France announces €15bn railway investment plan

French infrastructure manager RFF has announced a 15 billion euro plan to upgrade infrastructure, increase capacity and modernise technology on the country’s rail network.

Projects include deploying GSMR and ERTMS systems, increasing capacity on LGV lines and investing more in France’s busiest stations.

Transport minister Frederic Cuvillier ordered RFF to draw up a plan of investment for he country’s railways following a report by the Ecole Polytechnique Federal de Lausanne.

The Grand Network Modernisation Plan covers railway investment over the next six years and beyond.

As well as an aim to increase capacity, the programme targets an improvement in reliability by reducing the number of infrastructure failures each year and better protecting the railway from cable theft and vandalism.

It also sets out plans to increase security across the network to reduce trespassing and in turn the number of fatalities.

RFF has said it will now approach local authorities and other partners to develop the proposals and tailor them to each region.




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