www.actu-transport-logistique.fr/ferroviaire/70-journee-ofp-des-motifs-desperer-malgre-tout-426036.php (Link)

www.lantenne.com/Les-OFP-tire-leur-epingle-du-jeu_a40121.html (Link)

supplychainmagazine.fr/NL/2017/2598/ (Link)

futurmobility.org/en/2017/12/12/freight-rail-french-rails/ (Link)

What urgent reforms to unlock the potential of rail freight?

The first session was moderated by Gilles Dansart, editor-in-chief of Mobillettre, in a contrasting context for rail freight.

Since the "national commitment" of 2009, consultations and declarations in favor of rail freight have been repeated, some followed by actions, sometimes relevant, but rarely structured and followed seriously as concrete and coherent "action plans" then that the potential of rail freight could be put at the service of the economy and sustainable development

SNCF Réseau is a key player in actions in favor of rail freight, but the framework set out in the recent "State performance contract -SNCF Réseau" defines actions in partial contradiction with the stated objectives in principle (trajectory of toll increases, not fully correlated with progress in circulation, withdrawal of any investment in capillary renovation, etc.).

The four presentations and the round table that followed clearly showed these contradictions between the potential of rail freight, illustrated by the development of Europe-Asia traffic presented by UTLC, and the multiple obstacles that prevent us from doing as well in France as our neighbors Europeans.

In the exchanges it quickly appeared that SNCF Réseau was a somewhat easy target, "paying" for the strategic errors of the past (not maintaining the infrastructures) and the lack of coherence and stability of the State; for example Switzerland is in the process of defining its objectives for 2030-2036!!

The hottest point of the debates focused on the relevance and phasing of pricing per ton rather than per train.

Goods Trains Fever...the video game that makes rail freight love!

The 2A2F association, which promotes rail freight in Hauts de France, was looking for a way to show our profession in a more playful light. And in Valenciennes, young developers were just asking to put their skills to work for this idea.

ITE, capillaries, service roads, port roads...same fight!!

The interest of local infrastructures for shippers was shown by the fact that the moderator of the second session was Ch. Rose, general delegate of the AUTF and that representatives of cereals and aggregates producers took part in the round table.

The starting situation is known: safeguarding the relevant capillaries, given their economic importance for the fine service of the territory (20% of rail freight comes from them) is vital, while the SNCF Réseau State performance contract organizes their transfer to local authorities.
Port routes and their connections with the ports' deep hinterland are essential for port and rail freight development; port reform, enabling appropriate operation and maintenance, and port investments have led to significant improvement; inland ports, as the Port of Lyon has shown, are natural tri-modal platforms with high development potential. .

The situation of the sidings is reminiscent of that of the capillaries in 2013. SNCF Réseau therefore wants to significantly increase tolls, which the RUs cannot bear; the sizing of the service roads, dating from another era, the maintenance methods, their governance, everything must be overhauled!

The presentation by DGITM showed the interest and importance of the regulatory simplification work in progress, and the desire to resolve the inconsistencies revealed, in particular on the port routes; similarly, we can only welcome the establishment of a "eurocompatible" aid scheme for ITE...while waiting for a similar system for capillaries coming out of the RFN

But it was the presentation of Renand Lagrave, VP Transports-Infrastructures of Nouvelle Aquitaine that triggered the applause meter, in the strict sense of the word; it clearly shows that the concept of "Strategic Region", on its scale (the size of Portugal) can have a very concrete meaning over time.

The round table gave rise to lively, because passionate, exchanges which show the need for a new examination of the long-term objectives and the roles of the actors for local infrastructures..

The contributions of digital technology to rail freight

To follow up on his introductory remarks, J. Chauvineau moderated the last session.

Wagon tracking and more generally intelligent freight train experiments are multiplying in Europe; as the UIC has shown, this abundance is very comforting but also poses the problem of interfaces and standards that the profession has not yet managed to define

In France, the projects launched by ID Logistics /Everysens, ERMEWA and Fret SNCF/Traxens were discussed, in the light of the needs and expectations of shippers and international benchmark experiences.
IT developments can also improve the industrial and commercial processes of RUs, and the example of LInéas clearly demonstrated this.
SNCF Réseau launched the modernization of train paths and operational traffic management; JC Larrieu was taken by an agreement of his Direction des circulations, but his presentation appears below



 Conclusions

Marc Papinutti, Directeur de Cabinet de Mme E.Borne , Ministre des Transports, a tenu à venir personnellement nous dire, au nom de sa ministre en déplacement à l'étranger, que l'Etat avait conscience de la situation du fret ferroviaire; Mme Borne avait d'ailleurs reçu (une première !) il y a plus de deux mois les entreprises de fret "alternatives" et après les avoir entendues, leur avait demandé des propositions concrètes d'action ( largement présentées dans la première séance) . Marc Papinutti a remercié le Président d'Objectif OFP pour son action persévérante en faveur de la desserte fine des territoires et à conclu et affirmant "nous croyons au ferroviaire".

J. Chauvineau a conclu la journée en insistant particulièrement sur l'obligation d'intégrer les actions immédiates indispensable dans une vision stratégique à long terme.

La note ci-dessous reprend les idées exposées dans son introduction et ses conclusions, ainsi que des échanges ultérieurs avec des participants; elle traduit bien l'impatience exprimée par les participants : "ET MAINTENANT ? L' ACTION ! "