The letter of liberalization is therefore met

After the liberalization of cross-border trafficking, in March 2003, the French rail freight market crossed an ultimate step by opening its domestic lines... in competition with nine months ahead of schedule by Brussels, March 31. The letter of liberalization is therefore met. But under what conditions new entrants make their entry in the "French Railway landscape" And this be enough to revive a stalled mode

Iron was especially victim so far in his maladjustment to the just in time

A quick glance to doubt. First of all, the market share of freight rail in France has melted: 54 per cent in 1984 and 12 in 2005 (compared to 80 on the road). On an axis as France/Spain, iron captures that 3 goods flows and the Germany, 2nd economic partner of the France, is only the 8th client of SNCF freight... Then the container ports, large deposits of traffic rail freight and combined transport as Marseille and Le Havre (see LTL 327, p. 4) were, and remain, underequipped. Finally, the Chargers attribute this decline to the SNCF freight throughout, unable to comply with the constraints of the just in time.

Private rail groups do better Hard to say, their penetration in international cabotage is being limited to... a train of Veolia Transport. or 0.008 of the freight in 2005 grooves. So nothing! Especially for a group such as Veolia operates freight rail in Germany since 1994. This is the condition of the premises. But what are the prospects

The Department of transportation highlights the environmental approach

For the time being, liberalization does translate into a certain cacophony. Thus, side Department of transportation, is rhyme rail liberalization with... combat environment. Indeed, the France decided to do away with 1 million heavy goods vehicles from the roads for the benefit of alternative, "only a true modal report will help the France of the commitments of Kyoto", launched Dominique Perben on March 30.

According to him, said alternative modes (see p. 6), representing 50 billion t/km (out of a total of 350 billion t/km) could capture short term 4 billion t/km (i.e. an increase of 8 by volume). The tools of this report The railway highways: Aiton-Orbassano, Perpignan-Luxembourg, basque country/North or Benelux-Lyon.

For private access to the market is too expensive, too slow and too complicated

On the side of private groups, is merely an economic approach. Six holders of the "security certificate" operators - TRANS Cargo (Veolia). Europorte 2 (Eurotunnel); (B) Cargo (SNCB); EWS International (Eurocargo); Rail4Chem and the CFL-, the only question that is sustainable is: how to make trafficking in competitive conditions However, their is unanimous, French administrative bodies in charge of the allocation of train paths (RFF) or approvals (locomotive, drivers, etc.) remain in the hands of former employees of the SNCF ex-monopole. There may be a process of opening up competition which remains both too slow and too complicated. "An example: certificates are given line by line and not for the whole of the network, says Matthias Rhaith, managing director of Rail4Chem.". And the entry ticket is EUR two million. However, we are a private company. "At this price, we prefer investing in the new entrants of the ex-Eastern Europe".

Remaining cargo SNCF. Will he be able to compete Internally, the unions themselves allergic to competition while Louis Gallois remains on the hard line: cooperation on Sibelit mode (see p. 8), or war. One thing is certain, its share of the hexagonal cake can only melt. At what rate And European alliances will suffice to offset the losses