Night trains and line sections could be removed – The World

Le Monde | 26/05/2015 at 6:35 • Updated 26.05 .2015 at 10:58 | By Philippe Jacqué

Strengthening, adjustment or removal of certain lines or sections, opening to competition on certain routes, carrying the rolling stock by the state instead of SNCF, strengthening the role of the State … The government, which is preparing to liberalize long-distance bus routes, has finally addressed the future and the puzzle, the “equilibrium trains territory “(TET, formerly Intercity). It will be able to insipirer the report presented him Tuesday, May 26,

The Commission on the Future of offers, in a report submitted to the government, to multiply the approaches to revive what Philippe Duron, President of the commission, called the “weak link” of the rail system.

Heterogeneous lines languishing

“The main feature of these trains is their heterogeneity , summarizes Mr. Duron. It is very difficult to have an approach of unity. The 34 TFW lines, including a dozen night trains, gather various lines of suburbs in the Paris basin, radial between Paris and the regions, transverse, as Lyon-Bordeaux or Toulouse Quimper-or “ ends of residual lines ” inter-like Toulouse-Hendaye … “

With the rise of TGV and TER regional trains The 34 lines TET wither. Equipment out of age (31.5 years on average), chronic slowdowns due to work on the network, financial losses (340 million in 2014, nearly 450 million in 2016 and potentially 500 million in 2025) that are growing, compensated by taxes imposed on the SNCF, their operator. The 100,000 annual users of TFWs, if they are attached to these trains are also frustrated by their failures.

Introduce competition on night lines

Duron committee proposes to strengthen the role of the state as the organizing authority, with a mission to redefine public service delegations differentiated according to each line and the necessary frequencies. A proposal that builds on the success of TER, revived in the 2000s by the regions, which are responsible.

This particular building would facilitate the opening of the market to competition, expected between 2019 2023.

Duron committee proposes to break the monopoly of SNCF “on night lines at first, then in a second step, on certain lines of days, according to procedures to be defined. The state would allocate public service contracts on a competitive basis. “ A solution that, for now, the government officially fight.

Strengthen the third course by adapting a half

Duron board intends primarily improve the lot of TET in connection with SNCF and reviewing thoroughly the current offer. She had access to confidential data “up and down” videos of each section and at each stop. From this material, the Commission proposes to strengthen a third of course, to adapt fully half and to give up some, including four night lines.

It thus recommends strengthening the frequencies of ten lines or segments with high growth potential, such as Paris-Clermont-Lyon and Nantes. In reviewing their commercial offer, these lines should be in position to compete carpool or coach, assures the Commission.

On other stretches of line, less frequented, supply must be preserved for socio-economic reasons or lessened substantially or removed as the sections Toulouse-Cerberus, Quimper-Nantes, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Marseille, Nice and Saint-Quentin-Cambrai. Often, regional trains offer the same trips.

Finally, the Committee proposes to transfer to the regions the Clermont-Nîmes and Paris-Montargie and replace with as Toulouse-Hendaye, Clermont-Beziers yet some of the routes cross Bordeaux-Lyon.

For night trains, the commission wants to keep those who have a “social utility” as the Paris- Briancon, Paris-Rodez, who do not have sufficient alternative. For others, such as Paris or Paris-Hendaye-Savoie, who receive alternative offers, proposed for deletion.

Deficit reduction

This new offer, coupled with improvements in equipment and productivity of the SNCF, must help to mitigate the operating deficits of TET. By 2016, the deficit would be reduced to 380 million euros, against 450 million expected.

In 2023, it would stabilize at 270 million euros, twice less than expected this horizon with the current offer. At the same time, the envelope required for the new hardware would be 2.5 to 3 billion by 2025, 1 billion less than expected.