Annual aid for rail freight of 170 million euros will be extended until 2024, the Minister for Transport, Jean-Baptiste Djebbari announced on Monday (September 13th). “This operating support will be perpetuated over the next three years (…), just to support operators. It is a strong and unprecedented commitment ”, declared Mr. Djebbari at the opening of the Transport and Logistics Innovation Week in Paris.
The national strategy, which includes seventy-two measures, pursues the objective, enshrined in the Climate Law, “A doubling of the modal share of rail freight by 2030”, added the Minister, highlighting the virtuous nature of this mode of transporting goods from an environmental point of view. That “Makes less noise, leads to fewer accidents, less pollution, less congestion and fewer greenhouse gas emissions”, but he must “To be philosophically rethought”, did he declare.
The presentation of the national roadmap during Transport and Logistics Innovation Week must be accompanied by the signing of a commitment pact for its implementation with the three main players in the sector: Alliance 4F (French Rail Freight of the Future), which represents the operators, SNCF Réseau and the Professional Association of Shippers (AUTF).
9% of inland freight transport
The annual budget of 170 million euros in operating aid (which will relate in particular to the payment of tolls) is in addition to the investments of a total of 1 billion euros provided for by the recovery plan to support the rail freight, which concerns only 9% of goods transported in the country, against nearly 90% for road. Volumes have also contracted by 43% since 2000.
The objective of doubling the modal share of rail freight, from 9% to 18%, by 2030 was included in the conclusions of the citizens’ convention for the climate. In comparison, the share of rail is currently 18% for EU-wide freight transport, and Brussels has set itself the target of increasing to 30% by 2030.
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