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Local France
19-06-2025
- Business
- Local France
How France became a world champion of high-speed rail
In 2024, the French rail network carried nearly 130 million passengers - another record-breaking year for SNCF as more and more people take the train in what the network describes as a 'golden age for rail'. French trains are popular - an Ifop study found that almost half of all French people travelled by TGV in the last 12 months, and while cars are still king in France, the study also found that the French prefer to travel by train rather than plane for distances below 500 km. Meanwhile, a separate study found that 78 percent of French people travel by train 'from time to time' - and there's no evidence that the somewhat robust attitude of French rail unions to negotiation is putting passengers off . Listen to the team at The Local discuss France's rail success in the latest episode of the Talking France podcast - download here or listen on the link below The French rail network is not only popular, it's fast - France also holds several international train speed records, the most recent being set in 1990 (515.3 km/h) and 2007 (574.8 km/h). A standard Paris to Marseille TGV trip will commonly reach speeds of 320km/h. (A side note for train fans - Japan's maglev train L0 Series, which achieved 604km/h in 2015, is technically a magnetic levitation track, which means that France holds onto its record.) Advertisement One factor that helped France to build and expand its high-speed rail network is that its construction costs are, relatively speaking, quite low. The Transit Costs project database of projects in 59 countries and over 20,000km of urban rail found that France spends on average €29.71 million per km of high-speed rail line built. While that is slightly above Spain (€21.75 million/km), it's one-tenth of the spend in the UK (€207.9 million/km average). So what's behind the success story of French rail, especially the high-speed TGV ( Train à Grande Vitesse ) services that were launched in the 1980s? Presentation of the TGV on June 15th, 1980 in Chantilly. (Photo by AFP) We spoke to rail experts about some of the factors that have enabled this success. State involvement "France's high-speed rail network has been incredibly successful," Rick Harnish, the executive director of the non-profit High-Speed Rail Alliance , told The Local. Harnish, who lives in Chicago, fondly remembers his first trip on a French TGV. "Our first trip was from Gare de Lyon to Marseille... I thought I understood what high-speed rail was about, and now I really do." "[To build a high-speed network], the most important thing you need is an entity of some nature whose clear job it is to make it happen. "The second step is that the entity needs to have the resources - both financial and personnel - to be successful. And third, you need a strong commitment from the government to get through challenges. In the case of France, that entity is the French national railroad, SNCF," Harnish said. Having a centralised, state-controlled rail operator is also important when it comes to building costs. France has been able to build high-speed lines relatively cheaply and quickly, particularly in comparison to countries like the US and UK, which has meant the rapid expansion of the network. Alon Levy, a Fellow in the Transportation and Land Use program of the NYU Marron Institute and author of the blog Pedestrian Observations, noted France has opted for a more traditional model, rather than a 'globalised' one, which is popular in the Anglophone world. Advertisement "The globalised system means you try to involve international consultancies more in planning, so you use bigger, more expensive contracts," Levy explained. "France does not work that way (...) and as a result, French management costs for subway projects are between five to 10 percent of their hard costs, whereas in the US this starts at 20 percent and just goes up. Keeping experienced managers in the public sector to supervise private sector designers saves money." France also harnesses its in-house expertise for public transport projects. Levy gave the example of the Grand Paris Express, the capital region's ambitious Metro expansion, to build four new fully automated Metro lines at the edges of the 'greater Paris region' READ MORE: Grand Paris Express: The French capital's ambitious expansion plan "The idea is that after they're done planning and building, the bureaucracy will be used to build similar things in the main provincial cities. They realise they have this very competent project delivery vehicle, so might as well use it for