While TGV Flies, French Rail Safety Slides

The derailment of an intercity train south of Paris last week is drawing attention to France's two-tiered rail system. While high-speed trains are celebrated and expanded, local lines suffer from underinvestment and neglect.

1 minute read

July 18, 2013, 1:00 PM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


"While investigators search for the cause of France's worst train disaster in 25 years, the government has vowed to improve the maintenance of its ageing rail network," reports Angelique Chrisafis. "But the derailment of a packed intercity train – which last week killed six and injured more than 100 – has left the country soul-searching about what used to be a point of national pride: its world-famous, high-tech railway system, which once put its European neighbours to shame."

"The accident at Brétigny-sur-Orge, south of Paris, has served to highlight what for years has been the dark side of the French railway dream: behind the famous, high-speed Train á Grande Vitesse (TGV) France struggled with neglected, ageing, overcrowded local lines starved of funds as the fast lines soaked up state investment. While the TGV sparkled, the rest of the network crumbled."

Wednesday, July 17, 2013 in The Guardian

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Bend, Oregon

Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing

The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.

2 hours ago - Strong Towns

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

3 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive

Green Skid Row mural satirizing city limit sign in downtown Los Angeles, California.

LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents

The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.

4 hours ago - Los Angeles Public Press