FRANCE: Rural railways and branch lines in the Grand Est région are to receive a funding injection worth more than €52m to ensure continuity of service over the next few years.
The funds are destined for 14 routes where little or no maintenance has been carried out recently. The money comes in addition to €126m spent on the regional network since 2016.
The région reports that 75% of the 840 km network of local lines in Grand Est currently used by TER services are at risk of having speed restrictions imposed or short-term closure. The additional funding is intended to mitigate this risk.
The programme includes a mix of studies and urgent remedial work. It is expected to start later this year for completion by 2028. In the longer term the région is looking to take direct control of its local railways, paving the way for further investment to ensure that the network has a long-term future.
The 14 routes where remedial work will be scheduled are:
- Arches – Saint-Dié-des-Vosges;
- Molsheim – Saint-Dié-des-Vosges;
- Obernai – Sélestat;
- Strasbourg – Lauterbourg;
- Vendenheim – Wissembourg;
- Hagenau – Niederbronn;
- Mommenheim – Sarreguemines;
- Conflans-Jarny – Verdun;
- Colmar – Metzéral;
- Bantzenheim – Chalampé;
- Lutterbach – Kruth;
- Sarreguemines – Béning;
- Charleville-Mézières – Givet;
- Reims – Fismes.
Under a separate initiative, Grand Est is to spend €1m to enable SNCF Réseau to accelerate a programme of lineside tree management on six routes. During 2022 100 TER services were cancelled and another 228 delayed because of problems with falling trees and vegetation.
