FRENCH secretary of state for transport Mr Alain Vidalies unveiled plans to revive the country's loss-making network of conventional long-distance services on July 7, pledging investment in rolling stock, enhanced services, and a new contract between the government and SNCF Mobility.

THE French region of Rhône-Alpes has placed a €160m order with Alstom for 17 multi-system Régiolis EMUs, which will be used on the cross-border Leman Express (formerly Franco-Valdo-Genevois RER) network around Geneva.

SNCF CEO Mr Guillaume Pepy and the mayor of Paris Ms Anne Hidalgo presented plans on June 24 to expand capacity at Gare du Nord, Paris' busiest station which is used by up to 800,000 passengers per day.

A taskforce set up to develop a strategy for the future of France's loss-making conventional long-distance trains published its first report at the end of May. Keith Barrow explores the options being put forward to revive the "weak link between TGV and TER."

A commission set up by the French government to draw up proposals for the development of loss-making Intercity services published its initial report on May 26, recommending significant changes to the organisation and operation of the network.

THE Association of French Regions (ARF) and the Federation of French Towns have warned the French government that it must act decisively to save the so-called balance of territory (TET) trains, a network of 40 loss-making long-distance services which serves 355 towns and cities across 21 regions.

BOMBARDIER confirmed on May 6 that Ile-de-France Transport Authority (Stif) and French National Railways (SNCF) subsidiary SNCF Mobility have placed a €127m order for 19 additional class Z 50000 Francilien EMUs for suburban services in the Paris area.

Infrastructure constraints and the need to accommodate intensive passenger traffic have limited the scope for increasing the length of freight trains in Europe. However, as Keith Barrow reports from Berlin, a three-year EU-funded project has shed new light on the technical and economic viability of running 1500m-long freight trains.

REGULAR passenger services returned to the French town of Carpentras for the first time in 77 years on April 25 with the reopening of the 17km branch from Sourges north of Avignon.

THE vice-president of Brittany Mr Gérard Lahellec announced on April 22 that the French region will exercise an option worth around €100m with Bombardier for 10 additional Regio 2N EMUs, taking the region's total fleet of the double-deck trains to 27.