10 ways to make trains more efficient and attractive in France

Written by Sophie Renassia

Published yesterday

In a context of climate emergency, the train appears as the most decarbonized and least energy-intensive transport solution for long-distance journeys. However, the individual car is still largely preferred, and air traffic has increased 14-fold in 50 years. So how can the French railway become the cornerstone of the low-carbon transition? This is the question posed by the collective Pour un réveil écologique, which has just published a report on the issue. Summary in 10 key points!

"Beyond a simple electoral weapon, the railway must become the backbone of mobility and freight transport, for services where the train is most relevant." - Pour un réveil écologique

1. Defusing misconceptions

Before acting, it is still necessary to (make people) understand why we are doing it. "Aviation is only 2% of emissions," "The train isn't that eco-friendly," "The zero-carbon plane is coming"... This is the kind of discourse we still often hear (especially via the aviation lobby). However, the train emits on average 80 times less CO2 than the plane, and the myth of the "green plane" has already been debunked more than once!

Yet, as the collective points out, the train is the means of transport:

The most decarbonized ("thanks to our low-carbon electricity"), The least energy-intensive ("thanks to the almost frictionless wheel-rail contact"), The most capacious ("the RER A has as much throughput as a 2 x 14 lane highway!")

2. Prioritizing the regeneration and modernization of the network: an absolute necessity

On the one hand, France is experiencing a significant delay in the maintenance of its tracks, signaling, and switch points, which risks continuing until 2070 if nothing is done! On the other hand, high-speed lines involve a very high economic and environmental cost.

Rather than pursuing very high-speed major projects, the collective Pour un réveil écologique suggests concentrating funding on the modernization of infrastructure (tracks, switches, signaling) to increase capacity and reliability on existing lines.

3. Making the transport offer more competitive with the car

According to the collective, to achieve modal shift objectives (shifting transport from cars and trucks to trains), there is no miracle solution: the rail offer must improve.

The report proposes an "offer shock": more frequencies, regularity, and tariff accessibility to attract travelers and encourage them to turn away from the car.

As for opening up to competition, it is presented as a potential lever to increase supply and reduce certain costs, but also as a risk of fragmentation (complexification of pricing, anxiety-inducing staff transfers...). To go further, we recommend our analysis of the consequences of the privatization of the British rail system!

4. Supporting modern and competitive rail freight

Combined transport (rail + road) has developed in recent years and must be supported to maximize its economic and environmental benefits.

The report thus emphasizes the need to modernize freight, with "more numerous and better quality slots," the adaptation of the gauge to containers, and the modernization of signaling to streamline traffic, including cross-border.

5. Reforming train ticket pricing: clearer and more incentive-based fares

The report suggests several avenues: the implementation of an integrated tariff system at the scale of travel basins, the experimentation of single tickets, and a centralized platform for long-distance or international journeys (to draw inspiration from the airline model).

To better understand the price of train tickets, we explain everything in this article!

6. Implementing sustainable and fairer funding

France has the highest tolls (track access charges) in Europe because it makes users pay more to maintain and renovate its network. However, these tolls weigh on profitability and hinder the development of new services, particularly regional ones.

For the collective, the reduction of tolls (for TER) must be conditional on an increase in investments by the Regions in the modernization of the network. But the State also has an important role to play in funding.

Indeed, according to the collective Pour un réveil écologique, rail tolls are not enough to finance the modernization of the network. The report proposes several avenues to diversify funding sources: tax on air travel, renewal of motorway concessions, degression tariff policies to encourage increased traffic...

7. Decarbonizing the infrastructure and rolling stock themselves

On electrified lines, "infrastructure now represents the largest source of emissions" (especially on high-speed lines). Hence the need to eco-design and reduce the carbon footprint of works (recycling, cleaner construction machinery...).

Even if the train emits about 20 times less CO2 per passenger-km than the car, there are still levers to further reduce its footprint:

the reuse and eco-design of rolling stock, the decarbonization of works (cleaner construction machinery), sobriety in the construction and maintenance of lines (optimize the use of materials, promote the circular economy),

For non-electrified lines (which account for only 5.5% of passenger-km but half of the sector's emissions), electrification is recommended to replace diesel when traffic justifies it. Otherwise, it will be necessary to use dual-mode or battery-powered trains. As for the use of biofuels, the association suggests that it be minimized and restricted to construction machinery, to avoid the risk of conflicting uses (since they can also be used for fertilizing agricultural land, for producing heat from biomass, etc. (to go further, we refer you to this article!).

8. Implementing solid and coherent long-term planning

The collective recalls that political temporality is often short, while the industrial temporality of the railway extends over several decades.

For a robust and coherent railway system, the report proposes several keys: a multi-year investment program, clear visibility for stakeholders, and the pursuit of interoperability at the European level (technical standards, ticketing, etc.).

9. Better coordinating the various stakeholders in the sector

To avoid being limited to choices dictated by electoralism or short-term urgency, it seems necessary to establish better coordination between the State, the Regions, industrial players, and infrastructure managers. The collective suggests, in particular, the creation of a Groupement des Industries Ferroviaires (GIFER).

10. Meeting massive recruitment needs and better structuring the sector

The railway sector faces unprecedented human resource needs (network regeneration, increased supply), requiring adapted training and a real attractiveness plan. "Students need roadmaps and coherent discourse to envision themselves in the sector."

To download the summary of the report, click here!