France’s next-generation regional trains too wide for platforms

SNCF and RFF expect to spend €50 million modifying platforms after discovering that a new fleet of regional trains are too big for many of the country’s older stations.

The programme, which will run until 2016, will see 1,300 platforms upgraded to accommodate the new Régiolis and Regio 2N trains being built by Alstom and Bombardier respectively.

Around 300 platforms have been adapted so far on routes that have already taken delivery of some of the new units.

RFF and SNCF have blamed the error on the separation of the two organisations, admitting that the gauging data supplied didn’t take account of the stations built more than 30 years ago.




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