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TRAVEL NEWS

France announces €100bn plan to develop rail network

French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne announced on Friday a vast rail development programme, valued at €100 billion, that will be rolled out over the next 20 years to make the train "a real alternative to the car" across France.

Published: 24 February 2023 17:24 CET
France announces €100bn plan to develop rail network
(Photo by Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP)

The plan includes plans for better maintenance for the existing rail network, but also launching new lines including night train routes and expanding the commuter rail networks in cities.

Commuter rail networks in more French cities

Borne confirmed the government’s goal to launch new commuter lines in “suburban areas and medium-sized cities” in France, which would add to existing urban rail lines and the TER (regional train) network.

“The use of rail services will evolve, with more trains, at more frequent intervals, that are better serving areas where people live”, Borne said.

“Our strategy must benefit all French people, wherever they live, from small towns to major cities”.

This echoes previous statements made by President Emmanuel Macron, who said in November that he hoped to expand RER-like rail services to “the ten main French cities.”

READ MORE: Macron wants new suburban train network in France’s main cities

Investing in maintenance

The French prime minister explained that her goal was to make taking the train a “credible alternative to the car”, and in order to do so the government hopes to increase investment in the existing rail network.

She laid out plans to pay out €1 billion per year over the next five years for the “renovation” of the network, and an additional €500 million per year for its modernisation”.

The objective is for France’s railways to offer users “more trains, with better punctuality and shorter journey times”.

Night trains

In her speech, Borne referenced plans to relaunch France’s night train network, but did not offer specific details on the subject.

MAP The proposed new routes for night trains in France

Collaboration with regional authorities

The Prime Minister said that the draft bill for the “nouvelle donne ferroviaire” (new rail deal) will include a budget of €100 billion, to be paid by the French state, “alongside the SNCF (national rail service), the European Union and local authorities”.

Borne said that the French government will negotiate plans with local authorities, and that the next step for the project will be in March, when regional authorities will receive their terms for negotiation. The country will also launch an inter-ministerial committee to monitor the plan in the coming weeks.

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FRANCE WEATHER

Thunderstorms, floods and traffic: France’s last holiday weekend in May 

The final holiday weekend of May in France is set to be marked by bad weather and difficult driving conditions on busy roads.

Published: 17 May 2024 15:44 CEST
Thunderstorms, floods and traffic: France’s last holiday weekend in May 

Monday, May 20th is a holiday for most of France, marking the Christian festival of Pentecost, which means that many people will enjoy a three-day weekend.

This is the last of four public holidays in France in May 2024, now we need to wait until August for another extra day off work (since the Fête National on July 14th falls on a Sunday this year).

So what can we expect for the long weekend? Well, bad weather and heavy traffic, unfortunately.

The Moselle département, in north-east France, was placed on red weather alert on Friday after hours of heavy rain caused flash flooding.

The red weather alert initially runs until 9pm on Friday, with between 80mm and 100mm of rain expected, while between 70mm and 90mm are predicted in the far north of the neighbouring Bas-Rhin, with up to 70mm expected further south – figures national forecaster Météo-France said approached records for daily rainfall figures in the region.

Orange alerts in the area remain in place on Saturday.

Image: Météo-France

Rain and occasional storms, some bringing hail, are expected to develop across large parts of the country throughout the weekend, with only the Mediterranean areas likely to remain dry on Saturday.

Showers and sunny spells will continue into Sunday and Monday, with occasional thunderstorms in the south-west. Temperatures throughout the weekend should rise to between 15C and 22C.

To make family getaways on the final long weekend of the month even more difficult, roads watchdog Bison Futé predicts ‘difficult’, or ‘very difficult’ travel conditions on key routes across the country. 

Image: Bison Fute

On Friday, traffic is expected to be heavy on routes heading away from major cities towards popular holiday destinations until well into the evening – especially on Paris’s Périphérique and the A86 and A6B, the A7, along the Mediterranean Arc and on the Atlantic seaboard (A11, N165 and A63). 

The A13 is likely to remain closed to traffic between Paris and Vaucresson across the holiday weekend, so drivers from the Paris region wishing to reach Normandy are advised to take the A14, A15 or N12

On Saturday, May 18th, conditions on the roads will be difficult nationwide, particularly on roads serving the Mediterranean arc (A7 and A9) and the Atlantic coast (A63 and N165). In the Île-de-France region, traffic will be heavy from early morning onwards on the A6 and A10. From mid-morning onwards, traffic is expected to intensify significantly. 

Image: Bison Fute

Routes converging on the A10 and A6 could also see traffic problems on Saturday, Bison Futé warned.

No major forecastable traffic problems are expected on Sunday – but, on Monday, May 20th, short breakers will be returning home, leading to heavy traffic across the country, notably on A7 and A9, in the Mediterranean region, and routes serving the west of the country.

Traffic will be heavy on the A10 and A6 in the Île-de-France region from late morning into the evening. The A13, which should be open, could also experience traffic problems from mid-afternoon onwards, and could continue to do so well into the evening.

Across the country banks and public administration offices will close. Some independent shops may close, while larger stores and chains are more likely to be open, but probably with altered opening hours.

Most bars, restaurants and cafés will remain open while public transport will run as normal. 

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