Twice as many passengers on our lines

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At SNCF Réseau, we love a challenge! And one of the biggest ahead is doubling the number of passenger train journeys within the next 10 to 15 years. Fortunately, we are not tackling this alone. The “X2” initiative is a collective effort driven by the entire French rail sector to meet growing mobility needs and contribute to decarbonising transport.

Focusing on everyday travel

To meet the needs of as many people as possible, our first priority is to improve commuter routes. These daily journeys, often long-distance commutes to work, require more frequent trains on key corridors  to ensure broad access to services in major urban centres.

Metropolitan regional express services

Did you know?

Originally introduced as “metropolitan RERs”, these services are officially known as metropolitan regional express services (SERM). Their main aim is to increase train frequency on existing lines converging toward major metropolitan areas. By offering more low-carbon mobility options in regions currently plagued by road congestion, SERM meets the needs of urban populations while cutting CO₂ emissions from transport.

What SERM will change?

In practical terms, SERM will mean more trains each day, higher frequency during peak hours, more regular timetables, longer operating hours and frequent stops in densely populated areas. In short, everything needed to make rail the preferred mode of transport!

Intermodality for a 360° mobility offering

The SERM system does not rely on trains alone. It includes other urban transport modes that, when combined with rail, ensure the system runs efficiently. This is what we call intermodality. For daily travel, that might mean providing park-and-ride facilities, secure bike parking, multimodal hubs connecting with trams, buses or the metro and easy station access whether on foot or by vehicle… It is a whole ecosystem that needs to be designed together!

Major projects shaping the future

NExTEO, CDG Express, LGV+, new Provence–Côte d’Azur line… These major infrastructure projects are paving the way for tomorrow’s sustainable mobility. These bold technical undertakings call on all our expertise and innovation. We refer to them as “major projects” because of their national scope, the technological advances they introduce or the improved performance they bring to the network. What do they have in common? They will all help boost rail traffic across our lines.