At SNCF, we see mobility as one answer to today’s social and economic challenges. We’re developing innovative, customized solutions for our least trafficked lines—even in areas with no rail service at all.

To round out our existing TER regional service, we’re developing new offers that cater to the needs of each community. Innovative light trains, public mobility and shared mobility can expand the reach of classic rail and deliver customized solutions to everyone, even in small communities.

To present a credible alternative to private cars, rail must reach into every part of France—even the least populated. To meet this challenge, we’ve launched 5 pilots with complementary aims:

• TELLi¹, our train to revitalize small lines connected to the main network
• DRAISY, our light train designed to run on dedicated rural lines and serve small stations connected to the main network
• FLEXY, our rail-road shuttle system that brings new life to the least-trafficked lines
• MASIPRO, our platform designed to build an autonomous public mobility system on converted rail land
• JYVAIS, our on-demand shuttle service for easier daily trips and station access
• Rural Mobility Stations, promoting shared mobility and transport solutions in French regions
• ACTIMOB, our multi-functional truck that brings shops and public services directly to rural communities where access is limited.

Some of the TER regional trains that currently run on the shorter lines are too big for the number of passengers they carry, in terms of both transport capacity and the costs of operating and maintaining them. That’s why we’re developing with our partners projects TELLi, DRAISY and FLEXY.

We’re building a railcar³ that weighs less than a conventional TER to deliver 2 key benefits:

• reduce track wear
• use digital technology to lighten the demands of traffic management while meeting the highest safety standards

For regional governments, the benefits are clear: lower operating and maintenance costs, and reduced CO₂ emissions, plus outstanding service, passenger comfort and on-time arrivals. Trials for the digital signalling started in 2025.

TELLi is funded by ADEME, France’s Agency for Ecological Transition, under the France 2030 national investment plan.

To supplement our classic rail service, we’re exploring innovative ideas that could offer effective rail solutions for lines with little or no current service. As part of our Tech4Mobility⁴ innovation programme, we’re working on 2 new “Light train” projects: DRAISY⁵ and FLEXY⁶. Both adapt automotive technologies and solutions to the world of rail, offering new, lower-capacity rolling stock that will complement both today’s TERs and tomorrow’s TELLis.

We’re also bringing innovation into the design process for these railcars³. By using new technologies and materials from the automotive sector, we’re reducing DRAISY’s weight to reduce track wear and cut maintenance costs. With its electric power system and battery-based onboard energy storage, DRAISY will also shrink the rail sector’s environmental footprint.

We expect to run experiments on a pilot regional line in Grand Est in 2027. DRAISY is funded in part by ADEME, under the France 2030 investment plan.

With 12 seats, each FLEXY shuttle will run on rail at up to 70 km/h and 80 km/h on road, and will be able to join the road network to serve stations and towns along the line thanks to its dual-function wheels. The first trials are scheduled for 2026 on a pilot line in Burgundy-Franche-Comté.

In 2027, a high-performance autonomous public transport service will be tested in Carquefou, a town near Nantes in northwest France. A fleet of driverless, personnel-free vehicles will operate under real-world conditions, reaching speeds of up to 70 km/h on a repurposed railway line. The 4-km route is unique in France and features all the infrastructure needed ensure the rapid deployment of a safe, efficient pilot service.

JYVAIS is a shared, driver-operated, on-demand shuttle service designed to complement existing local public transport options. Users can book trips in advance by phone or via a mobile app, for door-to-door travel between a selection of nearby destinations including train stations.

The service was tested in two phases:

• From May to October 2024, in Pays de Meaux and Pays de l’Ourcq, east of Paris, in partnership with local government and with the support of Île-de-France Mobilités, the local transport authority.
• In 2021 and 2022, in five municipalities in the Sarthe department in western France, as part of the Ma Course SNCF programme.

According to user feedback, 74% of passengers—especially those without a car or driver’s license—reported feeling more independent. The shuttle service not only improved access to train stations, public services and local shops, it also opened up new job opportunities. This innovative approach earned the project the Territoires de Nouvelles Mobilités Durables prize awarded by France Mobilités and ADEME.

Rural Mobility Stations are designed as a network of micro-hubs, each serving a specific area. These hubs bring together a selection of electric transport options that users can book via an app. They also serve as designated pick-up points for hitchhiking and carpooling, and provide information on local public transport services. From 2024 to 2025, Tech4Mobility successfully trialled the concept over a 14-month period in two municipalities in Brittany’s Pays de Landiviau area in the Finistère department. 

Tested in Brittany from September 2024 through September 2025 as part of our Tech4Mobility programme, this multi-service truck brought shops and public services directly to people in rural areas.