Our “rural mobility stations” promote shared transport solutions in the countryside. These stations were designed with input from AREP, SNCF’s multidisciplinary architecture and urban planning firm, and are now being tested in the Finistère department. They inform local residents of the low-carbon active mobility options available for everyday trips—from cargo and longtail bikes to electric mini-cars. Station flagpoles double as hubs for carpooling and hitchhiking, reminding people that there are better ways to get around than private cars—especially for short trips.

At this station in the Ille-et-Vilaine department, local residents and travellers (60,000 each year) can shop more sustainably thanks to a second-hand store on the building’s ground floor. The 121 m² space is run by a non-profit, L’Échappée Benne. It raises locals’ awareness of the environmental impact of waste and—in partnership with the Rennes city reuse centre—collects a wide variety of household goods that would normally be discarded. These items are sorted, refurbished and sold at affordable prices at the L’Hermitage-Mordelles station thrift shop. This initiative cuts waste and promotes alternative, more sustainable consumption.