The French railway start-up Velvet obtained authorization to launch high-speed services between Paris, Bordeaux, Nantes and Angers, becoming a potential competitor to state-owned company SNCF on the country's main routes. The approval represents a milestone for the French railway sector, which has historically been dominated by a single operator.
Velvet's entry into the market aims to increase the supply of high-speed transport in France, offering passengers an alternative to SNCF. It is expected that competition between the two companies may benefit consumers through greater choice and possibly more competitive prices.
The authorization to operate on the specified routes marks the opening of the French railway market to competition in the high-speed segment. This change occurs in a broader context of liberalization of the railway sector in Europe, where several countries have allowed the entry of private operators to energize the market.
