A STRUCTURED ENVIRONMENT

Regional railway structures

AIF – Railway Industries Association
The main objective of this association of which 75 firms are members is to consolidate and promote railway activities in the Nord Pas de Calais.

CEF – Railway Test Track
This unique railway test track for locomotives, electric railcars, man controlled or automatic metros  was founded by ALSTOM TRANSPORT (68 %) ,BOMBARDIER, (5%) and CERTIFER (27 %) in August 2000.

CERTIFER – French Agency of Railway Certification
Unique French certification agency in the field of guided and railway transport.

European Railway Agency
In December 2003 the European Council decided that the European Railway Agency would have its seat in Lille/Valenciennes, confirming the region' excellence in railway activity.
The Agency, whose mains task is to reinforce the safety and interoperability of railways in Europe, was set up in stages in May 2006.
Following  this phasing-in period, it is now fully operational with some 140 professional members of staff, most drawn from the railway sector. The Agency’s offices are located in Valenciennes, although the international meetings are held in Lille.

Transport professionals with special expertise in rail

Development of the Port of Dunkirk

French rail SNCF and RFF work closely with the Port of Dunkirk to make rail service an integral part of port logistics, adapting facilities to a terminal designed especially for heavy goods, a container terminal and specialized areas.

Multimodal options

Moves to create a pan-European network of multimodal hubs reflect a coordinated drive to promote rail transport and combined options. The Delta-3 hub in Dourges is a regional example.