Editing Transport in France

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[[File:Travel times by road in France from Paris - en.svg|thumb|Travel times by road in Metropolitan France from Paris]]
[[File:Gare de l'Est Paris 2007 a5.jpg|thumb|Two high-speed [[TGV]] trains at [[Gare de l'Est|Paris-Gare de l'Est]]]]
'''Transportation in France''' relies on one of the densest networks in the world with 146&nbsp;km of road and 6.2&nbsp;km of rail lines per 100&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>. It is built as a web with [[Paris]] at its center.<ref>[http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/france_829/decouvrir-france_4177/france-a-z_2259/economie_2624/les-grands-secteurs-economiques_5945.html Les grands secteurs économiques] ''Ministère des Affaires étrangères'' Retrieved 4 November 219</ref> [[Rail transport|Rail]], [[Road transport|road]], [[Air transport|air]] and [[Water transport|water]] are all widely developed forms of transportation in [[France]].

== History ==
The first important human improvements were the [[Roman roads]] linking major settlements and providing quick passage for marching armies.

All through the [[Middle Ages]] improvements were few and second rate. Transport became slow and awkward to use. The early modern period saw great improvements. There was a very quick production of canals connecting rivers. It also saw great changes in oceanic shipping. Rather than expensive galleys, wind powered ships that were much faster and had more room for cargo became popular for coastal trade. Transatlantic shipping with the [[New World]] turned cities such as [[Nantes]], [[Bordeaux]], [[Cherbourg-Octeville]] and [[Le Havre]] into major ports.
[[File:Freight train Villemomble fr-01.jpg|thumb|SNCF freight train running on the ''"Grande ceinture complémentaire"'' network inter yard in suburb of Paris. Here, the train is passing along the closed Villemomble yard in direction of Valenton.]]

== Railways ==
[[File:TGV double decker DSC00132.jpg|thumb|left|175x175px|A high-speed [[SNCF TGV Duplex|double-decker TGV train]] in [[Toulon]]]]
{{Main|Rail transport in France}}

There is a total of {{convert|29,901|km|mi}} of railway in France, mostly operated by [[SNCF]] (Société nationale des chemins de fer français), the French national railway company. Like the road system, the French railways are subsidised by the state, receiving €13.2 billion in 2013.<ref name=ITF>{{cite web |url=http://www.internationaltransportforum.org/jtrc/RoundTables/2014-Railway-Efficiency/Bonnafous-Crozet.pdf |title=Efficiency indicators of Railways in France |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117030418/http://www.internationaltransportforum.org/jtrc/RoundTables/2014-Railway-Efficiency/Bonnafous-Crozet.pdf |archive-date=2015-11-17 }}</ref> The railway system is a small portion of total travel, accounting for less than 10% of passenger travel.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/File:Modal_split_of_inland_passenger_transport,_2002_and_2012_(¹)_(%25_of_total_inland_passenger-km)_YB15.png |title=Modal split of inland passenger transport, 2002 and 2012 |work=Eurostat |date=2012}}</ref>

From 1981 onwards, a newly constructed set of [[high-speed rail|high-speed]] ''[[Lignes à Grande Vitesse]]'' (LGV) lines linked France's most populous areas with the capital, starting with Paris-Lyon. In 1994, the [[Channel Tunnel]] opened, connecting France and [[Great Britain]] by rail under the [[English Channel]]. The [[TGV]] has set many [[TGV world speed record|world speed records]], the most recent on [[TGV world speed record#Record of 2007|3 April 2007]], when a new version of the TGV dubbed the [[V150 (train)|V150]] with larger wheels than the usual TGV, and a stronger {{Convert|25000|hp|kW|-2|abbr=on}} engine, broke the world speed record for conventional rail trains, reaching 574.8&nbsp;km/h (357.2&nbsp;mph).<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,263542,00.html| title=French Train Hits {{convert|357|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}} Breaking World Speed Record| agency=Associated Press| date=2007-04-03| access-date=2007-04-03| work=Fox News}}</ref>

Trains, unlike road traffic, drive on the left (except in [[Alsace-Lorraine|Alsace-Moselle]]). Metro and tramway services are not thought of as trains and usually follow road traffic in driving on the right (except the Lyon Metro).

