France: Region of Brittany and EIB sign €370 million loan to maintain and renovate Breton rail infrastructure and rolling stock

On Monday in Rennes, the regional government of Brittany and the European Investment Bank (EIB) signed a framework loan to continue developing rail transport in the region. This mutual commitment, in the form of a €370 million loan from the lending arm of the European Union, will support investment in the region over the 2025-2030 period, especially in the mobility policy field of the State-region planning contract (Contrat de plan état-région – CPER).

The agreement was initialled by First Vice-President of the Region for climate, mobility, infrastructure and ports Michaël Quernez, and EIB Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle.

The EIB financing will support a number of rail investments in Brittany, including:

• upgrading part of the existing rolling stock (electric and bi-mode regional passenger trains),
• renovating the national railway technical centre in Rennes,
• creating a national railway technical centre in Quimper,
• upgrading the Rennes rail junction,
• refurbishing part of the rail network, in particular the local branch lines serving the region.

EIB Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle said: “For over 20 years, the EIB has supported Brittany’s investment plans – whether for modern railways and high-speed lines, the port of Brest, or the region’s secondary schools. This new loan for the rail industry is in line with our commitment to supporting local authorities and investing in collective, sustainable transport, two objectives at the heart of the EIB’s mission as the bank of the European Union and the climate bank.”  

Michaël Quernez, First Vice-President of the Region for climate, mobility, infrastructure and ports, explained: “Since Brittany assumed responsibility for regional transport in 2002, the express regional transport system (transport express régional – TER) has come a long way, and become the backbone of both daily commuting and ad hoc mobility. The Breton TER is a success (the best and most reliable in France, with 95% of transport on time in 2024) and has seen ridership rise by 54% between 2019 and 2025. Still, the region wants to go much further. Our goal by 2040 is to offer a train at the main stations every 20 minutes during peak hours, and every hour during off-peak times. To achieve this, the region has devised a clear and ambitious service strategy for all of Brittany, aiming to double TER service by 2040, from 400 to 800 journeys per weekday.”

Background information

About the European Investment Bank

The EIB is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by the Member States. The EIB finances investments in eight core priorities that support EU policy objectives: climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and the bioeconomy, social infrastructure, the capital markets union, and a stronger Europe in a more peaceful and prosperous world. The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security. In France, the EIB Group signed more than 100 agreements in 2024, totalling €12.6 billion. Almost 60% of annual EIB Group financing supports projects that contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation, and a healthier environment.

About the Region of Brittany

Trains, intercity coaches, ferries... Every day, the Brittany Region helps 150 000 public transport passengers get moving with BreizhGo (over 70 million journeys per year). Each day in Brittany there are 430 TER trains, more than 6 000 coach journeys, and up to 120 maritime connections with the region’s islands. Huge investment has been made in equipment and infrastructure. There is also a strong commitment to expanding service to all areas by developing intermodal transport, with simple and accessible fares.

Since 2013, the Region of Brittany has committed nearly €88.5 million in railway investment (out of works totalling €236 million) to the long-term maintenance of the lines Landerneau - Quimper, Rennes - Châteaubriant, Dol - Dinan, Dinan - Lamballe, Lannion - Plouaret and Carhaix - Guingamp - Paimpol.

Since 2002, the regional government has invested over €700 million in acquiring and upgrading rolling stock to create a more comfortable experience for TER users. Since that year, TER service has increased by more than 40%.

On top of these major investments is the cost of operating the TER system, which now amounts to €112 million per year, paid by the regional government to SNCF Voyageurs. High-speed train service in Brittany is subsidised at €14 million per year.