Concrete Canoe Design

A train late? Ecolo

A oday station of Cambrai mobilization takes place now increasingly common in France: a gathering at the station to request the continuation of the line-Corail Paris Maubeuge .


One case among many.
In recent years, emphasis has been placed at the station on profitability. While it is normal that a company seeking to make profits, it is important to remember that the station is not a business among others but a public company. More precisely, the public company with a monopoly or near passenger transport by rail. Also, within this specific mission, its role is to manage the existing network, but also, in collaboration with Réseau Ferré de France (RFF) to develop. However, it is only in recent years, development is focused on high speed lines and generating more profitable use than traditional railway lines.

working while the Grenelle Environment wished to encourage the development of rail transport and the not so distant rising fuel prices has led almost immediately by a substantial increase in the use of regional express trains, the famous TER.

But as France is not just at high speed, there are still many lines inter-regional or country served by Corail trains.


An essential role.
The classic lines served by Corail trains out of age and whose lines are poorly maintained, however, make an essential service: a real public service role. Indeed, these trains run often secondary cities or even some prefectures of rural departments. Destinations often ignored by high-speed lines as not profitable enough. These lines are nevertheless used not only by professionals but also by the poorly-economically advantaged and do not necessarily afford a car, namely students, poor people, some families.

Yet despite these tremendous service, SNCF seeks at all costs to remove them to focus only on high speed. Instead of reinvesting in the lines and rolling stock, RFF and SNCF decrease the carts to discourage the use of these lines, making them de facto as a line closure. Passengers are then requested to reach major cities served, they, with great speed. So what if it amounts to 100 to 200 km longer, saving time minimal, we must use the high speed line.


Solutions exist!
Yet it would be easy enough to increase the attractiveness of these trains. By upgrading the lines in order to run trains rotary wing can travel up to 240km / h. In taking this decision, it would reduce travel times and encourage motorists to abandon their cars prefer the train. Yes, but here, this requires strong political decisions and leave the ideology of all-TGV. It is illusory to believe that the TGV is suitable for all domestic destinations as it is illusory to believe that we can do without the car in the city in the state of public transport networks.

Also, it is necessary to mobilize not only to maintain these lines but also, finally, they are modernizing.