things beyond Paris," the researcher added. Advertisement Legal structures A slight authoritarian streak may also help things along, according to Yves Crozet, who now serves as the mayor of the Saint-Germain-la-Montagne commune in the Loire département in central France, who spent most of his career teaching and researching transport economics. Crozet noted that in France, a public body is created by the government to run the transport project. With the Grand Paris Express, the public enterprise Société de Grand Paris was created with the right to collect taxes and raise funds, and then decide between construction bids for the lines. After the public consultation process, French transport projects receive a déclaration d'utilité publique (DUP, or declaration of public utility). Once this has been activated, purchase of land can begin - with compulsory purchases permitted if people don't want to sell up to the railways. "Building high-speed rail in Germany, for example, is harder because it is more difficult to oppose people who do not want to sell their land. Here in France, we are in a centralised system, it's a little authoritarian." Advertisement Geography Then some factors might be considered more luck than judgement, such as France's geography. Crozet said: "The first reason TGV has done well in France is geography. We have a central capital city, and the other cities are smaller. "If you want to go from Lyon or Bordeaux to Paris, then you need to travel a long distance, so it makes sense to build a high-speed network. For example, in Switzerland, you don't need high-speed rail, as it is a small country." This was echoed by Alon Levy, who noted that French high-speed lines tend to be built on agricultural land and involve few tunnels, making them cheaper to construct. It also helped that France had a vast rail network already, which meant that as the TGV was being developed it was often a case of adapting existing lines, rather than building tracks from scratch. Advertisement The best versus the rest But is it fair to say French rail is great - or more accurate to say that French high-speed rail is great? One key fact about the French rail network is that the country is home to over 27,000 km of train tracks - and of that, 2,800km is high-speed rail, or lignes à grande vitesse. That means that nine-tenths of the country's rail does not offer the impressive TGV services, but is a mixture of TER local trains and commuter networks, like the Paris region's Transilien line. "France is really good at transport in cities and for travelling between cities, but it is awful if you need to go from one town to another town," Jon Worth, railway commentator and blogger , who is based in rural Burgundy, told The Local. READ MORE: ANALYSIS: Will France's rural rail networks be revived? "France de facto decided to prioritise Paris, and it is difficult to tell what has been an explicit decision and what has been unintended consequences of perhaps well-intended decisions," Worth said. When building the high-speed network, SNCF opted for a 'hub and spoke' model, connecting major cities to the capital, as well as an airline model, where passengers must reserve seats. "This has turned into profit-maximising, and there is no flexibility in the system. Imagine: you're based in Paris and your grandma is in Toulon. Your grandma falls ill, and you need to travel tomorrow…chances are you won't be able to do it because every train will be full. "SNCF is proud of the fact that most of its TGV seats are full and almost half of its trains sell out, but from a railway perspective, that means that the public cannot get to where they need to be at the last second. There is no spare capacity in the system. "Then on the other hand, SNCF says they don't have the money to maintain the tracks for the old lignes classiques, the historic network of non-high-speed tracks which serve the local TER services. "While the rest of Europe discusses reopening old regional lines, France is talking about how they are in danger of closing. "So France might be better than other countries, like the UK, at high-speed rail, but I would argue that the UK is better at commuter and regional rail than France. Instead of investing in high-speed, the UK has tried to ring every last bit of capacity out of its classic network. "This means that between two medium-sized towns in UK, you might have a train once an hour, while in France, if you want to do the same thing, there might be three trains a day. "Ultimately, it depends on how countries set their priorities, and my preference would be the German strategy over the French one. Even though trains might be behind schedule, they do run regional trains around the clock. "In France, a two-class system has been created on French railways. Anyone will take the TGV, including rich people, but that cannot be said for the TER, which is mainly people who are too young or too old to drive, or too poor to have a car." "I would take the view that it should be normal for any person to take any type of train," Worth said. What do you think of France's railway system? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Telegraph