France was ranked 7th among national European rail systems in the 2017 European Railway Performance Index for intensity of use, quality of service and safety performance, a decrease from previous years.<ref>{{cite web|date=8 January 2021|title=the 2017 European Railway Performance Index|url=https://www.bcg.com/en-ch/publications/2017/transportation-travel-tourism-2017-european-railway-performance-index.aspx|publisher=Boston Consulting Group}}</ref>
[[File:Paris_-_Gare_Saint_Lazare_(3).JPG|thumb|[[Gare Saint-Lazare|Gare Saint Lazare]] station ]]
The French non-TGV intercity service (TET) is in decline, with old infrastructure and trains. It is likely to be hit further as the [[Government of France|French government]] is planning to remove the monopoly that rail currently has on long-distance journeys by letting coach operators compete.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.railjournal.com/index.php/main-line/frances-loss-making-inter-city-services-at-a-crossroads.html|title=France's loss-making inter-city services at a crossroads}}</ref> Travel to the UK through the Channel Tunnel has grown in recent years, and from May 2015 passengers have been able to travel direct to Marseille, Avignon and Lyon. [[Eurostar]] is also introducing [[British Rail Class 374|new Class 374 trains]] and refurbishing the [[British Rail Class 373|current Class 373s]].

The [[Government of France|French government]] are making plans to privatise the French railway network, following a similar model [[Great Britain]] used from the 1990s until the 2020s.<ref>{{cite web|date=2020-03-26|title=The catastrophic consequences of privatisation in France - DSC Paris 1|url=https://diem25.org/the-catastrophic-consequences-of-privatisation-in-france/|access-date=2021-10-14|website=DiEM25|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref name=":0" />[[File:Strasbourg train 2017 5.jpg|thumb|Train at Strasbourg.]]

=== Rapid transit ===
{{Main|Rapid transit in France}}
Six cities in France currently have a [[rapid transit]] service (frequently known as a 'metro'). Full metro systems are in operation in [[Paris Métro|Paris]] (16 lines), [[Lyon Metro|Lyon]] (4 lines) and [[Marseille Metro|Marseille]] (2 lines). [[Light metro]] ([[Véhicule Automatique Léger|VAL]]-type) systems are in use in [[Lille Metro|Lille]] (2 lines), [[Toulouse Metro|Toulouse]] (2 lines) and [[Rennes Metro|Rennes]] (2 lines).

===Trams===
{{Main|Trams in France}}
In spite of the closure of most of France's first generation [[tram]] systems in earlier years, a fast-growing number of France's major cities have modern tram or light rail networks, including [[Paris]], [[Lyon]] (Lyon having the biggest one), [[Toulouse]], [[Montpellier]], [[Saint-Étienne]], [[Strasbourg]] and [[Nantes]]. Recently the tram has seen a very big revival with many experiments such as ground level power supply in [[Bordeaux]], or trolleybuses pretending to be trams in [[Nancy, France|Nancy]].<ref>{{cite news |title=French rediscover love for streetcars |url=http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/07/18/French_rediscover_love_for_streetcars/UPI-82771216410359/ |work=UPI |location=Paris  |date=2008-07-18 |access-date=2008-08-13}}</ref>

