Empty election pledge or genuine  resolve to support  the French railway industrial sector ?

Taking the floor at the official launch of the first segment of the Rhine-Rhone high-speed line, the President of the Republic recalled that the Railways and France had a shared history, and pleaded for a dedicated  fund  modeled on the investment facility developed for car parts manufacturers (FMEA) to be set-up for rail sector modernisation.  Under this plan, the new fund would qualify for support from the Strategic Investment Fund (FSI). For the record, the French railway manufacturing industry employs over 20 000 people and generates an annual turnover of € 4.8 billion. The concept  of instituting a modernisation fund dates back to Spring 2010 and the Special Conference on the railway industrial sector, founded as recalled by FIF Delegate-General Jean-Pierre Audoux  on evidence that the sector suffers from the existence of too few medium-size enterprises. Hence the setting-up of a strategic committee for the railway industrial sector whose initial proposals are expected to be submitted to Government in March 2012.

Olivier Cognasse