16-04-2025
- Telegraph
9 fabulous French hotels accessible by train
It's little surprise that a country that engineered the Train à Grande Vitesse (TGV) a few decades back should be a modern master of rail travel. You only need to glance at the images of SNCF's sleek next-gen carriages to realise just how functional and comfortable trains on the other side of the Channel are. Pair this with France's fabulous variety of landscapes to admire out of the window and you'll understand why it remains such a popular way to travel here. Yes, occasional train strikes do happen, but they are always announced well in advance, are usually region-specific and often simply mean less frequent services rather than every last train grinding to a complete standstill. Download the SNCF Connect app to stay informed. Of course, Britons can take the Eurostar from London St Pancras International to Lille, Paris (Gare du Nord) or Lyon (change trains at Lille Europe). But lesser known are the French countryside retreats that are in fact easily reached by a short train ride from the capital. Whizz past quaint villages, farms, wheat fields, vineyards and swathes of gorgeous scenery to reach places that offer forest bathing, river swimming, outdoor yoga, wine tasting and more. For small railway stations in the sticks, ask your hotel to book a taxi for you in advance; not many hotels offer private transfers. Le Barn, Rambouillet, Île de France Le Barn was built on the grounds of pre-existing natural horsemanship school La Cense. Spaces were designed by the Paris-based studio behind Le Pigalle in the capital's 9th arrondissement and, as with that property, you feel like you are in the home of a (very stylish) Parisian friend rather than a traditional luxury hotel. The main building houses the principal restaurant La Serre (The Greenhouse), set in a sun-dappled conservatory, while the spa is housed in a former flour mill and features a sauna, hammam and two outdoor Nordic baths. Best of all for equine-loving guests are the horse-whispering classes and rides out in the surrounding forest. Getting there 40 minutes by regional TER train from Paris Gare Montparnasse to Rambouillet, then 25 minutes by taxi. Doubles from £171. Read the full review here InterContinental Chantilly Château Mont Royal, Île de France From Gare du Nord, the journey to this glittering cream chateau couldn't be easier. This five-star escape was built in 1907 in Louis XVI style and has now been recast as a palatial 109-room hotel, with modern brasserie dining in the original music salon and fireside drinks in the wood-panelled library. The icing (or rather, decadently thick whipped cream traditionally associated with Chantilly) on the cake comes in the form of the generously sized indoor pool, Biologique Recherche spa and sauna with fairytale forest view. Getting there Half an hour by TER from Paris Gare du Nord to Orry la Ville-Cove, then 15 minutes by taxi. Doubles from £276, B&B Domaine de Primard, Normandy This grand country chateau is a refined haven that will have you feeling like a member of the French glitterati in no time. The gardens of the house are manicured in the French style (right angles and perfect lawns) – you'll even find the extensive rose garden started by previous owner Catherine Deneuve. With the Eure river running right through the land, there are plenty of pretty spots in which to settle down with tree shade and a view. A whole building is dedicated to the spa and relaxation area, while the heated pool in the grounds is lined with white loungers. The hotel has its own vegetable garden, which provides produce for the gourmet and 'bistronomic' restaurants. Getting there One hour by TER from Paris Gare Saint-Lazare to Bueil, then five minutes by taxi. Doubles from £480. Read the full review here Hôtel Barrière Le Westminster, Le Touquet, Normandy When Le Touquet was in its 1920s heyday, Le Westminster was the place to be. A hundred years on, Noel Coward, PG Wodehouse and Edward and Wallis Simpson may be long gone, but the hotel still has an air of glamour. The hotel was completely revamped in 2020 by luxury French group Barrière. Multi-coloured geometric murals in the