InterviewIn an interview with Railfreight.com, Alexandre Gallo, President and CEO of DB Cargo France and President of the Association Française du Rail (AFRA), comments on market trends and the outlook for the remainder of the...Read more
UPDATEDDespite rumors about a possible sale of DB Cargo, Deutsche Bahn (DB) rejects the allegations saying that “statements from DB employees are taken completely out of the context of a confidential supervisory board meeting”.Read more
Rail freight operators in Europe are performing very differently. Big names such as DB Cargo and Lineas are in trouble, but in Poland, the annual figures were an invitation to uncork the champagne bottle.Read more
The Social and Economic Committee (CSE) of Fret SNCF recently sent a letter to the French government asking to introduce a moratorium to review the discontinuation of the company. “We believe that the hasty action...Read more
The SNCF Group has recorded a third consecutive year in the black, thanks mainly to the strong performance of its high-speed (TGV) passenger services. Net profit totalled 1.3 billion euros compared to the record figure...Read more
The tri-modal terminal in the port of Lauterbourg, part of the Ports of Strasbourg, deployed the first freight train to the port of Antwerp. The initiative sees the involvement of big industry players including MSC,...Read more
Soprema, a French company specialising in waterproofing, roofing, soundproofing and thermal insulation, has invested 150,000 euros in re-activating a domestic rail freight service between Strasbourg and Rouen.Read more
The European Union may break up DB Cargo due to the rail operator’s large losses, which have reached nearly 500 million euros. Company sources reported to Reuters that the EU may consider the figures and...Read more
INTERVIEWLabour unions at Fret SNCF have highlighted that the ‘discontinuity’ of the French state railways’ biggest rail freight subsidiary has played directly into the hands of its biggest rival – DB Cargo France.Read more
INTERVIEWAfter a difficult 2023, French rail freight is unlikely to fare much better this year, the head of a leading player in the sector has warned in an interview with RailFreight.com.Read more
A French Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry has published a report on the nation’s rail freight sector, providing 28 recommendations to restore equity and fair competition with road transport. The document notes “the persistent obstacles to...Read more
Opposed to Fret SNCF’s “economic discontinuity,” the French railways’ major labour union, the CGT, is not giving up the fight to force the government and the EU to review the plans for the rail freight...Read more
Concerns around the ongoing investigations on DB Cargo and Fret SNCF are amplifying. The European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) and the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) demonstrated in Brussels on Tuesday, 12 December, demanding that...Read more
Fret SNCF’s relinquishment of 23 traffic routes, including 21 related to combined transport, is well underway, according to its commercial and marketing director, Edouard Laverny.Read more
The leading private rail company on the French market, DB Cargo France, will later this month be taking on some of the traffic routes relinquished by Fret SNCF. The Deutsche Bahn subsidiary is also in...Read more
Strikes are the talk of the town, or better of the continent, again. France has been affected by them significantly during 2023. The country and its railway sector will probably avoid another major impact during...Read more
INTERVIEWThe potential repercussions from the ‘economic discontinuity’ plan for Fret SNCF and the prospect of market recovery after what has been a forgettable 2023 are pressing topics in the French rail freight market. In an...Read more
FiguresAfter last year’s growth of 7,9 per cent in traffic per kilometre and 9,4 per cent in volume, the first half of the year saw a sharp downturn in French intermodal freight traffic, falling by...Read more
Railcoop, a French rail cooperative, has six months to find a way to remain afloat after closing its main freight service and failing to secure sufficient funds. The deadline is due to the fact that...Read more
The process of private operators taking over contracts and services given up by Fret SNCF as part of its economic rehabilitation is not all laughs and smiles. It is a challenging situation where companies are...Read more
exclusive interviewThe French national rail freight company Fret SNCF is currently undergoing major changes to avoid sanctions from the European Commission (EC). RailFreight.com interviewed two spokespersons from the company. The main conclusion is that Fret SNCF...Read more