This way of travelling started disappearing in France at the end of the 1930s. Only [[Lille]], [[Marseille]] and [[Saint-Étienne]] have never given up their tram systems. Since the 1980s, several cities have re-introduced it.
[[File:Gare de Brest 13.jpg|thumb|Brest station.]]
The following French towns and cities run light rail or tram systems:
*[[Angers tramway|Angers]] - since 2011;
*[[Besançon tramway|Besançon]] - since 2014;
*[[Bordeaux tramway|Bordeaux]] - since 2003; 
*[[Brest tramway|Brest]] - since 2012; 
*[[Caen tramway|Caen]] - since 2002 as a 'trams on tyres' system, replaced 2019 by conventional trams;
*[[Clermont-Ferrand tramway|Clermont-Ferrand]] - since 2006, 'trams on tyres'; 
*[[Grenoble tramway|Grenoble]] - since 1987; 
*[[Tramways in Île-de-France|Île-de-France]] (Paris metropolitan area) - since 1992
*[[Lille tramway|Lille]], [[Roubaix]] and [[Tourcoing]] - non-stop since 1909; 
*[[Lyon tramway|Lyon]] - since 2001; 
*[[Le Mans tramway|Le Mans]] - since 2007; 
*[[Marseille tramway|Marseille]] - since 2007;  
*[[Montpellier tramway|Montpellier]] - since 2000; 
*[[Mulhouse tramway|Mulhouse]] - since 2006
*[[Nancy, France|Nancy]] - since 2000, 'trams on tyres' system featuring a single guide rail while running on tyres;  
*[[Nice tramway|Nice]] - since 2007; 
*[[Nantes tramway|Nantes]] - since 1985; 
*[[Orléans tramway|Orléans]] - since 2000;
*[[Reims tramway|Reims]] - since 2011;
*[[Rouen tramway|Rouen]] - since 1994; 
*[[Saint-Étienne tramway|Saint-Étienne]] - non-stop since 1881; 
*[[Strasbourg tramway|Strasbourg]] - since 1994
*[[Toulouse tramway|Toulouse]] - since 2010 (previously existed from 1906 to 1952)
*[[Valenciennes tramway|Valenciennes]] - since 2006
*[[Dijon tramway|Dijon]] - since 2012
*[[Le Havre tramway|Le Havre]] - since 2012

Tram systems are planned or under construction in [[Tours]], and [[Fort-de-France]].[[File:TramStrasbourg lineB Hoenheim versHommeFer.JPG|thumb|left|[[Eurotram]] in [[Strasbourg]]]]
The revival of tram networks in France has brought about a number of technical developments both in the traction systems and in the styling of the cars:

: ''APS third rail'': The [[Alstom APS]] system uses a third rail placed between the running rails, divided electrically into eight-metre segments with three metre neutral sections between. Each tram has two power collection skates, next to which are antennas that send radio signals to energise the power rail segments as the tram passes over them. At any one time no more than two consecutive segments under the tram should actually be live. Alstrom  developed the system primarily to avoid intrusive power supply cables in sensitive area of the old city of [[Bordeaux]].<ref>[http://www.railway-technology.com/features/feature1096/ Allez le Tram from Railway-Technology.com]. Retrieved 15 February 2009.</ref>

:''Modern styling'': The [[Eurotram]], used in Strasbourg has a modern design that makes it look almost as much like a train as a tram, and has large windows along its entire length.<ref>[http://world.nycsubway.org/eu/pt/portometro.html Porto:Metro from NYCsubway.org]. Retrieved 15 February 2009.</ref>

:''Modular design'': The [[Alstom Citadis|Citadis]] tram, flagship of the French manufacturer Alstom, enjoys an innovative design combining lighter bogies with a modular concept for carriages providing more choices in the types of windows and the number of cars and doors.<ref>[http://www.jrtr.net/jrtr16/pdf/f20_dobias.pdf Georges Dobias: Urban Transport in France from Japan Railway & Transport Review, 16 June 1998]. Retrieved 15 February 2009.</ref> The recent Citadis-Dualis, intended to run at up to 100 km/h, is suitable for stop spacings ranging from 500 m to 5 km. Dualis is a strictly modular partial low-floor car, with all doors in the low-floor sections.<ref>
[http://www.railwaygazette.com/news_view/article/2007/07/7583/dualis_extends_the_reach_of_the_citadis_family.html Dualis extends the reach of the Citadis family from Railway Gazette, 2 June 2007]. Retrieved 15 February 2009.  {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090213214426/http://www.railwaygazette.com/news_view/article/2007/07/7583/dualis_extends_the_reach_of_the_citadis_family.html |date=February 13, 2009 }}</ref>
Prominent bi-articulated "tram-like" Van Hool vehicles (Mettis) are used in [[Metz]] since 2013. They work as classic trams but without needing rails and catenaries, and can transport up to 155 passengers while being ecological thanks to a diesel-electric hybrid engine. 
In the starting up, batteries feed the engine of the bus, which can then roll 150 meters before the diesel engine takes over.