bar and a bold giraffe-style beige and black print on the corridor carpets were designed as a nod to Le Westminster's jazz age heritage. There's also a Michelin-starred restaurant and a small spa, while the beach is just a 10-minute walk away. Getting there Two hours 45 minutes by TER from Paris Gare du Nord to Étaples-Le Touquet, then 10 minutes by taxi. Doubles from £206. Read the full review here Royal Champagne, Épernay This amphitheatre-shaped hotel above Épernay is a shrine to the vines that surround it. Glassy, glamorous and with a Michelin-starred restaurant plus destination spa, it is a sparkling tribute to the world's most prestigious drink, and a singular offering in the region. All 47 rooms have private terraces where you can gaze over those rolling hills, plus standalone oval tubs that invite long soaks after days spent dotting between champagne houses. The hotel has plenty of ideas to help guests make the most of their time in the region, from buggy rides in the vineyards to boat trips on the Marne. Getting there 90 minutes by TER from Paris Gare de l'Est to Épernay, then 10 minutes by taxi. Doubles from £558. Read the full review here Le Relais de Chambord, Chambord, Loire Valley For architecture buffs and enthusiasts of French history, the swift escape by rail to this highly original hotel and enormous forested playground is endlessly fascinating. The country house was built in the grounds of Château de Chambord as kennels for the king's hunting hounds in the 17th century and redesigned as a 55-room hotel by celebrated French architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte in 2018. The location alone – in front of France's greatest Renaissance castle, ideal for tiptoeing into the forest at dawn during rutting season to observe stags and hinds at play – is priceless. Explore on foot, by bike, electric golf cart and (for the chateau's moat) rowing boat. Getting there Two hours by TER from Paris Gare d'Austerlitz to Mer, then 15 minutes by taxi. Doubles from £140 Château Troplong Mondot, St-Émilion, Aquitaine With its spectacular vineyard scenery and fine dining, a stay at this dashingly handsome chateau-hotel and eco-conscious winery on the fringes of medieval St-Émilion plunges you into the viticultural soul of France's southwest. On arrival at the 18th-century, honey-hued chateau, guests are welcomed with an informative walking tour of the estate. Further exploration is by electric bike (or custom-made, electric mini Landrovers for kids). Boutique country-chic rooms await in the chateau, an outbuilding and vineyard worker's cottage, and Troplong-Mondot 's own Premier Grand Cru Classé wine powers memorable meals in Michelin-starred Les Belles Perdrix. Getting there Two hours by TGV from Paris Gare Montparnasse to Bordeaux then half an hour by TER to Libourne, then 15 minutes by taxi. Doubles from £210 Les Sources de Caudalie, Léognan, Aquitaine Ambling peacefully through lush vegetable gardens or watching shire horses plough vineyards tended for six centuries by Bordeaux's revered Château Smith Haut Lafitte, it's hard to believe London is just a few hours away. The five-star Sources de Caudalie in Martillac is the epitome of bon vivant luxury, with 61 rooms, a 'wine spa' (where guests can enjoy treatments such as a crushed cabernet scrub, honey and wine wrap or barrel bath) and two Michelin-starred dining. Blanched wood, soft blues and pops of rattan in newly renovated signature suites in the 'Fisherman's Village' evoke the nearby ocean and pine forests, through which walking trails unfurl. Getting there Two hours by TGV from Paris Gare Montparnasse to Bordeaux, then 20 minutes by taxi. Doubles from £176 Hôtel des Dunes, Cap Ferret This peaceful beach house-style boutique might have been the first hotel to open in Cap Ferret in 1969, but there are no cobwebs here. It's been transformed into a pared-back luxury eco cocoon, complete with 13 designer rooms, a sauna, sandy garden and yoga deck. The hotel is set between a main road running the length of the headland and wild pine forests sloping onto the sea. Décor is by local interior architect Delphine Carrère, with much of it crafted by artisans of the region. This includes custom-made furniture, surf-themed artworks and vintage lettering, which was hand-painted on the wooden façade by Hossegor local Sara Pasternak. Most of the 13 rooms have a balcony or private outdoor space, while a delightfully curated breakfast is served in the mirrored dining room or al fresco on the terrace. Getting there Three hours 45 minutes Paris Gare Montparnasse to Arcachon, then 30 minutes by boat to Cap Ferret and 20 minutes on foot or five minutes by taxi.
