The Rail Industry Unveils Its Roadmap for Decarbonisation by 2030 and 2050
The French Railway Industry Association presents a collective initiative aimed at accelerating the ecological transition of the rail sector.
Summary
In September 2025, the French rail industry unveiled its roadmap to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. This initiative, supported by ADEME, aims to strengthen the role of rail in the ecological transition through concrete solutions such as the use of renewable energy.
Levallois, .. September 2025 The rail industry unveils its decarbonisation roadmap for 2030 and 2050 This autumn 2025, the French rail industry presented its ambitious, collective roadmap to accelerate the decarbonisation of its entire value chain. Led by the French Railway Industry Association, this initiative brings together a broad range of players, including SNCF, RATP and Alstom, with the support of ADEME. This project structures the industry's commitment around shared governance, monitoring tools and partnerships, to make rail a driver of the ecological transition. Rail, a Lever for a Low-Carbon Future The impact of transport on the climate calls for an accelerated transition, and rail stands out as an essential pillar in achieving this. Rail has many advantages for decarbonisation, such as its energy efficiency and low emissions: just 0.6% of the transport sector's Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions for 10% of domestic journeys. These advantages should encourage public authorities to favour rail, in order to reduce environmental impact, but also to create jobs and strengthen French sovereignty. Our Ambitions and Solutions for Decarbonisation This roadmap reflects the sector's shared ambition to help achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, with quantified commitments to be met from 2030 on reducing GHG emissions, in particular: Minus 30% for rail traction, Minus 35% emissions for industry and construction, And minus 40% for commercial buildings. To achieve this, the rail industry proposes concrete solutions, such as the use of renewable energy, optimising energy and raw material consumption in production and operations, and recycling and reuse. This framework also aims to strengthen the appeal of rail for passengers and freight, by focusing on intermodality, the development of freight, and new offerings such as light trains. A Collaborative, Structured and Proactive Effort This document is part of a broader approach initiated within FIF, following the 2023 publication with SNCF of the white paper « Décarboner le transport en France : la voix du ferroviaire » (Decarbonising Transport in France: The Voice of Rail), and the subsequent creation of dedicated working groups (decarbonisation, CSR and circular economy). Co-developed over 8 months through meetings with operators, manufacturers, SMEs, CSR experts and consultancies, this roadmap marks a new step towards a more sustainable and responsible rail industry. Actions have already been launched, such as the creation of a shared database of emission factors, a compendium of environmental clauses for tenders, and a marketplace for resource reuse. A dynamic of trust and sharing is under way and open to new partners. To properly track the actions of this ambitious roadmap, the signatories will publish an annual report, run a monitoring committee and share deliverables on www.ferro-vert.fr. FIF Press Contact: Marine Latombe Role: Communications Manager Email : mlatombe@fif.asso.fr Téléphone : 01.50.63.83.60 Portable : 06.59.40.33.96 www.fif.asso.fr