Transportation. That’s it, Railcoop freight trains run between Toulouse and Aveyron
Through Fabien Hisbacq
Published on
It’s a first train which announces many others. And with people on board. On Monday November 15, 2021, a big step has been taken by the Lotoise cooperative Railcoop. She rolled a freight train between Toulouse and Aveyron. Tuesday November 16, son freight service will be launched. Explanations.
Event
The arrival of this first train is an event in more ways than one. Already because it is not the historical operator, the SNCF, which put it on the rails. Admittedly, the opening up to competition of rail freight already dates back to 2006, but in this sector, SNCF must rather compete with European behemoths. Here on a case at a SCIC, a collective interest cooperative, whose seat is in Figeac, in the Lot.
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Thanks to you, our first train is launched! ??
Celebrate with us the arrival of our first freight train thanks to a live recording made by our partner DIGIVISION.
Log in today at 1 p.m. by following this link: https://t.co/ylnQXZ8Ebx pic.twitter.com/NJh9GeJYPz– Railcoop (@Railcoop_SCIC) November 15, 2021
A daily round trip
An extremely young cooperative since born in 2019 only. Small and beginner, but ambitious. She tells about 10,000 members (individuals, companies, communities) throughout France and intends to open other freight lines in the future.
Its premiere is therefore inaugurated this Tuesday, November 16, 2021. Which means that the project is within the announced deadlines. What is also a feat for an adventure of this scale?
To replace trucks
Concretely, freight trains will be operated by Railcoop between the logistics hub of Saint-Jory, in the Toulouse area and Capdenac-Gare (Aveyron), Passing by Viviez-Decazeville, an industrial area in Aveyron which was very demanding of this service. After a few weeks’ break-in, there should be a daily round trip on this line of 150 km. The wagons will therefore replace some of the hundreds of trucks that circulate on this axis every day.
While waiting for the travelers
But this freight train is also important for another reason. It is a prelude to the lines of passenger trains. Railcoop thus promised that a first would see the light of day between Lyon and Bordeaux (three daily round trips). A line closed seven years ago by the SNCF. This project is known to be behind schedule. SNCF Réseau was not in fact able to provide traffic slots to Railcoop… For the moment, this service is announced for end of 2022.
Other lines will follow. Not two from Toulouse. In December 2023, we should be able to travel on Railcoop trains between the Ville Rose and Saint-Brieuc (Côtes-d’Armor) and between the Occitan capital and Caen (Calvados). With stops in particular at stations Montauban (Tarn-et-Garonne) and Cahors (Lot). Before, still other destinations already on the rails for the years to come …
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