French Roads

The French Roads offer a superb transport infra-structure in France: here are key info in 10 points.

World-class infrastructure

France is ranked eighth in the world for the overall quality of its infrastructure. It is rated sixth for the quality of its roads, fourth for the quality of its railways and 13th for air transport infrastructure. (WEF – The Global Competitiveness Report 2016- 2017)

Over a million km of roads

France’s road network exceeds one million kilometers (620,000 miles) in length and features more than 11,000 km (6,835 miles) of motorways (ASFA, Key Figures 2016). The Vinci Group, France’s leading motorway operator, boasts internationally renowned expertise and operations in more than 110 countries.

Airports serving as European hubs

Paris Charles de Gaulle airport is ranked first for cargo and second by passenger numbers in Europe, while Paris Le Bourget is Europe’s leading business airport (Airports Council International, 2016). France’s location, together with its diverse high-quality transport infrastructure, make it a major EMEA hub.

Well connected to major world cities

Paris is 1 hr 10 mins from London, 1 hr 35 mins from Berlin, 2 hrs 50 mins from Helsinki and 3 hrs 10 mins from Athens. It is also less than 3 hours’ flight from every European Union capital, and only 8 hours from New York, 10 hrs 50 mins from Shanghai, and 11 hrs 25 mins from Tokyo and Los Angeles.

Busy international ports

The ports of Marseille and Le Havre are the sixth and seventh largest in Europe by tonnage (Eurostat, 2015). Not for the first time, HAROPA (the combined ports of Le Havre, Rouen and Paris) was voted “Best European Port” in 2014 and “Best Green Seaport” in 2015 by CargoNews Asia magazine.

Major infrastructure investment

France invests more in its domestic transport infrastructure than its closest European neighbors (OECD). Due to this investment, France’s high-speed rail network is the third best performing in Europe. (The Boston Consulting Group, 2015)

TGV of the future: fast, economical and connected

With a record speed of 574.8 km/h (357 mph), TGV high- speed trains connect France’s major cities in record time: Paris to Marseille in 3 hrs 5 mins, Paris to Lyon in 1 hr 57 mins, Paris to Lille in 1 hr 2 mins and, soon, Paris to Bordeaux in 2 hrs 5 mins. Together, Alstom and SNCF are developing the fifth generation of French high-speed trains. They are 20% cheaper to acquire, 25% more energy- efficient, with 700 passenger seats, power sockets and guaranteed Wi-Fi: a huge technological and industrial challenge!

French expertise winning over America

In 2010, US firm Virginia Railway Express (VRE) gave over the operation and maintenance of Northern Virginia’s suburban train network to SNCF subsidiary Keolis through an agreement that was recently extended until 2020. In August 2016, American rail operator Amtrak ordered 28 new-generation trains from French group Alstom to replace carriages manufactured by the Bombardier-Alstom consortium that have been in service since 2000. This historic contract is worth €1.8 billion.

Transport equipment: France’s #1 export sector

France’s three main goods export sectors are transport equipment (24% of exports), followed by capital goods (19%) and chemicals, perfumes and cosmetics (12%). (French Customs Authorities)

Enabling trade

The World Economic Forum ranks France 13th out of 136 in the world for enabling trade, and fourth in the world for the availability and quality of transport infrastructure, ahead of the United Kingdom (10th) and Germany (9th). (WEF – Enabling Trade Report, 2016)