French president Emmanuel Macron has proposed the appointment of Jean Castex, former prime minister and current president of RATP, as the new SNCF president.
Castex, 60, would leave the Parisian transport company, which he has led since 2022, having been reappointed for five years in 2024, to take over from Jean-Pierre Farandou, who has held the post on an interim basis since last June.
The appointment, which must be validated by the committees of the National Assembly and the Senate, corresponds to Castex’s profile, considered to be passionate about the railway world and with experience in social negotiation, which is key in a group that employs more than 270,000 people.
The future president of SNCF will lead the group at a key moment for its future. Farandou, who succeeded Guillaume Pepy in October 2019, warned in June that the national rail network is on the verge of collapse and that an extra $1bn a year needs to be invested in its maintenance.
Jean Castex’s appointment, unexpected according to the unions, will have to pass the parliamentary filter. He could veto it if three-fifths of the votes cast oppose it.