There are two ways to cross a crisis. Tighten budgets, or undertake any major policy. It is this second path that seems to have chosen the State for rail French. According to our information, more than 13 billion euros in total will be injected into the rail network for its renovation and modernization. An effort, in addition to the construction of 2 000 km of new high-speed lines by 2020 (see below against).

This commitment is the financial strength of the performance contract for 2008-2012 to be signed Monday between the government and the public RFF (Réseau Ferré de France), the owner of the rail infrastructure.

Severance. So the momentum of Grenelle, Jean-Louis Borloo, the Minister of Ecology, he won the bet. Bercy, as usual, tried hard to curb the state to renovate the rail. But at the top of the state, including Matignon, there was good. This is the first time will be signed such a contract between RFF and the State. And it is a real break with rail management to petty lack of a vision and a long-term financing.

In 2005, the report Rivier had caused the first shock, pointing the state of collapse of the rail. And called for a major renovation. Then a first plan, plan Perben said, had promised 6.3 billion for the period 2006-2010. The incidents "catenary" of summer have been the bite back, inviting them to submit to the pot. In 2015, RFF can therefore claim to have a network refurbished.

Advantage of the contract it in stone serious commitments. In early October, Senator Hubert Haenel emphasized this point in his report balanced ten years RFF: "A Multi visibility in the financing of RFF, indispensable, is not only a guarantee of good performance of work, but the condition sine qua non of a rational exploitation of the movement of trains. "Without knowing in advance the program interventions, RFF is now unable to book their paths, that is to say time slots, generating at least the movement of trains.

With the performance contract, beyond the renovation is all RFF who is awarded a roadmap for the next four years. Is it "a new birth of the company," as the contract wants to believe? In fact, RFF is at the foot of opening to competition. After the freight two years ago, this will be the turn of passenger traffic on international routes from Christmas 2009. It is therefore to plumb RFF to engage the battle. A component of the contract concerning the organization of RFF and its services. Since the establishment of a platform and a unique window, including freight. By simplifying the lives of rail transport operators who have to hit only one door to book a groove, RFF hopes to fly cargo, today's sentence, the first victim of the crisis in 2008, its turnover Business may even decline. More reason to put the turbo.

Thorns. Bémol, the contract leaves two thorns that poison the life of rail debt of 28 billion euros that behind RFF since its inception in 1997 and the articulation of responsibilities between the SNCF and RFF, a source of conflict and in the side for the Brussels Commission.

In June 2007, Nicolas Sarkozy held a speech clash, setting almost 18% share of rail and river in 2012, then to 25% in 2025 against 14% at the beginning of his mandate. And Europe rail? France also dream of the booster: a hemispheric forum opens this morning in Paris to try to get out of limbo.