Carole Ferry 07:51, July 14, 2022

SNCF unveils its development projects for the coming years.

The railway company is launching an investment plan worth 100 billion euros to encourage the French to take the rails rather than the road.

Three objectives are to be developed throughout the network, in order to facilitate all daily journeys while reducing France's carbon footprint.

Encourage the French to take the train rather than the car: this is the SNCF project.

"Iron against carbon" is the name of the SNCF investment plan, up to 100 billion euros to better compete with the road.

For this, the company has developed a project in several stages to develop the railway and, consequently, reduce CO2 emissions in the country.

Develop metropolitan routes and TGVs

The SNCF plan has three stages.

Initially, the company wants to develop metropolitan express networks in major cities.

A system equivalent to the RER, which could connect small towns around metropolises such as Lyon, Bordeaux, Toulouse or Lille.

In total, thirteen projects are in the pipeline, for an estimated cost of 13 billion euros.

Second objective for SNCF, to develop high-speed lines to link Bordeaux, Toulouse, Montpellier, Marseille and Nice.

The bill for this work would be the highest of the entire investment plan.

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"We must act strongly for the climate"

Finally, to double rail freight, SNCF CEO Jean-Pierre Farandou wants to build new dedicated lines so as not to clog passenger stations.

A global plan which, according to him, would make it possible to support the energy transition.

"The project is very simple, it is to take ten volume points from trucks and passenger cars so that they strengthen the share of rail", explains Jean-Pierre Farandou at the microphone of Europe 1. "I believe that all French people see that we must act strongly for the climate. It turns out that it's a good thing: rail is a mode that is not polluting in France because it is electric. And in France, electricity is carbon-free ."

Today, it remains to find how to finance this plan.

Jean-Pierre Farandou would like the State shareholder to bear half of the cost, i.e. 50 billion euros, and that the rest be divided between SNCF, local authorities, Europe and why not, financing private.