In July 2022, ADEME, the French national agency for ecological transition, launched a call for expressions of interest to digitalize and decarbonize rail transport. Two projects have emerged from Occitanie regional area, code names: Ecotrain and Flexmove.

“Less energy-consuming, lighter, less expensive to install and maintain, for both trainsets and rails, these new-generation trains will have many assets,” boasts the Ministry of Transport. The main aim of these projects is to make rail transport more attractive and less costly for passengers and freight alike.

More attractive and less costly

France wants to develop light rail as a tool for “the operation and renewal of small rail lines, which contribute to regional cohesion”. Efforts to save small lines. “Develop the transport offer, increase the number of trains, attract more passengers and thus improve the economic equation of these lines”, sums up the Ministry. Two projects developed in the region meet these criteria. They will be financed by the Ministry of Transport, which has earmarked 75 million euros for the five selected projects under France 2030.

Ecotrain, driverless passenger/freight shuttles

Conceived and developed in Occitanie by six partners, including four Toulouse-based companies (Celad, Spherea, Syntony, Stratiforme), and supported by the Region, Ecotrain will be produced between Occitanie, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, PACA and Hauts-de-France. Ecotrain is a system of lightweight, autonomous, battery-powered, driverless rail shuttles that transport both passengers and goods. Built on the same technical basis, two types of shuttle have been imagined: passenger shuttles with 30 seats each, and “micro-freight” shuttles. The cost of Ecotrain is estimated at 8 million euros.

Flexmove, the 2-in-1 tested on the “Limoux-Quillan” train line

Developed between Occitanie and Paris regional area, Flexmove is an amazing 2-in-1.

A “ferromobile”, it’s an electric vehicle that can run on both road and rail (including level crossings). Flexmove is designed for the country’s fine rail lines (40% of the SNCF network), i.e. small regional lines. The ambition is “to develop an environmentally-friendly, multimodal mobility service on demand, which can use both road and rail on the same journey, in complete safety”, say the project partners, including Alstom and the Region. On rail, the vehicle is self-driving, with the driver taking over the wheel on the road. An initial test was carried out in Belgium, and a prototype will be demonstrated this year on the Aude line between Limoux and Quillan. The cost of Flexmove is estimated at 30 million euros.