SNCF is building Light and Ultra Light Rail to cover all territories
Rail network is always considered as inflexible and heavy infrastructure project. It is build to serve high demand network. However, SNCF is working on light and ultralight future train project to cover all territories with its rail. The company is looking to offer flexible railway service in combination with shared mobility to extend the scope of conventional rail and serve all regions.
The company is working on 3 interesting rail innovation projects:
Flexy (9 seaters rail-road prototype in partnership with MILLA and Michelin) which can operate on both rail track and road. The company is planning to introduce this vehicle at small closed rail lines, whose length varies between 10 and 30 km. The vehicle will be catering to rural and residential areas, as it can run on the road as well. It is similar to Dual-mode vehicle launched in Japan. The pilot will be launched in 2024 and commercial operation by 2026.
Draisy (30-seaters with 80 passenger capacity rail shuttle in partnership with Lohr Group) – a small battery-powered electric train with a 100 kms range, which can be recharged at the station. The train is intended for low traffic lines and will further allow the passenger to have “à la carte” stops (near to their home). The vehicle will have electric motor and on-board battery energy storage. The pilot will be launched in 2025 and commercial operation by 2026.
Innovative Light Rail (TLI) (100 seated passenger capacity in partnership with Alstom and CAF (Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles)) is like ordinary rail, except the weight reduction of the TLI, i.e. 10 tonnes per axle against 17 tonnes for a Transport Express Régional). This will help SNCF to reduce maintenance costs and track wear. The pilot line will be launched in 2024 and could be put into commercial operation in 2028-2029
Source: SNCF