The proposed budget for transport infrastructure and services will increase by 17% to €3.7bn. This includes €170m of support for rail freight services, including the halving of track access charges in 2021 - estimated to cost €65m - as well as €70m of support for wagonload, €20m for intermodal services and the launch of three piggyback services worth €15m.
SNCF Network will receive an extra €66m to support Intercity and TER regional passenger services.
The budget also includes €4.7bn of investment in rail transport to aid in the recovery of the French economy post-Covid-19. This will cover:
- support for 9000km of branch lines at risk of closure
- the relaunching of overnight passenger trains
- €700m to fund expansions to the greater Paris network, including extensions to RER Line E, tram lines and station modernisation, and
- €330m for projects including the development of RER-style networks in Strasbourg, Lille and Bordeaux, a third metro line in Toulouse and new light rail lines.
