buses operation, RATP Group recorded a surplus of €153 million for the first six months of 2025. Annual turnover rose by 13%.
The protracted heatwave encouraged further trials of jackets made from ‘intelligent’ fabric designed to refresh the wearer by evaporation, reducing ambient temperature in metro cabs by up to 8degC. They will be issued to drivers of all metro trains without air-con.
Metro 125. RATP’s PDG Jean Castex (right) unveiled a plaque at Porte Maillot to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the first Paris metro line. The initial section of Line 1 opened between Porte Maillot and Porte de Vincennes on 19 July 1900, linking sites of the Universal Exhibition and Olympic Games. Photo: Le Parisien/ED.
Lyon T2. Dutch architects OMA will design the 200m bridge to carry the T2 western extension (TEOL) across the Saône river before it enters a 3km tunnel section beneath La Mulatière. Photo: AOM Lyon.
Lyon Line D. Sytral Mobilités has awarded Alstom a contract for modernisation of Line D, the city’s busiest, with 26 two-car MPL25 trains at a cost of €145 million. These will be the same basic design as those on Line B, with which they will be interchangeable. The train control system is to be upgraded and overlaid with Alstom’s Urbalis CBTC for ‘driverless operation without platform screen doors’. Now almost 35 years old, Line D was the pioneer of large-profile automated metros. It is Lyon’s busiest line, carrying over 300,000 passengers daily. Total value of the contract is €303 million.
Monaco. Despite lack of enthusiasm for the project in France (see July News), the principality has appointed Systra to provide technical assistance with development of the proposed express metro line to link the principality with a park-and-ride over the border. Systra will define parameters for the design, operation and maintenance of the 3km automated link, and then assist with selection of a consortium to build the line. Tenders for development of the 3,500-capacity carpark at La Brasca were sought at the end of last year. Total investment is put at €1.2 billion.
Bordeaux. With track works completed at Porte de Bourgogne over the summer holidays, trials began on 18 August with trams shuttling over the six new points to prove the infrastructure and the additional routeings now possible. Public service resumed on 1 September. The new connections will permit introduction in December of routes E and F running from Floirac-Dravemont to Blanquefort (E) and Bègles to Mérignac aéroport (F), the latter providing a direct link from the airport to Gare Saint-Jean without changing. Photo: Sud Ouest/TD.
An appeal against the 2022 award to Keolis of a €2.2 billion eight-year operating contract for the city’s transport has been rejected by the Bordeaux administrative court. Transdev, which had been tipped as winner of the contract, sought annulment on the grounds that Keolis had offered tramway frequencies and timings that were unachievable.
Nice. The first of Line 1’s lengthened trams went into service last month. The 13 short sets (33m) are receiving two new sections to extend them to the standard 44m length.
Paris M13. Line 13 used by 550,000 passengers daily will be automated by Siemens Mobility under a contract agreed at the end of August. It is the first steel-wheel metro line to be converted to driverless operation. Computer-based train control to GoA4 will be installed, similar to systems already operating on Lines 1, 4 and 14. Siemens will provide a new control centre and equip 66 MF19 trains for unattended operation. The first should run in driverless mode in 2032.
Work is already underway to equip the line for MF19 trains and conversion to automated operation. Platforms are being raised by 15cm and foundations installed for platform screen doors. Gabriel Péri and Pernety stations reopened on 31 August after several weeks’ work and Gaîté was closed between 18 and 20 July. Photo: Le Parisien/SC.
Work is already underway to equip the line for MF19 trains and conversion to automated operation. Platforms are being raised by 15cm and foundations installed for platform screen doors. Gabriel Péri and Pernety stations reopened on 31 August after several weeks’ work and Gaîté was closed between 18 and 20 July. Photo: Le Parisien/SC.
Staff housing. Disused offices in Fontenay-sous-Bois are to be converted into 500 flats reserved for RATP’s 2,800 employees working in the commune, and a further 500 mixed residential units built on land at Val-de-Fontenay station (RER A/E) which will also be served by GPE Line 15.
Novium. Opened a new production line on 22 July at its Saint-Vallier works in Saône-et-Loire to handle a €30 million contract for 60 maintenance and service vehicles for Grand Paris Express Lines 15, 16 and 17. Photo: Novium.
Orléans. Proposed tramway extensions have been postponed until the 2030s. Studies have costed the work at up to €400 million, considered unaffordable when the priority is replacement of Line A’s 25-year-old cars. New connections are planned between Lines A and B at De Gaulle so that north to west and east to south routes can be operated.
Toulouse. Work started at the beginning of August on rebuilding the closed airport portion of T1 which is to become the Aéroport Express link from the future metro Line C Blagnac station. The 2.4km section will be reconnected to T1 at Blagnac in late 2026, while in 2028 the new Blagnac intermodal station will provide interchange with Line C.
© Peter Lovell & Chris Bushell. The French Railways Society 2025. With thanks to Georges Turpin, Christophe Masse, Didier Delattre, Ben Pattison and Malcolm Ravensdale.