“I want us to have a great national ambition: in ten major cities, in ten French cities, to develop an RER network, a network of urban trains.”
Everyone was surprised in France when Emmanuel Macron announced on November 27 that he wanted to build lines in other cities similar to the regional express network (RER) found in Île-de-France. The Ile-de-France RER has five lines that cross the capital and connect its center with the suburbs. This is the model that Macron wants to take up elsewhere in the territory.
The announcement, which did not appear to be coordinated with the presidents of the regions or the heads of the rail networks, was generally well received. That hasn’t stopped critics from pointing out that Macron’s track record is mixed when it comes to rail investment. In early November, the executive rejected an amendment proposed by the opposition, which called for an additional envelope of 3 billion euros for the railway infrastructure. François Durovray, president of Essonne, says the building of ten regional express networks will cost 30 billion euros over five years, double the current budget item.
A talent for monumental projects
With his announcement, Ma
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Source for the article
New statesman (London)
Since its inception in 1913, this political journal, as famous for the seriousness of its analysis as for the ferocity of its commentary, has been the forum of the independent left. The title is by definition the go-to paper for the left-wing intelligentsia, but its columns are open to a wide range of opinions. He abandoned his strict presentation for a more airy and colorful model.
Its circulation has been increasing for several years and today reaches 34,000 copies, the highest level in thirty-five years. Its online version enjoys the same success with 4 million unique visitors per month.
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