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France Will Spend €100 Billion For ‘New Rail Deal’

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Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne announced a sweeping plan intended to modernize and expand France’s train system as part of a larger effort to battle climate change.

The government plans to spend €100 billion through 2040 to upgrade current rail lines, expand overnight trains, and invest in new train services for commuters as part of what she dubbed a “nouvelle donne ferroviaire” (new rail deal). The goal is to dramatically reduce the number of domestic flights as well as the use of cars in cities.

“The use of rail services will evolve, with more trains, at more frequent intervals, that are better serving areas where people live,” said Borne, according to The Local. “Our strategy must benefit all French people, wherever they live, from small towns to major cities.”

That spending will include €1 billion annually for the next 5 years to renovate existing lines, plus €500 million to modernize them. She said trains must be faster and more reliable if more people are going to see them as a transportation alternative.

The money will come from the French government, the European Union, the national rail service SNCF, and local governments. Negotiations with those local governments over budgets will begin this spring, according to Les Echos newspaper.

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