{"id":159223,"date":"2024-12-18T19:20:09","date_gmt":"2024-12-18T09:20:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.railfreight.com\/?p=58612"},"modified":"2024-12-18T19:20:09","modified_gmt":"2024-12-18T09:20:09","slug":"will-2025-be-a-good-year-for-the-french-intermodal-sector","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=159223","title":{"rendered":"Will 2025 be a good year for the French intermodal sector?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Following a historic drop in volumes in 2023, this year has shown the resilience of French intermodal freight transport with traffic picking up again. By autumn, the sector was in a position to return to 2022 levels, at least for the road-rail segment, according to industry body GNTC. \u201cThis strong demand, driven by the intrinsic efficiency of combined transport and its environmental merits, augurs well for 2025, despite the considerable political and geopolitical uncertainties,\u201d it said.<\/strong>
\n<\/span>Previewing the coming year from several perspectives, the GNTC began with the regulatory framework at European Union (EU) level and highlighted three projects that were not completed during the previous mandate of the European Commission: the revision of the 1992 Directive on combined transport; the draft regulation on rail capacity; and the new draft rules on the weights and dimensions of European road transport vehicles.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe revision of the 1992 Directive will bring progress on the harmonisation of definitions and support mechanisms but also risks of a reverse modal shift while the new draft rules on the weights and dimensions, in particular the raising of the legal ceiling for cross-border transport to 44 tonnes and the authorisation of modular road systems known as \u2018megatrucks\u2019, are two problematic initiatives for European combined transport,\u201d the GNTC noted.<\/p>\n

Infrastructure development<\/h2>\n

Turning to infrastructure development, the industry body is awaiting the operational launch of \u2018Ulysse Fret\u2019 – a 4 billion-euro investment programme targeting the modernisation and expansion of France\u2019s rail freight network covering the period to 2032 – to which it has actively contributed over the past two years. The final report was submitted to the government last month and encompasses service and sorting facilities, capillary lines, digital technology, gauges, capacity and intermodal terminals.<\/p>\n

However, the State\u2019s funding commitment to the programme (2 billion euros, a sum that the EU will match) has yet to be confirmed given the political upheaval affecting France currently. A new government is in the process of being formed, the previous administration having lasted a little over three months and being unable to finalise the 2025 budget.<\/p>\n