== Roads ==
[[File:Péripherique Porte de le Muette.JPG|thumb|left|200px|The ring road in Paris.]]
[[File:Reseau autoroutier francais.svg|thumb|right|200px|[[Autoroutes of France|French autoroute]] network]]

There are ~{{convert|950000|km|abbr=on}} of roads in France.<ref name="transtatsfr">{{cite web|url=http://www.iraptranstats.net/fr |title=Transport in France |access-date=2009-02-17 |work=International Transport Statistics Database |publisher=[[International Road Assessment Programme|iRAP]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081220080207/http://www.iraptranstats.net/fr |archive-date=20 December 2008 }}</ref> The French motorway network or [[Autoroutes of France|autoroute system]] consists largely of toll roads, except around large cities, in Brittany, in parts of Normandy, in the Ardennes and in Alsace. It is a network totalling {{convert|12,000|km|mi|abbr=on}} of motorways operated by private companies such as [[Société des Autoroutes du Nord et de l'Est de la France|Sanef]] (Société des autoroutes du Nord et de l'Est de la France). It has the 8th largest [[highway]] network in the world, trailing only the [[Interstate Highway System|United States]], [[Expressways of China|China]], [[Roads in India|India]], [[Transport in Russia#Roads and highways|Russia]], [[Japan]], [[Transport in Canada#Roads|Canada]], [[List of autopistas and autovías in Spain|Spain]] and [[German autobahns|Germany]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070613004630/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2085.html Roadways by country (incl. expressways and highways).] CIA - The World Factbook. [[Central Intelligence Agency]].</ref>

France currently counts 30,500&nbsp;km of major trunk roads or [[Route nationale|routes nationales]] and state-owned motorways. By way of comparison, the ''routes départementales'' cover a total distance of 365,000&nbsp;km. The main trunk road network reflects the centralising tradition of France: the majority of them leave the gates of [[Paris]]. Indeed, trunk roads begin on the parvis of [[Notre Dame de Paris|Notre-Dame of Paris]] at [[Kilometre Zero#France|Kilometre Zero]]. To ensure an effective road network, new roads not serving Paris were created.

In 2022, France safety rate is near but not better than the OECD median, with rates of 49.8 per million population (or 4.98 / 100 000) and 5.2 per billion vehicle kilometers traveled (0.52 / 100 million VKT).<ref>{{Cite web| title=International road safety comparisons 2022 | url=https://www.bitre.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/international_comparisons_2022.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231216210402/https://www.bitre.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/international_comparisons_2022.pdf | archive-date=2023-12-16}}</ref>

France is believed to be the most car-dependent country in Europe.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Motte-Baumvol|first1=Benjamin|last2=Bonin|first2=Olivier|last3=David Nassi|first3=Carlos|last4=Belton-Chevallier|first4=Leslie|date=2016-07-21|title=Barriers and (im)mobility in Rio de Janeiro|journal=Urban Studies|volume=53|issue=14|pages=2956–2972|doi=10.1177/0042098015603290|s2cid=155241715|issn=0042-0980|url=https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01170113/file/2016_Motte_Urban%20Studies.pdf}}</ref> In 2005, 937 billion vehicle kilometres were travelled in France (85% by car).<ref name="transtatsfr"/> While the traveled distance did not change, from 2012 to 2022, it is counted as 730 billion vehicle kilometers. Car makes 80% of the 1000 billion vehicle kilometers traveled each year.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.observationsociete.fr/modes-de-vie/consommation/deplacementsauto-2/|title=L’usage de la voiture plafonne en France|date=April 9, 2024}}</ref> Traveled distance is reduced in 2020, but is counted in 2019 as 615 billion vehicle kilometer traveled including 448 car with a French registration plate according to the Union routière de France.<ref>Union routière de France, octobre 2021, Faits et chiffres, 2021, statistique des mobilités, ISSN 1625-5798</ref>

In order to overcome this dependence, in France and many more countries the long-distance coaches' market has been liberalised. Since 2015, with the law Macron, the market has exploded: the increasing demand lead to a higher supply of bus services and coach companies.

