French rail network platform adjustments

Of the 8,700 platforms in the French railway network, 1,300 are to be trimmed by a few centimeters to accommodate new trains, according to a ministerial response to a written question from the National Assembly.

New trains require wider space

The trains in question are regional train sets ordered by the SNCF in 2009 and 2010, which are wider than those they are replacing. This increased width is meant to meet public expectations and improve comfort and accessibility.

Costs and delays

The announced work costs at least 50 million euros, and a single delay affected the commissioning of the trains. The SNCF ordered 341 regional train sets in 2009 and 2010, for about 3 billion euros.

Train models and manufacturers

The SNCF retained 182 Regiolis train sets, built by Alstom, and 159 Regio 2N train sets, signed by Bombardier, totaling 341 firm train sets. These train sets are part of larger framework contracts that could cover up to 2,000 trains.

Platform space and train envelope

The key term is the envelope, the space a train set sweeps while running. Everything in that space, including the platform edge, must be cleared, and that is what is happening here on a few centimeters.

Public awareness and coordination issues

In May 2014, a press revelation brought the issue into the public eye: the new train sets would be too wide for a part of the old platforms. The SNCF and RFF confirmed that 1,300 platforms out of the 8,700 in the network need to be modernized, but they admit a lack of coordination.

Discrepancy in figures

The Association of French Regions stated that 1,200 platforms were too close to the tracks, 100 less than the official figure. This discrepancy represents barely more than 1% of the network, but both sides agree that more than a thousand platforms need to be reworked.

Cost estimates vary

RFF and the SNCF announced 50 million euros for the work, while the press mentioned 80 million euros, which would make the cost per platform between 38,000 and 62,000 euros. Trimming a platform means removing a few centimeters from the side of the track.

National scale of the project

At the scale of a single platform, the operation seems modest. However, multiplied by 1,300, it becomes a work program on a national scale, spread over several years.

Compliance with international standards

The SNCF and RFF contest the idea of trains out of the norm. According to them, the train sets comply with the international envelope, and it is the old platforms that are too close to the tracks.

Lack of coordination

The critical interpretation focuses on the decision-making chain: train sets ordered before the question of platforms was resolved. The two statements can be true at the same time, highlighting a lack of coordination between RFF for the tracks and the SNCF for the trains.

Official documentation

The written question number 56772, available on the National Assembly's website, remains the official document that fixes the figure of 1,300 platforms out of 8,700.