The SNCF state meet its responsibilities
Transport For leaders of the SNCF, the return to growth seems to square the circle. The public company announced Wednesday a net loss of 980 million euros in the year 2009, due in large part to impairment of assets (966 million).
Like every year, this underperformance is attributable to the business of transporting goods, whose loss has reached 520 million euros. The new deficit makes reform urgent cargo, which should lead to staff reductions and abandonment of the activity of individual wagon. "Our results for 2009 are that the amount of translation necessary restructuring of the industry, analyzes a senior officer of the public company.
To make matters worse, the TGV activity hitherto adjustment variable numbers of the group earned less money in 2009.For the first time this decade, its sales declined, while its operating margin fell by 422 million euros.
The company does not conceal its concern about a phenomenon of substance in addition to the impact of economic crisis. "Behind the difficult environment, we perceive a structural trend of slow decline in our margins due to higher expenses," e ect a part of the company. Trains said the planning has reduced from 120 million in operating margin. Another example: the TGV activity saw its personnel costs rise by 1.8% and tolls increase by 5%.This erosion of margins has boosted the group's debt rose from 6 billion euros in 2008 to 7.1 billion in 2009.
In undertaking the debate is not over
The station believes that these results raise the question of its business model and expectations of its shareholder, the state. If he waits her performance, the company will dispose of 20% of freight operations and close many unprofitable passenger lines. On the contrary, if the role of the station is to promote rail freight facing forward and contribute to the planning, the state should support it.
The state addressed the first issue in September by announcing a plan to support cargo of 7 billion euros. For now, its position is different on the passenger.In December he was called to order Guillaume Pepy, the chairman of SNCF, who said that higher tolls threatening the economic model of the TGV. In late January, he had clearly returned the station on the ropes when it was left leaking rumors of closure of unprofitable lines such as Paris-Arras, Lille, Strasbourg and Nantes and Strasbourg.
At the station, the debate does not seem closed. "The TGV is a system of equalization between internal profitable lines and those who are not, said a company executive. How can we maintain our Paris-Charleville-Mezieres if we levy more charges and more than a private competitor arrives on the Paris-Strasbourg, which is profitable? That the public to make a choice. "
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