Black Saturday refers, in [[France]], to the day of the year when road traffic is most dense due to the many departures on holiday. (Traffic problems are exacerbated by France's extreme [[centralisation]], with Paris being the hub of the entire [[Autoroutes of France|national highway network]].) This Saturday is usually at the end of July, though in 2007 both the last Saturday of July and the first Saturday of August are designated as Black Saturdays. The [[A6 autoroute (France)|Autoroute du Soleil]], the [[highway]] to the south of [[France]] and [[Spain]], is usually particularly busy. In 2004 there was more than {{convert|700|km|mi}} in accumulated traffic congestion. The black colour is the qualification with which the French government web site ''Bison Futé'' designates a day with ''extrêmement dense'' (extremely busy) traffic.<ref>[http://www.bison-fute.equipement.gouv.fr/fr/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=41 Calendrier Bison Futé] (French)</ref> The French [[newspaper]]s call this day ''samedi noir'' after Bison Futé's designation.<ref>[http://www.lemonde.fr/cgi-bin/ACHATS/acheter.cgi?offre=ARCHIVES&type_item=ART_ARCH_30J&objet_id=954051 ''Bison futé prévoit un "samedi noir", premiers bouchons'', Le Monde, 28 July 2006] (French)</ref> Usually, the French call these days ''les jours de grands départs'' (days of great departures). In [[Dutch language|Dutch]], this French phenomenon was known as ''zwarte zaterdag'' long before the French adopted the term ''samedi noir'', both meaning (literally) Black Saturday.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.hurktoilet.nl/autoroute.php| title = Het Hurktoilet (Dutch)}}</ref>

The term Black Saturday may also refer to Saturday July 31, 1982, when the worst [[Beaune coach crash|road accident in French history]] happened. Around 1:45 AM, a [[Coach (vehicle)|coach]] collided into passenger cars near [[Beaune]] in dense holiday traffic during rainfall. The collision and subsequent fire killed 53 people, among which 46 were children. After this crash, a regulation was enforced to prohibit the transportation of groups of children during this part of the year.<ref>[https://www.humanite.fr/2002-08-01_Societe_-Route-Il-y-a-vingt-ans-l-accident-de-Beaune Il y a vingt ans, l'accident de Beaune] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090804100900/http://www.humanite.fr/2002-08-01_Societe_-Route-Il-y-a-vingt-ans-l-accident-de-Beaune|date=2009-08-04}} (French, meaning: Twenty years ago today, the Beaune accident)</ref>

=== Electric roads ===
[[File:Bordeaux-tram-aps-near-Roustaing.jpg|thumb|right|[[Bordeaux tramway]] with Alstom [[ground-level power supply]], a technology that as of 2022 is being considered for [[electric road]]s.]]
{{Main|Electric road}}
France plans to invest 30 to 40 billion euro by 2035 in an [[electric road|electric road system]] spanning 8,800 kilometers that recharges electric cars, buses and trucks while driving. Two projects for assessment of electric road technologies were announced in 2023. Three technologies are being considered: [[ground-level power supply]], [[Inductive charging#Transportation|inductive charging]], and [[overhead lines]]. Ground-level power supply technologies, provided by [[Alstom]], Elonroad, and others, are considered the most likely candidate for electric roads. Inductive charging is not considered a mature technology as it delivers the least power, loses 20%-25% of the supplied power when installed on trucks, and its health effects have yet to be documented. Overhead lines is the most mature technology, but the catenaries and overhead wires pose safety and maintenance issues,<ref>{{citation |url=https://www.lemoniteur.fr/article/mobilite-electrique-2-5-une-fenetre-etroite-pour-brancher-les-autoroutes.2203237 |title=Sur les routes de la mobilité électrique |author=Laurent Miguet |date=April 28, 2022 |website=[[Le Moniteur des travaux publics et du bâtiment|Le Moniteur]]}}</ref> and motorway companies find overhead lines too expensive.<ref>{{citation |url=https://www.usinenouvelle.com/article/les-autoroutiers-divises-sur-les-solutions-a-mettre-en-place-pour-faire-rouler-des-camions-electriques.N2208923 |title=Les autoroutiers divisés sur les solutions à mettre en place pour faire rouler des camions électriques |author=Marc Fressoz |date=May 9, 2024 |website=L'USINENOUVELLE.com}}</ref>

