“there is no magic wand” for Clément Beaune the Minister of Transport
The Minister Delegate in charge of Transport, Clément Beaune, is traveling in Puy-de-Dôme this Thursday, he must visit the Michelin group’s innovation center in Clermont-Ferrand but he will above all get to know local elected officials, users and the economic actors of the Clermont-Ferrand-Paris railway line, a link which suffers from a lack of investment which generates regular incidents. This summer again, on July 20, the passengers of a Paris-Clermont train arrived at their destination more than 16 hours late due to a catenary rupture related to the heat. Guest of France Bleu Pays d’Auvergne this Thursday morning, Clément Beaune spoke about this file which crystallizes the dissatisfaction of users.
Clément Beaune, after the incident last July, you then promised to come to Auvergne. What are you here with us this morning to tell us?
I had indeed made the commitment, because there had been this regrettable incident on July 20, I had moreover exchanged, at his request, immediately with the mayor of Clermont and I would have this morning, a meeting with many elected officials, economic representatives and Objectif Capitale, in particular, for a simple message: first of all, we must, in the short term, be able to improve a certain number of things on the reliability, on the regularity, on comfort on board the trains. The SNCF, I want to say, has made a certain number of commitments and I would not like, even if it is very regrettable, for this serious episode of July 20 to hide a certain number of improvements, in particular since the beginning of the year.
All in all, on regularity and above all, I came to reiterate, to confirm very important commitments. I know that this is a line that has been difficult for many years, which has suffered from a lack of investment, both on the network and on the frames on board each of the trips. And so, there are commitments that were made by my predecessors, which are kept. That is to say the complete renewal of the trains themselves, of the transport frames, and then a massive renewal of the network. It will take a little more time, so I am aware that there may be impatience. That’s also why we have to improve things in the short term as much as we can. But in the next four years, it is this complete renewal that will be successful. It is an investment by the State of SNCF Réseau which is very significant.
What more can we do? You are talking to yourself in the short term, the users who will continue to take the Paris Clermont, what can they expect concretely?
Personally, I always want to be very honest on infrastructure and transport issues, I know it’s difficult, but there’s no magic wand because investment takes time and investment has too much long been postponed or deferred. Today, it’s not an empty promise, and besides, I don’t take credit for it since it was decided before me. But my job is to ensure that they are held as quickly as possible, this big change on the network and especially on the trains.
What is asked, it is still patience to the users?
No, not just because, of course, when there’s patience, there’s anger and frustration. It was mentioned by many elected officials and I will speak with them this morning in the presence of the SNCF. In the short term, we can do things that change our lives a little, even if it’s not the big night or the big train again. There can be better information for travelers, there can be fewer delays. There may be action by the SNCF, the State so that episodes like those we have experienced are as infrequent as possible. It was a bit exceptional what happened on July 20, but there are incidents, we know that. They are more frequent, very concrete things, when the toilets are not clean, when the train is badly cleaned, when the Wi-Fi does not work. All of these are things that can be improved in the short term, and the SNCF has already made some improvements. I want to maintain a dialogue and pressure with elected officials so that, in the short term, we have these daily improvements.
What you describe is correct and it illustrates a great feeling of downgrading on the part of users, there had already been this feeling when the arrival in Paris had passed from the Gare de Lyon to the Gare de Bercy. The TGV, it’s an old moon here, we almost ended up giving up, we know that it will probably never happen, doesn’t it matter, seen from Paris, do we makes fun of Auvergne and Auvergne users?
No, you know, I am sensitive to it first of all by family origin. But beyond that, as Minister of Transport, it’s also for that, it’s not to send a message of sympathy or empathy. I was used from the start because what are called daily trains, and the Paris-Clermont line is used by certain survivors, for many people who travel for economic reasons, sometimes to work, to see the family is a train that sometimes creates this feeling of downgrading. And so, there are a few lines in France Paris-Clermont is part of or Paris-Limoges, so I think we have to reinvest. I mean, this investment is massive. I know that it is not immediately visible in all the major changes, but I repeat it, in the meantime, we must also give these signs of attention. Respect, consideration with small improvements, because the current train can work better too, while waiting for tomorrow’s new train.
Investments, precisely, the State has ordered 12 trains for the Clermont-Paris line, there are currently 13 which will therefore replace them by 2026 already, will the schedule be kept, when is what can we expect from the first delivery and how can we do better with fewer trains by 2026?
There will be in total, once the rolling stock is renewed, once the network is also renewed, not only the same number of round trips, but probably even more by 2026, so there will be a service which will be the best, I insist on this point. The delivery schedule must be very clear, I will also answer a stand of industrialists, including CAF, which is the one that produces the trainsets for both Paris-Clermont and Paris-Limoges, so that we can keep the our calendars as best we can. We know it is a difficult economic situation which is delaying many delivery and supply chains. Production has started and I will do everything to keep the schedule, that is to say that deliveries could start as soon as possible by the end of 2024 and end in the year 2026. There are risks, but we will do everything to ensure that this schedule is kept and in particular that this deadline of 2026, which arrives in four years, but which is quite close, is kept and that we mobilize to do it, we must, I believe everyone the Clermontois, to all those who regularly use the Paris-Clermont.