France’s single wagonload sector is to benefit from “unprecedented” public investment totalling 156 million euros. The funds will be used to modernise four major marshalling yards in the coming years.
The four locations are Woippy (near Metz), Le Bourget (near Paris), Sibelin (near Lyon) and Miramas (near Marseille). The money is financed by the French government (48%), the European Commission (35%), SNCF Réseau (15%) and several local authorities in the Provence-Alpes Côte d’Azur region (2%).
Steel and chemical sectors to benefit
First-phase work has already been carried out over the last few months at yards in Woippy, in eastern France and Le Bourget, in the Paris region and subsequent phases are scheduled to run until 2027. “Marshalling yards are essential for single wagonload transport, an important segment of the rail freight market,” explained Matthieu Chabanel, head of SNCF Réseau.
“This will contribute to the decarbonisation of freight transport, but also to the competitiveness of key industrial sectors in our country (France), such as steel and chemicals”, he added. Single wagon transport accounts for around 24% of rail freight in France, with annual traffic totalling 8 billion tonnes-kilometres. The four terminals benefitting from the funds are essential infrastructure for this mode of transport, handling close to 80% of this traffic.
The four yards in focus
With a total of 160 kilometres of track, the one in Woippy is the largest facility of its kind in France. Its geographical location means it is a focal point for international freight traffic with Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland. A substantial proportion of international single wagon traffic passes through Woippy.
The Miramas yard currently has an annual sorting capacity of 98,000 wagons per year and the potential to handle a further 125,000-142,000 additional wagons. In order to ensure the site’s long-term future and meet forecasts for the growth in traffic, an initial phase of work began in 2021 to upgrade certain facilities.
The Le Bourget yard is situated at the heart of a network handling national and international rail freight traffic transiting through or leaving the Paris region, France’s principal economic zone. It also offers opportunities for development given its available land reserves. This facility is currently facing significant disruptions due to strikes.
As for the Sibelin yard, located south of Lyon, with a direct rail connection to the Paris-Lyon-Marseille line and France’s‘ Chemical Valley.’ It is also located at the European crossroads of the Mediterranean and North Sea-Mediterranean rail corridors. Its strategic position will be strengthened by its link with major rail projects currently under development, such as the Lyon-Turin line and the Lyon eastern bypass.