"Words, words, words and still nothing specific," sums up a member of the SNCF, a few minutes after listening to the interview with the President of the Republic. Asked this Tuesday about concrete measures in terms of ecological transition, Emmanuel Macron let go pell-mell: "We will redevelop rail freight massively, we will redevelop night trains, we will redevelop small train lines, because everything that saves money, reduces our emissions. " How? 'Or' What? When? With what means? For details, we will have to wait. Yet questions abound.
How does the government intend to restore the competitiveness of rail freight, which has been under pressure for decades? For small lines, whose state of track maintenance often leaves something to be desired, who will finance the work? As for night trains, what magic formula will be found to make these trains, with their powerful nostalgic power, profitable? “Perfect, quipped Fabien Villedieu, SUD-Rail delegate. If Emmanuel Macron does the opposite of everything he has done for three years, that is to say deconstructing the French railway, I say banco. But I ask to see… ”
Currently, the SNCF only operates two night train lines in France: from Paris to Briançon (Hautes-Alpes), and from Paris to Rodez, Cerbère (Pyrénées-Orientales) and Latour-de-Carol (Pyrénées-Orientales ). As part of the Mobility Orientation Law (LOM), promulgated at Christmas, Parliament asked the government to present to it before June 30 a report on the prospects for a revival of night trains. But because of the Covid-19 epidemic, the delivery of the document was postponed until the end of the summer. "Five years ago, the report of PS deputy Phillipe Duron buried the night trains," smiles an internal source at SNCF. And now the government wants to revive them. We dream! "
Regions can repeat certain small lines
Even puzzled over the development of small lines. At the end of February, based on the report of the prefect François Philizot (Editor's note: interministerial delegate for the development of the Seine) , the government had unveiled its strategy for the future of this network in poor condition of 9000 km of tracks on the 30,000 km, approximately, that counts France. The lines are now divided into three categories: those financed directly by the SNCF, those co-financed by a state-region plan contract and those taken over by the regions, as permitted by article 172 of the LOM.
“The Grand-Est is well advanced on this subject, explains Didier Mathis, secretary general of Unsa-rail. The region has, for example, launched a call for tenders for the operation of the Pont-Saint-Vincent (Meurthe-et-Moselle) - Vittel (Vosges) line. But not all regions, for lack of money, will be able to pay. "Asked by senators in early June about the risk of closing certain small lines, Luc Lallemand, the new Belgian boss of SNCF Network had kicked in touch. “Obviously, if we listen to the president, things have changed, smiles Didier Mathis. The same billions that weren't available yesterday are today. ”
Half less rail freight than in Germany
Finally, same questioning on rail freight. At the end of June, operators, including the SNCF, united in the collective 4 F (French rail freight of the future) presented to the government a recovery plan. Objective, to reach 18% of the market share in goods transport by 2030 against 9% today (18% in Germany, 32% in Austria, and 35% in Switzerland). They are asking the state for a 13 billion euro recovery plan. “This concerns freight and track maintenance, explains Thomas Cavel, general secretary of CFDT-Cheminots. Means are needed to circumvent the railway nodes of Paris, Lyon and Lille. Otherwise, the freight cannot live. Ads are good. But we want something concrete. ”
Contacted, the Ministry of Transport summarizes: “On all these subjects, night train, small lines and freight, work is underway. With the SNCF, the Regions… ”
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But one question torments the SNCF unions: what compensation will railroad workers be asked for against this financial aid? It must be said that a new strategic plan must be presented to the government this summer by the president of the SNCF. Jean-Pierre Farandou must find the means to rectify the accounts of the public enterprise to which the Covid-19 has already cost 4 billion euros of turnover. "The railway? everyone wants it but nobody wants to pay, sums up Thomas Cavel, of CFDT-Cheminots. Look, the Ile-de-France region no longer pays SNCF since July 8 and that doesn't shock anyone. And tomorrow, are we going to ask the railroaders for more effort? "
