Projects subsidised over the 2021-2027 period - 2022 call for proposals

This call is the first in the CEF 2, Connecting Europe Facility, programme, the main tool for financing transport in Europe. 

The CEF 1 programme, covering the 2014-2020 period, enabled SNCF Réseau to obtain almost €1 billion in European grants for its projects.  

As part of the CEF 2 programme, the general Transport grants budget amounts to €12.8 billion for the 2021-2027 period (excluding the cohesion* countries and the budget dedicated to military mobility, which benefit from a separate budget). Two-thirds of this €12.8 billion is earmarked for rail transport. 

The results of the first CEF 2 call were announced in June 2022: four SNCF Réseau projects were selected for a total of €36.236 million** in European grants.*** The financing agreements for these projects can now be signed. 

^{*The Cohesion Fund is reserved for Member States whose per capita gross national income (GNI) is less than 90% of the EU average. For the 2014-2020 programme period, the Cohesion Fund covers fifteen Member States: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. It supports investments in the environment, trans-European transport infrastructure networks (TEN-T) and technical assistance. 
** €30.656m for the general budget and €5.58m for the "Military Mobility" budget 
*** Under the 2014-2020 programme, the amounts received by SNCF Réseau varied significantly from one call to another (grant amounts ranging from €6.1m to €253m).} 

Regional projects 

Electrification of the Paris-Troyes line (Grand Est) 

• Electrifying the Paris-Troyes line will enable more modern trains to run on the line. The result: greater comfort and quality of life for passengers, more economic and tourism development, while respecting the environment.  
• The aim of the works is to bring electricity from the transmission network to the railway line, and then to ensure that it is transmitted all along the track to the trains, with the installation of masts, catenary wires and the construction of 10 electrical substations spread along the line. Ultimately, this will mean the installation of around 3,000 catenary masts and 230 km of power supply wires. Project studies will take place in 2021-2022, with works scheduled for 2023-2024, and commissioning scheduled for 2025. 
• A multi-stakeholder governance structure drives, guides and finances the project. The financial partners are the State, the Regional Councils (Grand Est, IDF), the Departmental Councils (Aube, Seine-et-Marne), municipalities and SNCF Réseau. 
• The funding obtained for the preliminary and implementation studies for the Nogent-sur-Seine / Troyes section of phase 2 amounts to €4.783m (total cost €9.567m). 

Bordeaux-Lamothe (central network) fixed electrical traction installations 

• The project consists of carrying out detailed and final studies for the modernisation of the existing electric traction system between Bordeaux and Lamothe on the Atlantic RFC, belonging to the TEN-T central network, to improve the capacity and performance of the line in connection with the forecasts of increased traffic (mainline, freight and suburban) as well as to allow the desaturation of the rail junction at Bordeaux station. 
• The overall project integrates the works to be carried out following the detailed and final studies. It includes the creation of electrical substations, feeder reinforcements and networks to remotely control its new installations from the central Bordeaux substation. 
• Funding of €1.623m (total cost €3.247m) has been obtained for studies into the project to modernise the rail electrification system on the Bordeaux-Lamothe section of the Atlantic Freight Corridor. 

Freight projects  

Freight is far from being left behind in the projects submitted under CEF 2. The widening of tunnels to allow trains to travel in better conditions (wider gauges) is a major concern.  

Upgrading of the Vosges tunnels between Saverne and Sarrebourg to LGP 400 gauge 

• This set of seven tunnels, one of which is already of LGP400 gauge, makes it possible to cross the Vosges mountains on the Strasbourg - Nancy - Paris and Strasbourg - Metz - Luxembourg routes. It is part of the European North Sea - Mediterranean Sea corridor. The project aims to improve loading gauge and remove bottlenecks by creating missing links at rail junctions. Clearance of this gauge should help to boost European freight traffic. 
• Three other operations have been identified to boost rail capacity and the robustness of freight traffic in this area: the Conflans-Jarny junction will create a new freight route bypassing the Metz junction and free up capacity for TER trains in the Moselle train path; the Metz-Sablon branch, which sees a large amount of freight traffic and TER trains converge from Woippy and Metz-Ville respectively towards Strasbourg, will be upgraded to improve the robustness of operations; lastly, the capacity of the Strasbourg to Sélestat section will be doubled, to enable the joint development of local services for the Strasbourg REM and the doubling of freight traffic between Luxembourg and Basel. 
• Funding for preliminary design studies and additional funding for preliminary studies has been obtained. The grant is €4.567m (out of a total of €10.1m). 

Upgrading of the Mussuguet tunnel (PACA) 

The upgrading of the Mussuguet tunnel in the PACA region has also been awarded a grant of €5.58m (50% co-financing) as part of the Military Mobility budget (projects with dual civilian and military use). This project, in particular, was submitted under the Military Mobility budget (projects with dual civilian and military use). 

Digital projects

The European Commission is placing increasing emphasis on digital projects aimed at improving interoperability, compliance with TSIs (Technical Specifications for Interoperability) and more efficient use of the network.  

Data Capacity Management (capacity management at European level) 

• This ambitious project involves improving communication on European routes between the various infrastructure managers and their railway undertaking customers, thanks to a shared operating plan (works and commercial train paths). The result: improvement of the commercial relationship, with an end-to-end vision. 
• The application was submitted by the Railnet Europe association on behalf of 5 European infrastructure managers (SNCF Réseau and the German, Belgian, French, Italian and Czech infrastructure managers) and the North Sea Mediterranean (NSM) corridor.  
• The application was for 50% funding for the project studies. €74 million was obtained (total cost of €148 million). Grants of €18.75 million have been obtained for the part carried out by SNCF Réseau (cost of the study incurred €37.5 million).