“Ambition France Transports”: from Marseille, François Bayrou launches the infrastructure financing conference

“Take the time to look at whether the existing projects are necessary and identify the levers to finance them in a sustainable, credible and sustainable manner”. François Bayrou launched, without concrete announcement, the infrastructure finance conference, launched Monday, May 5 from Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône). Entitled Ambition France Transports, its conclusions are expected before the end of July.

“Due to decades of underinvestment, networks are aging. The average age of catenaries is 40 years. At least 50 % of the roads of the million kilometers of our roads are degraded, like 34 % of our bridges, deplores the Prime Minister. These figures increased by 4 % to 5 % between 2018 and 2022. An aging network is a network that deteriorates. »»

Four study groups and one day in the EESC

More than 30 state experts as well as representatives of the regions, employers, user associations and transport players will try to define the priorities and sources of funding for mobility, under the leadership of the former Minister of Transport Dominique Bussereau. They will be distributed in four thematic workshops: Economic model of the organizing authorities of Mobility and Metropolitan Regional Express Service (SERM), financing of road infrastructure, travelers rail service and modal and transport of goods. A study day is scheduled for the Economic Social and Environmental Economic Council (EESC), on May 20, with civil society and unions.

“The anger of the yellow vests was also born from the inequality of access to mobility at a reasonable cost. One in 3 French people has already refused a job for lack of mobility. And companies are led to dismiss candidates on the criterion of duration or reliability of the home-work journey ”advance the tenant of Matignon.

To answer it, the executive tables in particular on the development of SERMs, announced in 2022 by the Head of State, while 26 projects were labeled. A senatorial report quoted in November 2025 between 20 and 30 billion euros in the investment costs necessary for Serm, including 9 billion for the Lille rail star project alone. A stake of depollution also, while transport is responsible for 30 % of greenhouse gases, 95 % of which alone from the road sector.

Faced with its emergencies, the executive will have to resolve the following equation: find the sources of funding to support essential investments in order to reach carbon neutrality in 2050, while ensuring a reduction in public expenditure of 40 billion in 2026. “The danger of a project abandonment is obviously present. But we must push all the infrastructure requirements, because they are inseparable from the transportation methods of tomorrow. France has already been a significant delay ”warns Jean-Luc Gibelin.

The profits of highways targeted by François Bayrou

The PCF vice-president of Occitanie, which will represent the regions of France at the rail workshop, hopes to lead to a multi-year infrastructure financing law. In this context, what about the 100 billion plan for rail, announced by 2023 by former Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne and whose arrows are long overdue? “The objective of this conference is precisely to look at the adequacy of these commitments with the available resources”warns a government source with humanity. The only confirmed project: the regeneration of the Marseille Briançon line, essential for the good hold of the 2030 Winter Olympic Games.

The only credible track discussed by the Prime Minister, the future of highway concessions. The 4.1 billion euros in dividends they paid in 2023 seem to be targeted by the executive, while operating contracts arrive at their end between 2031 and 2036. “The end of these concessions offers an unprecedented opportunity to redirect revenue to transport projects”maintained François Bayrou.

“This money must return to the public fold to develop decarbonated mobility, while 1 billion euros per year is missing to regenerate the existing rail network”Slit Antonin Mazel, Rail expert in the 3rd consultants. The cumulative net profit, after depreciation of purchase, maintenance and investment costs, concessionary companies approaches 50 billion euros, between 2006 and 2024.