Before the Senate regional planning committee, Jean-Pierre Farandou, the head of the SNCF estimated on Wednesday that the losses recorded by the transport company should amount to nearly 5 billion euros.
“I remind you that in the first half of the year, we had a net profit of -2.5 billion euros.
We will not be far from doing x2, ”he told parliamentarians.
And to add: "I would not have said that before confinement number 2" added the leader, who hoped "a second half less bad" than the first.
For the boss of the SNCF, this order of magnitude of the losses, "a somewhat rapid estimate", however, already has consequences.
“We see that it's a lot of money.
[…] It is as much money that it will be necessary to seek on the financial markets ”, he explained.
“Throughout the year 2020, we have been in the financial markets, raising money.
To repay our loans, to pay salaries, to pay our suppliers… ”.
No disposal of Geodis or Keolis
In fact, SNCF's debt will soar.
To limit the breakage, several disposals are envisaged such as the sale of the Ermewa wagon lessor, which he estimates at 2.5 billion euros.
"I was clearly opposed to any idea of selling Geodis and Keolis, the logistics and public transport subsidiaries of the SNCF group which are at the heart of the company's strategy," he nevertheless underlined.
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SNCF can also count on the State.
As early as July, the Minister for Transport, Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, announced state support "to the tune of several billion".
However, according to a note from François Ecalle, founder of the fipeco.fr site and former magistrate of the Court of Auditors published in the Figaro, the bill for the taxpayer had been exorbitant in 2019, amounting to 12.9 billion euros for support the business.
"The year 2021 would also be very difficult"
A few weeks ago in our columns, Jean-Pierre Farandou stressed that these losses recorded in 2020 will be at a level never reached by the company.
“We had to trigger a drastic reduction in the TGV offer
(by around 70%, note)
.
We are preparing a probable adjustment of the TER and Transilien with the organizing authorities.
We are recording a 15% drop in freight train production.
Gares & Connexions is experiencing difficulties due to the low level of retail activity, ”he explained, warning that“ 2021 would also be very difficult ”.
However, despite this context, the boss had also insisted on his desire not to give up his priorities.
“We are going to continue with even more determination because we know that the rail industry has a future, even if I know that it is difficult to project today”, he declared.
After the Covid-19 crisis, the SNCF wants to reinvent itself "to find its travelers" in particular through "more readable, simpler and more accessible pricing".
