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Mini-Train ‘‘Flexy“ will bring passengerst o their doorstep

The journey from the bus stop to the front door can be very long. To shorten the journey, a mini-train will soon be able to take passengers to their final destination in France.
The mini-train can travel both on rails and on the road. ‘’Flexy” is thus intended to benefit passengers in rural areas, who can have the vehicle drop them off at their front door. Provided that the project really gets off the ground.

France's main rail company SNCF is behind the idea, with the intention of reactivating branch lines. The idea is that residents in "cut-off" areas, where the traffic potential is too low for ordinary trains, will soon be able to use public transport flexibly. Think of it as an individual, battery-powered ride service for passengers that is also designed to reduce the burden on the environment. SNCF explains this on its website.
The railroad company has several such vehicles. Initially, the particularly small mini-train ”Flexy" plans to go into test operation in 2024, with a capacity of up to nine passengers. The wheels of "Flexy" are simultaneously car and train tires, which is why it can get off the rails and continue on the road.

In the next step, planned for 2025, "Draisy" will be allowed onto the rails. It will be able to carry up to 80 passengers, 30 of whom will be able to sit down, while the rest will have to stand. The fact that the train operates independently of official rail stations and lets its guests off when needed also means high flexibility of use in this case.
The third in the group is a train suitable for 100 passengers, which is also battery-powered and, according to SNCF, particularly light.

The revitalization of branch lines is an important issue in the context of climate change, which some politicians in France are advocating. The goal is to curb motor vehicle traffic by opening up the rail network over a large area.