The proposed Transport framework law, designed to outline funding and investment priorities for France's rail network, has been delayed once again. Originally intended for discussion in the summer, the law was postponed to autumn but will not be on the agenda of the upcoming session of the National Assembly. This delay has raised concerns among politicians and rail industry stakeholders, including the national rail company SNCF. The Ministry of Transport has said that budgetary legislation will take precedence this autumn and hinted that the framework law could be considered as early as January or February 2027. The Transport framework law was passed by a large majority in a committee and is viewed as critical to preventing the deterioration of France’s rail infrastructure. By 2028, 4,000 kilometers of rail lines could be damaged, and that number could rise to 10,000 by 2032. The law aims to boost annual investment in rail maintenance to 4.5 billion euros by 2027. SNCF has committed to contributing 500 million euros annually, but an additional billion euros will need to be sourced from other funding streams. The government plans to attract private investment, including potential revenue from a new highway concession system starting in 2032, which could generate up to 2.5 billion euros each year. Critics, including politician Christine Arrighi, have pointed out that the Transport framework law does not guarantee specific financial commitments, which the rail sector urgently needs. The ministry has clarified that the law sets the main principles of a new financing system, with a separate programming law to outline the detailed investment schedule. These texts must be passed before the presidential election, as there is little chance they will be revisited if the political majority changes. Regardless of whether the law passes, SNCF will need to fill funding gaps through a state-established contribution fund. This fund transfers profits from SNCF Voyageurs, the passenger division, to SNCF Réseau, the infrastructure arm. A proposed performance contract between the state and SNCF would increase this contribution from 9.3 billion euros to 14.8 billion euros between 2024 and 2033, a 59% increase. This year, SNCF will transfer 1.5 billion euros to the fund, the same amount as in 2024 and 2025. Unions argue this creates an unfair advantage, as SNCF pays twice—once through tolls and again through the contribution fund—while its competitors do not face the same double burden.