{"id":318971,"date":"2025-11-18T19:17:20","date_gmt":"2025-11-18T09:17:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.railfreight.com\/?p=67435"},"modified":"2025-11-18T19:17:20","modified_gmt":"2025-11-18T09:17:20","slug":"political-situation-in-france-not-helping-rail-freight-sector-says-senior-industry-figure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=318971","title":{"rendered":"Political situation in France \u2018not helping\u2019 rail freight sector, says senior industry figure"},"content":{"rendered":"

France\u2019s ongoing political crisis means the country\u2019s rail freight sector remains in the dark as to the level of state support it can expect next year, a senior industry figure has underlined. The 2026 state budget still has to be signed off and weeks of debate lie ahead as the National Assembly seeks to find ways to reduce public spending to a backdrop of ballooning public debt.<\/strong>
\n<\/span>The task is made more difficult as the government is well-short of an overall majority and a lack of consensus on where to swing the axe prevails. \u201cIt is clear that the political situation in France is not helping the sector. We need a long-term vision but Parliament is unable to plan beyond a few weeks,\u201d observed Alexandre Gallo, President and CEO of DB Cargo France.<\/p>\n

In all probability, after passing on a disjointed budget bill to the Senate, it is highly likely that the government will have to proceed by decree to avoid a deadlock, he noted. \u201cIn this context, we know that the Ministry of Finance will propose cuts, including those on rail freight operating subsidies. However, I will very be watchful to ensure fair treatment is respected.\u201d His comments on the outlook for subsidies are a good deal less optimistic than those of Alexandre Hanache, deputy director of Rail Services at France\u2019s Directorate-General for Infrastructure, Transport and Mobility (DGITM).<\/p>\n