The rail contract in France: an opportunity for foreign companies

Thanks to progressive liberalization since 2005, the rail transport sector has encouraged within the framework of Community law. Respectful of the environment, serves also as the key to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The resolution on the transport sector taken during the Summit of Grenelle of the environment (www.legrenelle-environnement.fr) - created by the French State in conjunction with representatives of civil society to preserve the environment and sustainable development - sets the goal of moving from 14% to 25% of the transport by road to other media here by the year 2020.

In this context, operators of networks which ensured the management of the transport of passengers and goods have begun to outsource the activities of maintenance of the rolling stock (locomotives, cars and wagons), and fixed (signals, switches, power supply)(, etc.), as well as the construction of lines and stations. In France, the outsourcing sector has about 100,000 people, i.e., two-thirds of the volume of direct employment.

And why outsourcing is largely open, foreign firms. Multinational manufacturers of rolling stock such as Siemens, Bombardier, Alstom Transport, CAF, ADD-Trans, or equipment: Faiveley, Thalès, Bonatrans, Valdunes, Voith, ABB Secheron, SKF, Knorr-Bremse, etc.) They proposed their own and innovative solutions complying both with the UIC (International Union of railways) global standardization, as with the ERMTS (European system of railway signalling). This is achieved European interoperability of equipment and cross-border traffic. Thus, standardization cheaper general costs, procurement, operation and maintenance, as well as facilitate the export.

David Appia, Chairman of the Scoreboard, explains that "the opening of the rail network to competition has allowed to boost the French market in subcontracting both in the field of construction, maintenance or rail services." "It is a major factor in attracting numerous foreign companies which are in France a real opportunity for growth."

As regards the fixed material, large international groups of maintenance and renovation of roads are involved in the construction and renovation of Rails, sleepers and ballast (RVB). For example, the rails of Corus Rail (Indian group Tata Steel) production units offer a wide range of avenues for platforms with permanent or interim modules, as well as material anti-noise which is set below the skids of the rail and is marketed under the name of 'silent tracktm'. In addition, Corus Rail proposes services linked to the railway infrastructure (engineering, creation, design and management of the rail system, systems, modules and technologies).

Also, both the general maintenance, which is mostly outsourced, and the rolling stock is shared by the operator (workshops of the SCNF, BWB of Deutsche Bahn, etc) and builders, who have called packages ' material more maintenance ', and valid until the expiry of the guarantee of the material.

In addition, many other services are subcontracted as the sale of tickets, rail restoration, cleaning, auxiliary services, Informatics, etc.

R & d in the railway sector

The Cluster i-Trans, located in the regions of Nord-Pas Calais and Picardie, is dedicated, since 2005, to the intelligence of the systems of transport (STI), innovation for economic development and of the railway interoperability, the transport of goods and/or passengers. i-Trans has carried out 78 innovation and research projects with a value of about € 185 million, which included Bombardier (security of travellers), and Compin Interiors (interior fittings of rooms for passengers and platforms of rail vehicles).