The government asks the SNCF for a short-term “action plan” for the Paris-Clermont line

“Beyond the long-term investments that we are going to make, the situation of the Paris-Clermont line could no longer continue and I asked him for a complementary action plan in the very short term,” declared the minister at the AFP following a meeting with the CEO of SNCF, Jean-Pierre Farandou.

This Paris-Nevers-Vichy-Clermont line is known for its repeated delays, regularly denounced by its users.

Friday January 19, the breakdown of a locomotive on the line left 700 passengers stranded overnight on a train in very cold weather.

A program to modernize the line has been launched, notably with the arrival of new trains, called “Oxygène”, whose delivery is planned for 2026.

The State has also undertaken work on the line to the tune of one billion euros, a first tranche of which was released by the former Minister for Transport Clément Beaune in November.

On what tracks could new measures be implemented in the meantime? Nothing leaked from the meeting.

“We agreed that the SNCF would detail this action plan very soon”, i.e. within a fortnight, the ministry said.

The SNCF confirmed for its part that it was working on this plan.

Christophe Béchu underlined the “unbearable nature of both the incident last Friday and the repetition, in recent months, of these incidents”.

“I am only the spokesperson for the legitimate exasperation of travelers and elected officials,” continued the minister. "I would point out, however, that we have inherited a very degraded situation with regard to the level of modernization of
infrastructure”.

The minister plans to go to the region in February to “exchange with the various stakeholders in the territory”.