Small railway lines cover 9,000 kilometres of France’s rail tracks - 32 percent of the national rail network. However the lines have been struggling with degradation and financial debt for a long time, with about 30 small train lines closing down the past 10 years. Some rural lines in the south-west have not been fully maintained for 50 years and sections of track have not been re-laid since the 1930s. Last January then-Minister for Ecological Transition Elisabeth Borne ordered a report detailing all the issues facing France’s small train lines, with case-by-case solutions. Despite their lacking in profit, the French government has stood firm in its intention to protect the country's rural rail lines.

Source: The Local January 08, 2020 16:05 UTC