New rail link to increase cargo traffic between Normandie and Paris
Upgrade works are carried out at the railway track between Serqueux-Gisors in the French region of Normandie. In October 2020 the project should be completed with a brand new station at Serqueix. The upgrade is...Read more
Railtraxx and Captrain Belgium merge into single company
Railtraxx and SNCF-subsidiary Captrain Belgium have merged to operate as one company called Railtraxx. Beginning of April, SNCF had taken over the Belgian carrier RailTraxx. The French railway holding decided to merge it with its...Read more
Intermodal service Andalusia – Antwerp for vegetables tested
A new intermodal service is being tested to transport agricultural products between Almeria in Spanish Andalusia and Antwerp in Belgium. The service is initiated by Swiss operator Hupac, Spanish railway company Renfe and Spanish consortium...Read more
New piggyback service Barcelona – Bettembourg
Renfe Mercancias and SNCF-owned rail freight company Viia have started a piggyback service between Barcelona and Bettembourg in Luxembourg. The first train departed on 20 February. It is for the first time that this type...Read more
SNCF boosts services for agriculture rail freight
The French rail infrastructure company SNCF Reseau is set to develop several rail freight projects in the southwestern region of New Aquitaine, to increase rail freight traffic in this area. The focus of the projects...Read more
Old train service between France and Switzerland reopened
The railway line between the French city of Belfort and Bienne in Switzerland was reopened on 6 December after more than ten years since the last freight service. Passenger services had been halted even longer:...Read more
New piggyback service between Calais and Turin
Viia, the multimodal subsidiary of SNCF, has launched a new piggyback route between the French port of Calais and Orbassano, close to Turin in Italy. The service moves semi-trailers per rail over a length of...Read more
Geodis to offer multimodal service between Germany and Spain
The SNCF-owned multimodal transport and logistics operator Geodis has launched a multimodal service between Spain and Germany. A train will shuttle between Hendaye, on the border between Spain and France and Metz, on the border...Read more
France to construct intermodal bypass in Laval
A new intermodal bypass railway is to be constructed in the French city of Laval, close to Britanny. The bypass will dive under the the regional road 900, while it also functions as a junction...Read more
Intermodal Spanish-French alliance to acquire Primavia
The European Commission (EC) has authorised the aquisition of the Spanish transport company Primavia by Krone-MurServifrio, also from Spain and SNCF subsidiary Europe Intermodal Holding (EIH). Krone-MurServifrio is the owner of Primafrio, a Murcia-based road transport...Read more
SNCF, Shift2Rail introduce digital brake testing on freight trains
SNCF, Shift2Rail and Traxens revealed a digital brake testing system for freight trains at trade fair InnoTrans 2018 on Tuesday. It is the first step towards a fully digital freight train, the companies said. The...Read more
SNCF to launch driverless mainline train by 2023
French railway operator SNCF is planning to introduce prototypes of driverless mainline trains for freight and passengers services by 2023. Soon after that, the trains will become operative as regular services, the company announced on...Read moreSNCF will not replace retired workers
Fret SNCF, the cargo division of the French national railway company will not recover the positions of 700 retired employees from 2018 to 2021, several media reported. These positions represent 14 per cent of its...Read more2017 best year ever for RFC North Sea-Mediterranean
Rail freight traffic on Rail Freight Corridor North Sea – Mediterranean (RFC North Sea – Med), one of Europe’s nine core network corridors, witnessed it biggest rise last year since the start in 2013. Traffic...Read moreSNCF Réseau: Soft measures the most sustainable approach to railway development
Soft measures are by far the most sustainable approach towards developing railway, said director Europe of SNCF Réseau Paul Mazataud. He was referring to projects in the field of timetabling, traffic management or digitalisation. This...Read moreFrench railway reforms adopted, strikes continue
French railway reforms have been adopted by the National Assembly, confirming most of Emmanuel Macron’s plans to drastically restructure state-owned railway company SNCF. The plan was approved with 454 against 80 votes in favour of...Read moreFrance to gradually take over SNCF debt
French president Emmanuel Macron announced that the state will gradually take over the debt of national rail operator SNCF, starting in January 2020. He also confirmed that he will continue pressing reforms of the company....Read more
‘Strikes in France can easily have similar effect as Rastatt disaster’
The SNCF strike in France hits the European rail freight industry hard, and as a result, seriously affects the European market, industry leaders have said. “International rail transport towards Switzerland, Italy and Spain is almost...Read moreCancellations rail freight services France as SNCF strikes kick off
Three months of rail strikes by union organisations of national rail operator SNCF started this week. Yesterday and today were the first two days of the strike, which involves cancellations of freight as well as...Read more