French freight rail transport, while more environmentally friendly than road transport, has faced a long-term decline. Despite its potential to reduce carbon emissions, rail's share of freight transport in France has dropped from 47% in 1974 to just 8.9% in 2023. The government, however, is determined to increase this share to 18% by 2030. To achieve this goal, companies like Modal Group are working on new rail links, such as the proposed connection between Dunkirk and Lyon. This project aims to provide a more sustainable option for moving goods between two major industrial and logistics centers. The link might even be extended to Italy by 2027. In contrast, the Angers Loire Métropole region has decided to abandon a freight rail platform project due to high costs. The decline of freight rail in France has been ongoing for over 50 years. At its peak in 1974, rail transported 75 billion ton-kilometers, or nearly half of all goods in the country. Since then, road transport has gained dominance, partly due to the development of highways that support efficient, just-in-time delivery systems. The flexibility of road transport has made it more attractive for businesses, even though it emits significantly more carbon dioxide than rail. Passenger trains have also taken precedence over freight trains in recent years. In 2018, there were 851 freight trains in operation daily, compared to over 11,000 passenger trains. This imbalance, along with years of insufficient investment, has led to a deteriorating rail network, affecting the reliability of freight services. Several efforts to revitalize freight rail since the 2000s have not succeeded in reversing the trend, despite billions of euros in funding, such as 3.5 billion euros allocated between 2004 and 2009. Recent years have seen a renewed push to support freight rail transport, including new state aid starting in 2020. One initiative is the return of the primeurs train, which connects Perpignan to Rungis and transports fresh produce. The opening of rail transport to competition has also been implemented, allowing private companies to operate freight services. In Europe, the average rail share in freight transport is around 18%, with countries like Austria and Switzerland achieving higher rates. Freight trains, especially those on electrified lines, are a key part of the energy transition, emitting significantly less CO2 and consuming less energy than road transport. Advocacy groups like the Fret ferroviaire français du futur (4F) are pushing for policies that will help rail regain its position in the freight sector.