The refrigerated rail transport service that linked the Rungis market in Paris with Perpignan near the Spanish border ceased operations on June 28th. According to reports in France, the return of the service is very much in doubt.
The end of the well-established ‘Primeurs’ fresh produce train was met with sadness by proponents of rail freight in particular. Prior to the service ending completely, the number of trains per day was also cut from two to one.
French railway journal Lettre du Cheminot reports that the Primeurs train is one of the 23 routes that Fret SNCF had to abandon so that a heavy fine from the EU for breaking rules on state aid could be avoided.
It is reported that as it stands, there is no visible interest from operators in bringing the Primeurs train back to life. The service uses 34 ageing refrigerated trailers that are at the end of their lifespan, while the loading-unloading model is not efficient. Above all, the service is loss-making.
There is nonetheless hope that a new rail terminal planned for Rungis market could change the situation.
The French Ministry of Transport did launch a call for expressions of interest on 24th May to find a new operator to relaunch the service, which would also transport other goods in addition to fresh produce.
However, with the 19th July deadline approaching, hopes of resurrecting the service in early 2026, as planned, appear very much in doubt.
Commenting on the situation, Raphaël Doutrebente, CEO of Europorte and President of the rail freight trade body 4F Alliance, told Lettre du Cheminot:
“For as long as the fast rail line between Perpignan and Rungis is incomplete, no company that wants to offer a quality service and make money will have any interest in doing it.”
Doutrebente added that there was no opportunity to use state funding to subsidise the service, which ultimately means that for the time being at least, the fresh produce bound for Rungis will be transported by road instead.
Photo: Florian Pépellin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons