SNCF Determines To Proceed With RFEI Response On High-Speed Rail

PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--French National Railways (SNCF), which owns and operates France’s TGV, the country’s premier high-speed rail network, and is a driving force behind Europe’s high-speed rail industry, said today that it had determined to respond to the U.S. Federal Railroad Administration’s Request For Expression of Interest process with respect to four corridors: California, Florida, Texas, and the Chicago Hub Network.

Each of the highly detailed proposals filed on September 14, 2009 outlines SNCF’s project rationale in the respective regions, including an evaluation of the benefits of high-speed rail networks to the targeted communities and environment; detailed technical descriptions of the project, including proposed route, estimated operations costs, services, and schedules; the project’s business model, including simulated revenues, financial statements, and possible financing opportunities with both the public and private sectors; and the plan’s compliance with existing legislation and the possibilities for federal, state, and local government partnerships.

In a cover letter to the packages, Mr. Guillaume Pepy, the Chairman of SNCF and Chairman of Eurostar, noted that in California, Florida and Texas, SNCF’s review and analysis of the available data regarding these three states leads it to the preliminary conclusion that HST 220, High-Speed Train passenger services operated at up to 220 mph, in these corridors will produce significant public benefits – benefits that will offset by almost twice the public investment in the design and construction of the systems.

Regarding the Chicago/Midwest Hub, Mr. Pepy notes that local and state authorities in and around this corridor intend to effect a dramatic improvement in the public transportation system. SNCF believes that HST 220 services are the solution for the Midwest and proposes a 1,400-mile network including a by-pass line in Chicago, servicing 28 stations in seven states. With the introduction of high-speed rail, the 20 million inhabitants of the major metropolitan areas in this corridor would be able to reach the Chicago airports and Union Station in less than three hours.

Said Mr. Pepy, “While the RFEI process in the United States, first announced in 2008, has been overtaken somewhat by more recent legislation and a new process, we elected to proceed with our detailed submission on the four corridors in the interests of advancing the discussion about how high-speed rail can benefit the U.S., and especially the regions where high-speed rail planning is most advanced.”

He continued, “The United States is well-suited for high-speed rail, and the significant benefits, beyond being a better transportation option, include economic stimulus, community enhancement and growth, environmental advancements, energy efficiencies and reduced dependence on foreign oil. SNCF has a longstanding and strong interest in participating in the development of high-speed rail in the United States and hopes that its decision to proceed with the RFEI submission advances the conversation and underscores its commitment and ability to help the United States realize the potential for HSR systems.”

About SNCF

SNCF is a premier global mobility and logistics group with an annual turnover of 26 Billion Euros and more than 200,000 employees in 120 countries. SNCF’s mission is to achieve greater mobility, respect and solidarity by making “eco-mobility” the driving force behind sustained growth and client preference, both in passenger and freight transport. The Group is made up of four main divisions: infrastructure and engineering (SNCF Infra), local urban, interurban and regional passenger transport (SNCF Proximités), long distance passenger transport (SNCF Voyages), and the logistics of merchandise (SNCF Geodis).