Great Western Coffee Shop

From The Local (http://www.thelocal.fr/20150526/france-set-to-scrap-several-train-lines):

This is a report by a commission led by a Socialist party MP, Philippe Duron, into the currently loss-makiing services usually callled Intercit^s. These are mainly the locomotive-hauled inter-regional trains, and night trains as well. You have every right to be confused by the proposals, which have generally been seen as making litttle sense, and were attacked as too right-wing by the National Front.

The suggestion is that half the night trains should be stopped, though in some cases they might be substituted by buses (night trains are not only sleepers). The choice looks odd - Paris to Brian^on, Rodez, Toulouse and Latour-de-Carol are to be kept, while Paris-Hendaye, Nord-Est - M^diterran^e, Paris-C^te Vermeille et Paris-Savoie are to be stopped.

The map in the article does not even include all the lines proposed to stop - Toulouse-Cerb^re is missing. Of course many of the routes do have other trains, and a TER is hardly less of a "proper train" than an HST-vintage ex-Corail one.

Our local line (Cherbourg - Paris) has been a part of this review and has been subject to a classic marketing ploy. Some weeks ago, word was leaked that they may eliminate the intermediate stops between Cherbourg and Caen. Outrage. Then, when the inevitable reduction in service is announced, but maintaining the intermediate stops, everyone is so relieved that the stops are not to be suppressed, that the cuts are 'welcomed'.

And so it came to pass ... more or less. The government (not SNCF) is proposing to privatise most sleepers, and if no-one offers to run them they would be stopped. The two exceptions are Paris-Brian^on and Paris-Rodez / Latour de Carol. Some of the Intercit^s services are getting some new trains, though I'm not sure they will all survive.

There is an English report in Global Rail News (http://www.globalrailnews.com/2016/02/22/announcement-made-over-privatisation-of-french-sleeper-services/), which mangles the minister's name (it's Alain Vidalies) and includes this:

Figures like that make you think, don't they?
 

Another step in the Intercit^s saga - or rather two. Both are in Railway Gazette (http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/normandie-takes-on-tet-services.html) (see links downpage).

The first was back in February, confirming plans to upgrade some at least of the day trains. Actually, the fancy new trains were ordered ages ago, and will arrive at the end of 2016. These are the Alstom Coradia Liner bi-modes - now subtitled V200, I think just for their top speed (I've seen 300 km/hr quoted for them, but don't believe it). I wonder how much these have in common  with other Coradias, such as Class 180s, let alone 458s. Obviously we will be wanting to compare them with SETs, of course.

Yesterday it was announced that these services (TET, officially) in the newly-merged region of Normandy would become the region's responsibility. Apparently "for technical reasons" the Coradia Liner trains couldn't operate here, so they are talking about getting some others. Funding, of course, is ^ la fran^aise - split between SNCF, the region, and central government perhaps including some of its special funds for something or other. Of course the money all comes out of the same bucket, but if it makes people happy...

You could argue that these are more regional than intercity in any case, only having to go outside the region for the short run into Paris (or to Le Mans). The busiest line is Le Havre via Rouen; only about 170 km. Even the longest, to Cherbourg, is less than twice that.

The region's government is not socialist (few are, after the rout of the last elections). Its leader is Herv^ Morin, who was one of Sarkozy's ministers. The largely-PS opposition have of course objected to it as too much public spending for the poor old local taxpayers, which sounds odd coming from them. They also criticise it as privatisation, though it's not clear to me if the region will actually let contracts for the services. That may be the case, and it might even be required by the new EC-approved status of SNCF.

That issue also underlies today's SNCF strike. All four unions actually agreed for once that they would resist the new set of rules required so that competing operators can access the SNCF network. They are threatening a much bigger campaign on this at the end of June. 

with figures like that it's a no brainer.