Following the blow of the extensive restructuring of Fret SNCF, France is turning its attention to a large-scale investment programme exceeding four billion euros aimed at boosting the freight rail sector by 2032. The initiative, known as Ulysse Fret, involves a wide-ranging consultation process engaging both institutions and industry operators. This dialogue has already yielded a first tangible result: an operational document jointly drafted by the French Ministry of Territorial Planning, the railway network manager SNCF Réseau, and the operators' association Alliance 4F (Fret Ferroviaire Français du Futur).
The report outlines the investment strategy across eight broad categories, ranging from widespread network enhancement to digital transformation. Specifically, it identifies 72 individual measures to be financed through the Ulysse Fret plan. The eight intervention areas cover secondary lines, industrial sidings, marshalling yards, connections between installations and the main network, capacity upgrades, adaptation and construction of new terminals, infrastructure improvements for unaccompanied semi-trailers, and digital development.
According to the report, France currently has 140 freight railway lines stretching across 2,000 kilometres. This extensive network, however, largely consists of outdated lines that require significant refurbishment to be fully effective and operational. In this regard, around 700 million euros would need to be invested, combining already committed resources with additional funding yet to be secured.
The document also addresses a contentious issue within the rail sector: single-wagonload traffic, which has gradually lost ground. In France too, it now accounts for less than a quarter of all freight and remains heavily reliant on the availability of industrial sidings. This type of service is closely linked to marshalling yards, particularly those equipped with hump yards—a technology now rare in France, with only four such sites remaining: Woippy, Sibelin, Miramas and Le Bourget. SNCF has committed to investing 156 million euros in this area, though operators anticipate a further 30 million will be needed.
Industrial sidings that link terminals, ports, and industrial zones to the main rail network are often underused or in poor condition. The report notes that just over 1,000 of the nearly 2,900 sidings are currently operational. Of the roughly 1,800 disused lines, only about 400 are still in generally good condition.
The focus then shifts to combined transport. The document assesses intermodal terminals, noting that most are reaching the limits of their capacity—partly due to the lack of significant investment over the past 15 years. Reviving intermodality would require over one billion euros in funding, including just over 400 million for new infrastructure and nearly 700 million to upgrade and expand existing facilities. Public and private funds could be combined to meet this target.
Another area examined in detail in the report is the rail transport of unaccompanied semi-trailers. Before a concrete project can be developed, it is first necessary to map the main traffic flows in order to identify the most effective solutions. Surprisingly, such a detailed map does not yet exist. The goal is to create one by 2032, paving the way for an intervention strategy with a 2040 horizon.
Piermario Curti Sacchi