A working group of the [[Ministry of the Ecological Transition (France)|French Ministry of Ecology]] recommended adopting a [[Ground-level power supply#Electric road systems|European electric road standard]] formulated with Sweden, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Poland, and others.<ref name="FR-1">{{citation |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211021080727/https://www.ecologie.gouv.fr/sites/default/files/GT1%20rapport%20final.pdf |archive-date=October 21, 2021 |url=https://www.ecologie.gouv.fr/sites/default/files/GT1%20rapport%20final.pdf |title=Système de route électrique. Groupe de travail n°1 |author=Patrick Pélata |display-authors=etal | date=July 2021}}</ref> A standard for electrical equipment on-board a vehicle powered by a rail electric road system (ERS), [[European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization|CENELEC]] Technical Standard 50717, has been published in late 2022.<ref name="TS50717">{{citation |url=https://standardsdevelopment.bsigroup.com/projects/2020-03529 |title=PD CLC/TS 50717 Technical Requirements for Current Collectors for ground-level feeding system on road vehicles in operation |website=[[BSI Group|The British Standards Institution]] |year=2022 |accessdate=January 2, 2023 |archive-date=January 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230102072415/https://standardsdevelopment.bsigroup.com/projects/2020-03529}}</ref> A standard encompassing full interoperability and a "unified and interoperable solution" for [[ground-level power supply]] electric road systems, detailing complete specifications for "communication and power supply through conductive rails embedded in the road"<ref>{{citation |url=https://www.snv.ch/files/content/documents/News%20und%20Newslettertexte/CEN_CENELEC_BT-Dokument.pdf |title=Final draft: Standardization request to CEN-CENELEC on 'Alternative fuels infrastructure'  (AFI II) |date=February 2, 2022 |publisher=[[European Commission]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220709095254if_/https://www.snv.ch/files/content/documents/News%20und%20Newslettertexte/CEN_CENELEC_BT-Dokument.pdf |archive-date=July 9, 2022}}</ref><ref name="CollERS2-regulatory">{{citation |url=https://electric-road-systems.eu/e-r-systems-wAssets/docs/publications/CollERS-2-Discussion-paper-2-Regulatory-issues.pdf |title=Regulating Electric Road Systems in Europe - How can a deployment of ERS be facilitated? |publisher=CollERS2 - Swedish German research collaboration on Electric Road Systems |author=Matts Andersson |date=July 4, 2022}}</ref> is specified in [[European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization|CENELEC]] technical standard 50740 in accordance with European Union directive 2023/1804.<ref>{{citation |url=https://genorma.com/en/project/show/cenelec:proj:78579 |title=Technical Specification for ground-based feeding systems for dynamic electric road charging infrastructure on road vehicles in operation CLC/prTS 50740 |date=October 25, 2023 |website=Genorma}}</ref><ref>{{citation |url=https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-law-in-force/bibliographic-details/-/elif-publication/6337734c-58e4-11ee-9220-01aa75ed71a1 |title=Regulation (EU) 2023/1804 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 September 2023 on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure, and repealing Directive 2014/94/EU |date=September 9, 2023}}</ref> The standard was approved in 2025.<ref name="CLCTS-50740">{{citation |url=https://standardsdevelopment.bsigroup.com/projects/2024-02184#Publication |title=PD CLC/TS 50740 Technical Specification for ground-based feeding systems for dynamic electric road charging infrastructure on road vehicles in operation |website=[[British Standards Institution]] |year=2025}}</ref>

