Officials from the Federation of Railway Industries (FIF) have highlighted ongoing challenges facing the French railway sector, including high production costs, project delays, and difficulties with innovation. During a meeting with the Club VRT on September 10, Alain Picard, who became head of the FIF in July, discussed these issues alongside Patrick Jeantet, his predecessor. Both men acknowledged that France has "one of the best railway systems in the world," but they emphasized concerns about the rising costs of producing trains and the inefficiencies in the current system. Patrick Jeantet, who has been leading the board of directors of Spie since May 1st, pointed out that in France, the national rail operators SNCF and RATP are responsible for designing the trains, unlike in aviation, where companies like Airbus design planes for clients such as Air France. This unique arrangement adds complexity and contributes to frequent delays in train deliveries. A government mission, set up over a year ago by the ministers of Transport and Industry, was tasked with addressing these issues. Led by Yves Ramette, Christian Dugué, and François Feugier, the group analyzed 27 projects, according to Alain Picard. Among the most delayed are French projects, with the Régiolis and Regio 2N trains taking four and a half years to complete, including an additional year of delay. Patrick Jeantet noted that it now takes between seven and ten years to complete a project, attributing these long timelines to over-specifications by clients and a tendency to start from scratch rather than build on existing systems. He also mentioned that layers of French and European regulations have made the situation more complicated. Both executives expressed concern about the lack of clarity in the sector, which makes it difficult to plan and implement a coherent investment strategy. Alain Picard criticized the current system for railway innovation, stating that it is not functioning effectively and that efforts are being focused on funding small, impractical projects. He gave the example of a mobile unit on a freight wagon designed for passenger transport, which he believes will not be successful. In contrast, he praised Germany's commitment to developing battery-powered trains, noting that France has fallen behind in this area. Picard has set a goal of persuading politicians to support the existing railway industry rather than pursuing unproven reindustrialization plans.