SNCF Group, the parent company of French national train operator SNCF Voyageurs, and the Federation of Rail Industries (FIF) have released a joint whitepaper outlining the sector’s decarbonisation goals.
FIF, which represents more than 300 companies in the French rail sector, and SNCF said the whitepaper was “born out of a desire to make the voice of the sector heard” and to embody the industry’s commitment towards reducing carbon emissions.
The report highlights challenges and opportunities linked to the decarbonisation of the rail sector and follows recent moves by the French government to encourage the air-rail shift as the country seeks to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
“The train is currently the most ecological mode of transport with capacity,” the whitepaper states. “It’s low energy consumption, with a mainly electric power supply […] and its recyclability rate of 95 per cent make it the solution of the future for French transport.”
To elevate rail travel as the preferred mode of transport in France, the whitepaper states that capacity and productivity of the network must be increased, along with the “development and improvement” of the rail offer. This includes improved comfort on trains, competitive ticket prices and improved frequency and punctuality of services.
FIF and SNCF will also launch a steering committee in 2024 dedicated to “decarbonisation actions”, such as defining the sector’s emissions reduction roadmap and setting CO2 reduction targets, supporting the implementation of decarbonisation plans and monitoring the progress of these actions.
The steering committee will also assist industry players in conducting carbon emissions assessments, with a goal to measure the carbon footprint of “the largest majority of players in the sector” by 2025.
SNCF chairman and CEO Jean-Pierre Farandou said: “If the train is virtuous thanks to the use of carbon-free energy, the entire rail sector must increase its efforts to reduce its emissions.”
He added that SNCF has a “major” role in the decarbonisation of France’s rail sector, with more than €13 billion in annual purchases.
FIF president Louis Nègre added: “The rails that cross our countries are not simply transport routes, they are the arteries of cleaner mobility and more respect of the environment.
“We are witnessing a real revolution in progress, where technological innovation is combined with ecological awareness. Innovative rolling stock, eco-responsible infrastructure, and renewable energies are emerging as the pillars of a new railway era,” he said.