First short-line rail service in France
A tourist train operator has launched the first French sTourist train operator launches new rail freight servicehort-line rail freight service
Yesterday, TPCF (Train du Pays Cathare et Fenouillèdes) Fret began commercial services in south-west France, transporting 64 tonnes of quarry stone over a distance of around 10km from Cases-de-Penes to Rivesaltes, near Perpignan.
There, it made a mainline connection with a Fret SNCF train for the next stage in a journey which would eventually terminate in Sweden.
TPCF Fret, a privately owned company, is scheduled to operate the service on a twice-weekly basis, with product bound for Germany as well as Sweden.
The operator is also looking to develop rail freight traffic along a 60km stretch of line between St Martin de Lys and Rivesaltes.
This is a route which, over the past four to five years, state operator Fret SNCF has gradually abandoned as volumes declined from 150,000 tonnes a year to 15,000 tonnes, and which has led to shippers transferring shipments to road.
As a result of the radical cutbacks in the French state railways unit’s single-wagon network, these services will be withdrawn completely at the end of the year.
TPCF President Yves Guimezanes told IFW the company was eyeing the transport of between 50,000 and 80,000 tonnes of freight annually, depending on demand from shippers.
For long distances, national or international, the company will sub-contract traction to other operators, that, in addition to Fret SNCF, could include VFLI, another French state railways subsidiary, DB Schenker Rail-owned Euro Cargo Rail and Luxembourg railway CFL.
Provision is made for the development of short-rail operators in France’s €7 billion (US$9bn) Rail Freight of the Future programme, which was unveiled last autumn.
Similar initiatives to that of TPCF Fret are likely to be launched in the coming months.
There, it made a mainline connection with a Fret SNCF train for the next stage in a journey which would eventually terminate in Sweden.
TPCF Fret, a privately owned company, is scheduled to operate the service on a twice-weekly basis, with product bound for Germany as well as Sweden.
The operator is also looking to develop rail freight traffic along a 60km stretch of line between St Martin de Lys and Rivesaltes.
This is a route which, over the past four to five years, state operator Fret SNCF has gradually abandoned as volumes declined from 150,000 tonnes a year to 15,000 tonnes, and which has led to shippers transferring shipments to road.
As a result of the radical cutbacks in the French state railways unit’s single-wagon network, these services will be withdrawn completely at the end of the year.
TPCF President Yves Guimezanes told IFW the company was eyeing the transport of between 50,000 and 80,000 tonnes of freight annually, depending on demand from shippers.
For long distances, national or international, the company will sub-contract traction to other operators, that, in addition to Fret SNCF, could include VFLI, another French state railways subsidiary, DB Schenker Rail-owned Euro Cargo Rail and Luxembourg railway CFL.
Provision is made for the development of short-rail operators in France’s €7 billion (US$9bn) Rail Freight of the Future programme, which was unveiled last autumn.
Similar initiatives to that of TPCF Fret are likely to be launched in the coming months.
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