New challenger on the French rail tracks

 

SNCF, for decades the leading railway provider in France, is about to get some serious competition. 

Velvet, a start-up that aims to challenge SNCF on high-speed routes, has secured its operating license, bringing it a step closer to launching four western France services in 2028.

The company plans to launch four non-stop routes from Paris in 2028: Paris-Bordeaux, Paris-Nantes, Paris-Angers and Paris-Rennes.

The license, issued by France’s Transport Ministry, is one of two key authorisations required before a rail operator can commercially carry passengers, news hub Travel Mole reports.

Velvet still needs to obtain a Single Safety Certificate, demonstrating that it has adequate safety-management systems and can effectively control operational risks before its trains can enter service.

The newly granted license nevertheless allows the company to move into a more advanced stage of preparations, including requesting specific train paths from SNCF Réseau, France’s rail infrastructure manager.

“It’s an important step that allows us to go further in preparing our trains, teams and procedures,” said Velvet Ppesident Rachel Picard.

Picard, a former senior SNCF executive, founded Velvet with a business partner and has raised €1 billion ($1.17 billion) from French infrastructure investor Antin Infrastructure Partners.

Part of that funding has been allocated to purchase 12 next-generation Alstom Avelia Horizon trains. The same train is being introduced by SNCF for its own high-speed operations.

Velvet’s arrival is being welcomed by passenger advocates, who say additional operators could help address capacity shortages on some of France’s busiest routes. They point to heavily booked routes such as Paris-Bordeaux and Paris-Lyon, where trains can sell out for extended periods.

France’s high-speed rail market remains overwhelmingly dominated by SNCF despite the formal opening of European rail markets to competition.

Italian operator Trenitalia entered the French market in late 2021 and now operates services linking Paris with Lyon, Marseille and Milan. It is also targeting the Paris-London market, with cross-Channel services planned by 2030.