Europe 1 with AFP / Photo credit: Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP 7:41 p.m., February 23, 2024

“Unprecedented” measures intended to improve traffic on the Paris-Clermont line, known for its repeated delays, were presented this Friday by three ministers and a trio of SNCF leaders, traveling to Clermont-Ferrand.

No fewer than three ministers and a trio of SNCF leaders traveled to the Auvergne capital on Friday to present “unprecedented” measures intended to improve traffic on the Paris-Clermont line, known for its repeated delays.

More than seven hours of delay in extreme cold on January 19: the night of hardship for more than 700 passengers on this Intercités line, among the least reliable on the network, prompted the government a week later to request an "action plan in the very short term" at the SNCF.

The latter will therefore put in place, from the end of March and in the weeks that follow, a system which "does not exist on any other line", underlined the Minister of Ecological Transition, Christophe Béchu, who displays his objective of put an end to an “unbearable” situation.

According to the figures put forward by the minister on Friday, a delay of more than one hour is noted on average twice a week, and a delay of more than three hours every two weeks.

A rescue locomotive

Around 40% of delays are linked to "rail", often locomotive breakdowns, and 60% to external causes (intrusion on the network, bad weather, presence of game, etc.).

The minister, accompanied by the CEO of SNCF, Jean-Pierre Farandou, and the bosses of SNCF Réseau and SNCF Voyageurs, presented a program intended to "act on the causes of major delays", in three areas: adding locomotives, protecting pathways and improve crisis management.

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Among the main measures, the last trains of the day (in each direction) will be followed by a backup locomotive from May.

In the meantime, at the end of March, a static breakdown locomotive will be stationed in Nevers, approximately halfway between the two termini, which should make it possible to reduce the intervention time in the event of a breakdown from two hours to 30 minutes. .

“Nevers becomes the nerve center of management,” underlines Jean-Pierre Farandou.

A rapid intervention maintenance team must also be installed there in September.

In terms of securing the tracks, a large program of fencing and clearing is planned.

“We are going to treat this line as we treat a high-speed line”, underlined Jean-Pierre Farandou to journalists, “a great first” for a classic line.

Better support for stranded travelers

“In the absence of a high-speed line, the characteristics of this line must be comparable in terms of comfort and security,” added Christophe Béchu in his press briefing.

This program will cost 10 million euros to SNCF Réseau by 2026 and 9 million to SNCF Voyageurs.

The SNCF is also planning better support for travelers stuck on the train, and better reimbursement in the event of a long delay.

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The emergency plan comes as the line is the subject of an infrastructure “regeneration” program over the period 2018-2026 worth 760 million euros, as well as a modernization program of 130 million euros. euros.

Twelve new “Oxygène” trainsets have been ordered, for 350 million euros, the first of which should arrive “at best” in the second half of 2025 and all delivered within the following twelve months, Christophe Béchu said.

“Overall the account is there,” reacted Stéphanie Picard, spokesperson for the collective of Clermont-Paris train users, who attended the presentation.

“We will still wait to have the +loco+ in Nevers”, she added, and “remain attentive” to post-2026, and to the long-term project for the line.

The collective would like to see a journey reduced to two and a half hours, compared to just over three hours.

For the link with local elected officials and monitoring of the work, a “Mr. Paris-Clermont” has been designated within the SNCF.

In 2023, 1.8 million travelers will use the line.