Rail Europe is far from being a reality. Each country has its own safety, approval and regulatory standards, not to mention the differences in the electrification of the network: thus, moving from one country to another often involves limitations (change of drivers at stations and even, sometimes, change of train) that impact on travel time.
These limitations often apply to regional trains widely used by cross-border commuters, while TGVs dedicated to European travel are natively designed to run on different networks (Eurostar, TGV to Italy, Germany).
In the Grand Est, with origin and destination in Germany, the first Régiolis France-Germany cross-border train was inaugurated on Tuesday, intended to speed up traffic between the two countries.
Budget of 388 million euros
This project, which will cost 388 million euros, will involve the deployment of a total of 30 new trains on seven lines linking the Grand Est and Germany. This will be enough to speed up traffic between the two countries.
It is funded by the Grand Est region with a contribution of 20 million euros from the federal states of Baden-Württemberg, Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate.
The first four trains will be in operation from October on the French network and from summer 2025 on the German part, once the homologations have been obtained. They were manufactured by Alstom following an order placed in 2019.
“Every day, Germans come to France to work and vice versa, the French work in Germany. And if we want to avoid everyone having to take their car, we must be able to have a modern and efficient transport offer that allows them to “exempt technicians” from restrictions linked to safety standards that vary from one country to another,” explains Franck Leroy, president of the Grand Est region, at a press conference.
Manufactured by Alstom.
Winfried Hermann, Minister of Transport of Baden-Württemberg, welcomed this “innovative project” on which the French and Germans have been working “for years”, as he visited a new royal blue train, on which the French and German flags are depicted.
Each train has around 200 seats, 16 of them in first class, and can carry 18 bicycles. It can travel at 160 km/h.
These trains will run on lines linking Metz to Trier, Strasbourg to Karlsruhe and Mulhouse to Müllheim.
A joint Franco-German tender is planned to select one or more operators. Drivers will then be trained to drive on both the German and French sides.
Source: BFM TV
