The investment, described as “strong and unprecedented engagement” is intended to help France reach its new climate targets.
At a press conference, the Transport Minister praised rail freight as a cargo transport medium, saying it “makes less noise, causes fewer accidents, less pollution, fewer traffic jams and less greenhouse gas emissions.”
The €170 million annual investments shall pay for half of the cost of the tolls that rail freight operator SNCF pays to access the country’s rail network. On top of that, €70,000 is to be spent on isolated wagons, while an additional €47,000 is to go to towards the operation of combined transport services.
In the last 6 years, France has spent €3.5 billion on its sustainability programme that shall support the regeneration of trains and routes linking key French cities until 2027.
Finally, €4.7 billion has been put towards a recovery plan that shall revamp the quality of the railway network.
Photo: Cjp24, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (image cropped)
