On the Atlantic arc it scrambles the hair adds officer

According to the well-known maxim is that a single train late retains more attention that all those arriving at the time, SNCF may well back in the spotlight of the news. According to our information, the railway company indeed experienced difficulties to ensure the regularity of its trains in 2009. Of course, everything is not black (see opposite): regional train punctuality is a little (Ile-de-France), or even significantly (by province) improved. However, delays in the outline - mainly the TGV - increased, continuing a trend started four years ago.

Thus the regularity of the TGV and the Téoz rate fell, according to our information, 81.2 last year, against 82.6 in 2008 and especially 84.2 per cent in 2005. In clear, nearly 60,000 trains took more than five minutes late in 2009.

"We experienced a decline in punctuality last year," admits Jacques Damascus, Director-General in charge of the operation. "But this trend be explained mainly by problems related to infrastructure, in particular the work on the network," he added. The internal causes of the SNCF (faulty equipment, human error in the organisation of transport) are originally only 35 of the problems. The largest share (about 45) comes from the infrastructure, which represents Moreover almost 80 of the additional delays recorded between 2008 and 2009.

Daily disruptions

Why such a tendency "The network has aged, and the State has decided to commit much to renovate." "But it also means that there is more work, and therefore more downturns", said Jacques Damascus. Sometimes, it has the air of nothing. Ballast - stones that support the tracksis thus now frequently reinforced. But during the few days following the operation, one must sometimes slow trains to 160 km/h to 100 km/h on these portions. Or trains lines can be led to cross three or four similar zones...

These maintenance tasks to add network - its comprehensive upgrading regeneration - and development sites. They are many, so that the Grenelle of the environment provides 2,000 kilometres new high-speed lines. These new lines must be connected to the current, resulting in every time of the disturbances.

"It becomes a true Chinese puzzle to find the place to move the trains." "On the Atlantic arc, it scrambles the hair", adds officer. Southwest has indeed handicaps: aging infrastructure (with routes that sometimes more than thirty years) seeking more in addition to maintenance; TER offers increased; tunnels it again to move cargo; soon a new line between Tours and Bordeaux to build high speed... Before these problems, the SNCF also preferred recently extended the route of the TGV between Paris and Bordeaux in 3 to 5 minutes.

The problems are just beginning. The construction work will be intensified and spread over the Decade. Thus, by 2013, about 900 kilometres of lines will be renovated annually, against 400 kilometres in 2006. At the time, the public group will probably have to struggle to stay above the rate of 80 of TGV per hour in the years to come. "This question of the regularity cannot be resolved by the only SNCF." "We need to consult us with RFF (the owner of the network), but also with the State, which will have to say the priorities, between cargo and TGV", said Jacques Damascus.

In the immediate future, the rail carrier wants to identify its problems. For 2010, it wants to reach 90 of regularity but not necessarily in 5 minutes. For more 3: 30 pm trips, the objective will be to have nine trains in ten having less than 15 minutes late. For those between 1: 30 and 3: 30 pm, bar limit will be set at ten minutes. Only the voyages of less than 1 h 30 will keep Cape Town 5 minutes. "Did we not be ashamed in the air." "During episodes snowy December, 99 of our TGV rolled, while 25 of the flights have been removed" to console the leader.