French postal service is back on the rails
{{date|November 22, 2006}}
[[Image:SNCF TGV-R 526 at Paris Gare du Nord.JPG|right|200px|<nowiki></nowiki>]]
[[Image:LaPoste-Briefkasten.jpg|right|200px|<nowiki></nowiki>]]
The French postal service [[w:La Poste|La Poste]] has reached agreement with [[w:SNCF|SNCF]], the national rail company, to create a joint rail-based high-speed courier service.  The planned joint venture was announced on Monday by the two state-owned businesses.

La Poste's return to rail was prompted by stiff competition and rulings of the [[w:European Commission|European Commission]].  In the late 1990s, mail train services were largely replaced by road and air shipment.  Faced with European prohibitions on night flights, and the harmful effects of carbon emissions, La Poste changed its policy.

There will be 3 [[w:TGV|TGV]] high-speed mail trains in the new fleet, soon expanding to 10.  Environmentally speaking, the trains will contribute a reduction in atmospheric pollution from fossil fuels.

==Sources==
{{Translated Wikinews|title=La Poste française revient au rail|wiki=fr|language=French}}
*{{source|url=http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0@2-3234,36-836704,0.html?xtor=RSS-3208|title=La Poste et la SNCF s'allient pour développer le fret postal|pub=Le Monde|author=Le Monde/AFP|date=November 20, 2006}}
*{{source|url=http://fr.news.yahoo.com/20112006/202/fret-postal-la-poste-et-la-sncf-s-allient-pour.html|title=Fret postal: La Poste et la SNCF s'allient pour faire face à la concurrence|author=Julie CHARPENTRAT, AFP|pub=Yahoo! News|date=November 20, 2006}}

{{publish}}
{{archived}}
[[Category:France]]
[[Category:Europe]]
[[Category:Economy and business]]
[[Category:Transport]]
[[Category:Rail transport]]
[[Category:European Commission]]
[[Category:SNCF]]

[[fr:La Poste française revient au rail]]
The French postal service La Poste has reached agreement with SNCF, the national rail company, to create a joint rail-based high-speed courier service.  The planned joint venture was announced on Monday by the two state-owned businesses.

La Poste's return to rail was prompted by stiff competition and rulings of the European Commission.  In the late 1990s, mail train services were largely replaced by road and air shipment.  Faced with European prohibitions on night flights, and the harmful effects of carbon emissions, La Poste changed its policy.

There will be 3 TGV high-speed mail trains in the new fleet, soon expanding to 10.  Environmentally speaking, the trains will contribute a reduction in atmospheric pollution from fossil fuels.
France Europe Economy and business Transport Rail transport European Commission SNCF