SNCF has alerted the French authorities to the risk of a massive deterioration in the national rail network by 2028 without an additional 1 billion euros annually in upkeep costs. The state railway group claimed that if no extra resources were devoted to the maintenance of some 4,000 kilometres of track there would be delays, traffic disruptions and “a collapse in service quality”, affecting 2,000 trains every day.
While France is investing more than ever in infrastructure dedicated specifically to the development of rail freight in the coming years, notably via a 4-4.5 billion euro investment programme, Ulysse Fret, co-funded with the EU, the sector depends just as much as passenger services on the rail network being maintained in good condition.
In a written analysis addressed to a panel of 54 experts SNCF warned that without additional investment, the long-term viability and performance of the core network would be under threat. It argued that France’s rail infrastructure would fall behind the regulatory and competition challenges, particularly in terms of increasing capacity and become a second-rate network.
Avoid the German path
Germany provided a cautionary tale, where a long history of procrastination with regard to the upkeep of the national rail network now sees the country in catch-up mode which has triggered a sharp deterioration in train punctuality. The French authorities have fixed an objective of spending 4.5 billion euros a year in modernising the rail network – which experts consider to be a minimum not an optimum figure, up from 3 billion euros. However, budgetary cuts are exerting significant pressure on this target.
SNCF, which has posted four consecutive years in the black, is set to increase its annual spending on the upkeep of the network by 500 million euros from 2028. To the backdrop of an empty public purse, SNCF is recommending several potential sources to fund the maintenance of the rail network. One of them is to draw on the proceeds obtained by the state from toll motorway concessions which could generate at least 1 billion euros annually. France’s transport minister Philippe Tabarot has pledged his support for such a move which has been applauded by French rail freight industry body, Alliance 4F.
At least they care about service quality you do not see such commitment from V/Line who do not care for service issues they really have no idea and are too stupid to ask for more funds to upgrade services.