DB Cargo France is to close two of its hubs with the loss of 30 jobs. Explaining the move, president and CEO, Alexandre Gallo, told Railfreight.com that DB’s wagon groupage traffic from Germany to France “is no longer sufficient to maintain its own fixed cost structure.” The traffic this activity represents has been handed over to Hexafret, one of the two companies born out of the demise of Fret SNCF, Gallo added.
He continued: “Therefore, we are closing the Vaires (Greater Paris region) and Gevrey (Dijon) hubs (the company will maintain its offices at both locations). This involves around thirty jobs and mainly concerns staff responsible for sorting wagons.” The downsizing measure has perhaps come as a surprise as the accent has been very much on expansion at DB Cargo France this year with the company taking on several routes relinquished by SNCF’s main rail freight subsidiary ahead of being discontinued.
Gallo also confirmed the launch of two rail-road transport services at the beginning of 2025. One will link Metz and Nancy in eastern France with Valenton, in the Paris suburbs, while the second is a new ‘combi’ route to the UK between Paris-Valenton and Daventry, in Northamptonshire, England, via the Channel Tunnel, operating two or three times a week.
Frejus closure was the main problem
Returning to the current year, Gallo underlined that the continued closure of the main rail line between Italy and France, through the Maurienne Valley, following a major landslide in August 2023, “is weighing heavily on our accounts.” He had previously told Railfreight.com that DB Cargo France would normally operate between 30 and 35 trains per week on the route and that its closure was costing the company one million euros a month in lost business.
One positive outcome could be that the company takes on other traffic flows from Fret SNCF on the line but the potential customers are waiting for a definitive re-opening date before coming to a decision, Gallo revealed. A re-opening of the line is not expected before spring 2025.
Seeking compensation for the strikes
Turning to the issue of strikes at SNCF, a 37-hour stoppage ended earlier today and further industrial action is planned from 11 December – nine members of AFRA, the Association Française du Rail – a French rail industry body of which SNCF is not a member – are seeking compensation from France’s rail network manager SNCF Réseau claiming their operations are seriously and unfairly disrupted whenever a strike takes place at the State railway group.
Contacted by Railfreight.com on AFRA’s legal action, a spokesperson for SNCF Réseau said: “SNCF Réseau considers that it is not liable for these events (strikes), which constitute force majeure.” In response, Gallo, who is the President of AFRA, commented. “But that’s the crux of the matter. We’re contesting force majeure.” A date has yet to be fixed for AFRA’s complaint to be heard before the Paris Commercial Court, he added.