The French government has set new performance targets for SNCF Réseau up to 2033, along with an investment programme for the renewal and modernisation of infrastructure amounting to EUR 4.5 billion per year from 2028 onwards. The French infrastructure operator is expected to manage an anticipated 25% increase in transport compared to 2024. This equates to nearly 800,000 additional trains in passenger rail and rail freight transport. The reasons for this include rising demand in passenger rail transport, new market entrants and expected growth in rail freight transport. The service and financing agreement provides for an increase in rail freight transport of almost 20%. To this end, the quality of long-term rail freight transport paths is to be improved and greater planning certainty regarding available train paths and construction work is to be created for the next four to five years. By 2028, the level of investment will rise by 50% compared to the previous agreement and will be adjusted for inflation in the future. Each year, 1,000 km of track is to be renewed instead of the previous 750 km, plus 330 km of overhead line, an increase of 25%, totalling more than 3,200 km by 2033. The number of bridges, tunnels and other engineering structures to be refurbished is set to rise to 45 per year, up from around 30 previously.
