France’s new combined infrastructure manager — SNCF Réseau — is to invest a record 4.9 billion euros in enhancing and maintaining the national rail network in 2015.
Announcing its annual results, the company said that it plans to recruit 2,000 new employees to meet the demand for maintenance work.
SNCF Réseau was created in January by combining SNCF Infra, which was responsible for maintenance and traffic control, with infrastructure manager RFF.
In 2014, RFF’s revenue grew by 4% to 5.9 billion euros, and its operating margin increased by 8% to 2.1 billion euros. However, its operating income fell to 1.2 billion euros, resulting in a net loss of 213 million euros, and its debt was 36.8 billion euros at the end of the year.
The SNCF group as a whole saw its turnover increase by 1.5% to 27.2 billion euros in 2014, thanks in part to its international activities, which grew by 7%.
Its net profit was 605 million euros, and it had ‘stabilised’ its 7.4 billion euro debt. Its goals for 2015 are to increase its domestic revenue by 3% and its international revenue by 27%.