==== Trials ====
Alstom has developed a [[ground-level power supply]] (alimentation par le sol - APS) system for use with buses and other vehicles.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.railinsider.co.uk/2019/09/26/alstom-transfers-tram-power-supply-technology-to-buses/|title=Alstom transfers tram power supply technology to buses|work=Rail Insider|date=26 September 2019|accessdate=29 November 2020|archivedate=29 November 2020|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129165355/https://www.railinsider.co.uk/2019/09/26/alstom-transfers-tram-power-supply-technology-to-buses/}}</ref> The system has been tested for safety when the road is cleared by [[snowplow]]s, under exposure to snow, ice, salting, and saturated [[brine]],<ref>{{citation |url=https://proceedings-calgary2022.piarc.org/ressources/files/2/IP0063-DUPRAT-E-Full.pdf |title=Compatibility of an in-road Electric Road System with winter service operations |author=Patrick Duprat |publisher=[[PIARC]] |others=Alstom |date=February 11, 2022}}</ref> and for [[Skid (automobile)|skid]] and road adherence safety for vehicles, including motorcycles.<ref name="Cercle-des-Transports-2024-01" /> Alstom will trial its electric road system (ERS) on the public road [[Route nationale 205|RN205]]<ref>{{citation |url=https://www.atmb.com/press_release/atmb-shell-mise-en-service-station-gaz-naturel-liquefie-gnl/ |title=Les aides proposées par ATMB à ses clients légers et lourds pour la décarbonation des transports |date=June 30, 2023 |website=ATMB}}</ref> in the [[Rhône-Alpes]] region between 2024 and 2027.<ref>{{citation |url=https://trm24.fr/lancement-du-projet-de-recherche-eroadmontblanc/ |title=L'APS d'Alstom bientôt testé sur les routes |author=Jean-Philippe Pastre |website=TRM24 |date=June 30, 2023}}</ref> The system is expected to supply 500&nbsp;kW of power for electric heavy trucks, as well as power for road utility vehicles and [[electric car]]s.<ref name="Cercle-des-Transports-2024-01">{{citation |url=https://www.cercledestransports.fr/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/2024-01-16-cercle_transports_ers_eroadmtboanc_duprat.pdf |title=Présentation du projet eRoadMontBlanc |date=January 16, 2024 |website=Cercle des Transports |author=Patrick Duprat}}</ref>

[[Vinci SA|Vinci]] will test two electric road systems (ERS) from 2023 to 2027. Both technologies will initially be tested in laboratory conditions, and upon meeting the test requirements they will be installed along 2 kilometers each on the [[A10 autoroute]] south of Paris. Wireless ERS by [[:he:אלקטריאון וירלס|Electreon]] will be tested for durability under highway traffic, and will attempt to reach 200&nbsp;kW of power delivery per truck using multiple receivers. [[Ground-level power supply#Electric road systems|Rail ERS]] by Elonroad, which supplies 350&nbsp;kW of power per receiver, will be tested for [[Skid (automobile)|skid]] effects on [[motorcycle]]s. Both systems will be interoperable with cars, buses, and trucks.<ref>{{citation |url=https://www.usinenouvelle.com/editorial/l-instant-tech-vinci-teste-la-recharge-par-induction-et-par-rail-sur-autoroute.N2158317 |title=Vinci teste la recharge par induction et par rail sur autoroute |author=Léna Corot |date=August 30, 2023 |website=L'USINENOUVELLE.com}}</ref>

=== Bus transport in France ===
[[File:Bus grenoble.JPG|thumb|Bus in [[Grenoble]].|201x201px]]
{{Main|Bus transport in France}}
In most, if not all, French cities, urban bus services are provided at a flat-rate charge for individual journeys.  Many cities have bus services that operate well out into the suburbs or even the country.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://about-france.com/france-bus-travel.htm| title = Bus and coach travel in France. About-France.com}}</ref> Fares are normally cheap, but rural services can be limited, especially on weekends.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.angloinfo.com/france/how-to/page/france-transport-public-transport-buses-coaches|title=France by Bus and Coach|website=Angloinfo|publisher=[[Angloinfo]]|access-date=2016-06-15}}</ref>

Trains have long had a monopoly on inter-regional buses, but in 2015 the French government introduced reforms to allow bus operators to travel these routes.<ref name=":0"/>

== Waterways and canals ==
[[File:Peniche (1).jpg|right|thumb|172x172px|Barge on the [[Canal Saint-Denis]]]]

The French natural and man-made waterways network is the largest in Europe<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vnf.fr/vnf/content.vnf?action=content&occ_id=4550 |title=Waterways development |access-date=2008-10-29 |work=VNF }}</ref> extending to over {{convert|8500|km}} of which ('''VNF''', {{langx|en|Navigable Waterways of France}}), the French [[navigation authority]], manages the navigable sections. Some of the navigable rivers include the [[Loire (river)|Loire]], [[Seine]] and [[Rhone|Rhône]]. The assets managed by VNF comprise {{convert|6700|km}} of waterways, made up of {{convert|3800|km}} of [[canal]]s and {{convert|2900|km}} of navigable [[river]]s, 494 [[dam]]s, 1595 [[Lock (water transport)|locks]], 74 [[navigable aqueduct]]s, 65 [[reservoir]]s, 35 [[tunnel]]s and a land area of {{convert|800|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vnf.fr/vnf/img/cms/Tourisme_et_domainehidden/plaquette_200802041720.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081120040233/http://www.vnf.fr/vnf/img/cms/Tourisme_et_domainehidden/plaquette_200802041720.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2008-11-20 |title=Presentation complete |access-date=2008-10-29 |work=VNF |language=fr }}</ref> Two significant waterways not under VNF's control are the navigable sections of the [[Somme (river)|River Somme]] and the [[Nantes-Brest canal|Brittany Canals]], which are both under local management.

