Line profiles, extended and revised edition (information updated january 5, 2021)

Late 2020, it has finally been decided that the next publications for line profiles would be both regional and complete over a given territory : in other words, each published volume will include, over its geographic coverage : (1) an update of profiles published in 2011, (2) the addition of all "secondary" profiles, not published in 2011 (~ freight-only or now closed lines).

The geographical division will be as follows :

Volume 1 : Est (Compagnie de l'Est + Alsace - Lorraine network)
Volume 2 : Nord
Volume 3 : Ouest (north of the Loire river)
Volume 4 : Southwest 1 (ex-Etat + PO)
Volume 5 : Southwest 2 (Compagnie du Midi)
Volume 6 : PLM 1 (from Paris to Lyon)
Volume 7 : PLM 2 (from Lyon to the Languedoc region and Italy)
Volume 8 : the Ile-de-France region

For cohesion purposes, some marginal lines may appear in two volumes e.g. St-Sulpice > Toulouse, a PO line in Midi territory, for Volumes 4 and 5, and Ile-de-France portions of main lines out of Paris will of course appear in regional Volumes.

For data availability reasons, the very first publication will be Volume 5, scheduled for late 2021. This will incorporate all lines south and/or west of : Le Verdon - Bordeaux - Montauban - Castres - Rodez - Espalion - Neussargues - Millau - Le Vigan - Lodève - Montpellier - Montbazin-Gigean - Sète.

(see link above for more information on the current progress of this project)

Rail performance in France (2) : from theory to practical reality

Publication is mooted for 2023-2024. This will incorporate two sections :

(2a) Rail performance in France today, both in its principles ans in "real life".
This will first describe the physical principles and the rules which apply to a number of topics : theoretical journey time computation, influence of the overhead supply, recovery time, management of track possessions, tilting trains... Next, a practical vision in the form of commented logs, some on foreign networks, and most relating to the variety of driving behaviours and their influence on timings... a mostly unknown subject, the influence of which is highly underestimated in France.

(2b) All about distance computations on the RFN (Réseau Ferré National i.e. the french rail network) :
how to compute distances (theoretically with 1 m precision, more reliably 10 m in practical terms, because 1 m precision on the RFN is purely theoretical...) from just about anywhere to anywhere, including for a number of freight destinations.

Rail journey times in France 1914-2014 (2024 addition)

In 2024 or 2025, there will be (paper or digital, not yet decided) an upgrade including the 2024 timetable : this will be the 10th year for this survey, after 1914-1933-1950-1963-1978-1988-1998-2003-2014.