French rail freight traffic declines
But private operators increase market share
French rail freight traffic, measured in train-kilometres – the number of trains multiplied by the km covered – fell by more than 7% in the first six months of the year.
The drop is based on figures for the same period a year ago, when the impact of the economic downturn was at its height, according to France’s network manager, RFF.
The decline in traffic is largely attributed to a 15-day strike at Fret SNCF in April, followed by further industrial action in May and June.
However, RFF said private companies fared considerably better than the state operator, increasing their combined market share in tonne-km to more than 15%, and probably to 20-25%, of the market, when expressed in tonne-km.
An RFF spokesman told IFW: “The share in tonne-km is probably similar to that accounted for DB’s competitors in Germany, where the market has been open since 1994, compared with 2006 in France.
“So the claims from some quarters that the French market is closed don’t really stand up.”
The drop is based on figures for the same period a year ago, when the impact of the economic downturn was at its height, according to France’s network manager, RFF.
The decline in traffic is largely attributed to a 15-day strike at Fret SNCF in April, followed by further industrial action in May and June.
However, RFF said private companies fared considerably better than the state operator, increasing their combined market share in tonne-km to more than 15%, and probably to 20-25%, of the market, when expressed in tonne-km.
An RFF spokesman told IFW: “The share in tonne-km is probably similar to that accounted for DB’s competitors in Germany, where the market has been open since 1994, compared with 2006 in France.
“So the claims from some quarters that the French market is closed don’t really stand up.”
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