THE new chairman and CEO of French National Railways (SNCF), Jean Castex, has identified competition and the need for increased infrastructure spending as among the major challenges facing him as he takes the reins of the national railway.

The former RATP chairman and CEO officially took up his new post for a term of four years on November 3. This followed confirmation hearings before the transport committees of the lower and upper houses of the French parliament, respectively the National Assembly and the Senate.

Castex was nominated by French president, Emmanuel Macron, on September 26 to succeed Jean-Pierre Farandou as the head of SNCF. His appointment was approved by 34 votes to five in the National Assembly, and by 26 votes to 2 in the Senate.

In a statement issued by SNCF on October 29, Castex stressed his determination to ensure that SNCF, and its subsidiaries Rail Logistics Europe (RLE), Keolis and Geodis, succeed in the face of major challenges that include delivering a lasting improvement in the service provided to passengers.  

SNCF also faced the challenge of transforming itself in order to succeed in a competitive market, and the need to ramp up the renewal and modernisation of the national network and adapt it to climate change.

“These are all challenges that I will tackle from the very first minute of my term of office,” Castex says.

The need for massive investment in rail infrastructure was highlighted by Castex when he appeared before the National Assembly committee on October 22, welcoming the government’s intention to proceed with a bill that will provide an additional €1.5bn a year from 2028, as recommended in the final report from the Ambition France Transports series of policy conferences.

According to TV channel France 24, Castex promised that this funding would not be wasted, noting that if nothing were done then delays would increase and network condition would deteriorate. Noting that funding for network renewal would rise from €3bn to €4.5bn a year, he said that SNCF would play its part.

As well as “winning the infrastructure battle to modernise the network,” Castex identified the need to invest in “more and better trains” and attract to more passengers. While vowing to “fight for freight,” Castex said he wanted to improve the management of attractiveness of overnight passenger services as much as possible.

At the top of his in tray will be the withdrawal of the Paris - Berlin - Vienna overnight service that is scheduled to take place on December 15. SNCF is withdrawing from its joint venture with Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) following the end of French government funding.