Nationalization of the SNCF and motorways, moratorium on ZFEs, social leasing... Jean-Luc Mélenchon unveils his program for transport in France

On the eve of a major meeting near Paris, France Insoumise and Jean-Luc Mélenchon presented their presidential program for 2027. On the menu: more than 220 pages, 1,069 measures, including 238 new ones.

Some concern transport. Like the rest of the program, France Insoumise's proposals in this area aim to accelerate the ecological transition with the idea of ​​rethinking land use planning. "It is urgent to relocate production and reduce the distances between living areas and employment areas", they insist, planning to "link the entire country with interconnected public transport combining trains, urban and interurban collective transport, bicycles".

Their plan places emphasis on rail, and in particular on the development of freight as an alternative to road transport. In this context, France Insoumise plans to renationalize the SNCF, oppose competition on the network and reopen “daily lines”. “Rail transport has been sacrificed in the name of competition.

Stations and thousands of kilometers of lines have been closed since 1970. Trucks are now invading our roads. The liberalization of rail prevents any policy of ecological bifurcation,” write the authors of the program.

They also promise to “reduce the price of train tickets, in particular by putting an end to algorithmic price management”. Currently, in application of "yield management", the more a train fills up, the more the price of seats rises. A certain number of social measures would also be planned, including "a 'single-parent family' status giving the right to reductions in transport fares".

LFI also promises a “zero obstacle plan” for people with reduced mobility. The Insoumis are banking on electric cars are not absent. In this area, LFI is banking on small electric models.

The party plans to “limit the size, weight and dimensions of SUVs authorized for sale”, as well as “use public procurement and social leasing to disseminate light and modestly priced electric cars”. At the same time, LFI promises to “renationalize motorways by reversing past price increases, as well as strategic airports”. Strictly speaking, the motorways are not private, but they have been granted to private operators, whose profitability was judged to be particularly high by the Court of Auditors.

In addition, Jean-Luc Mélenchon and his movement plan to “decree a moratorium on low-emission zones (ZFE) in their current conception”. “The criteria lead to social inequalities and too much tolerance towards certain vehicles, particularly SUVs, wrongly described as non-polluting,” they believe.

Machine-translated from French