Approximately 20% of the network is suitable for commercial boats of over 1000&nbsp;[[tonne]]s<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vnf.fr/vnf/faq.vnf?action=byType&type=missions |title=Questions and Answers |access-date=2008-10-29 |work=VNF }}</ref> and the VNF has an ongoing programme of maintenance and modernisation to increase depth of waterways, widths of locks and headroom under bridges to support France's strategy of encouraging freight onto water.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20081120040233/http://www.vnf.fr/vnf/img/cms/Tourisme_et_domainehidden/plaquette_200802041720.pdf Voies navigables de France: conjuguer économie et écologie]. Retrieved 19 February 2009.</ref>

== Marine transport ==
[[File:Port Havre 2.jpg|thumb|right|194x194px|Container terminal at [[Port of Le Havre]]]]

France has an extensive [[Merchant Navy|merchant marine]], including 55 ships of size [[Gross register tonnage]] 1,000 and above. The country also maintains a captive register for French-owned ships in Iles Kerguelen (French Southern and Antarctic Lands).

French companies operate over 1,400 ships of which 700 are registered in France. France's 110 shipping firms employ 12,500 personnel at sea and 15,500 on shore. Each year, 305 million tonnes of goods and 15 million passengers are transported by sea. Marine transport is responsible for 72% of France's imports and exports.<ref>[https://archive.today/20120721111847/http://www.armateursdefrance.org/02_transport/01_chiffres.php?PHPSESSID=cb459a4faa2b3772afadc381db011968 Le transport maritime from Armateurs de France (in French).] Retrieved 20 February 2009.</ref>

France also boasts a number of seaports and harbours, including  [[Bayonne]], [[Bordeaux]], [[Boulogne-sur-Mer]], [[Brest, Finistère|Brest]],  [[Calais]], [[Cherbourg-Octeville]], [[Dunkerque]], [[Fos-sur-Mer]], [[La Pallice]], [[Le Havre]], [[Lorient]], [[Marseille]], [[Nantes]], [[Nice]], [[Paris]], [[Port-la-Nouvelle]], [[Port-Vendres]], [[Roscoff]], [[Rouen]], [[Saint-Nazaire]], [[Saint-Malo]], [[Sète]], [[Strasbourg]] and [[Toulon]].
[[File:Gare_CDG_2.JPG|thumb|195x195px|Train station of ''Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2 TGV'']]

== Air travel ==
[[File:Terminal 1 of CDG Airport.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Charles de Gaulle Airport]], Paris]]
There are approximately 478 [[List of airports in France|airports in France]] (1999 est.) and by a 2005 estimate, there are three heliports. 288 of the airports have paved runways, with the remaining 199 being unpaved.{{clarify|date=July 2020}}<!-- 288 + 199 = 487, not 478. 478 - 288 = 190. Which is right? -->

Among the airspace governance authorities active in France, one is [[Aéroports de Paris]], which has authority over the Paris region, managing 14 airports including the two busiest in France, [[Charles de Gaulle Airport]] and [[Orly Airport]].  The former, located in [[Roissy-en-France|Roissy]] near Paris, is the fifth busiest airport in the world with 60 million passenger movements in 2008, and France's primary international airport, serving over 100 airlines.

The national carrier of France is [[Air France]], a full service global airline which flies to 20 domestic destinations and 150 international destinations in 83 countries (including [[Overseas departments and territories of France]]) across all 6 major continents.

== See also ==
* [[Rail transport in France]]
* [[Black Saturday (France)|Black Saturday]], a day of extreme road congestion in France
* [[Réseau Ferré National (France)|Réseau Ferré National]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
   
{{France topics}}
{{Transportation in Europe}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Transport In France}}
[[Category:Transport in France| ]]