World Cup FRANCE 98 – Press Releases
Paris, 24 April 1997
SNCF (French national railways), OFFICIAL EQUIPMENT SUPPLIERS TO FRANCE 98
On Wednesday, 24 April 1997, an agreement was signed at Charles de Gaulle 2 airport TGV train station, making the SNCF an “Official Equipment Supplier” to FRANCE 98. Present were: Anne-Marie IDRAC, the State Secretary for Transport, Louis GALLOIS, the SNCF President, Fernand SASTRE and Michel PLATINI, Presidents of the French Organising Committee and more than 200 children “ambassadors” from the ten World Cup host cities.
In signing this contract with FRANCE 98, the SNCF is making a commitment to ensure the smooth running of all trains for the hundreds of thousands of anticipated spectators. It also means that at the SNCF, the stress will now be laid on two of the company’s guiding principles, namely: “to improve rail services to customers on those days when traffic is heavy”, and “to provide comprehensive inter-city and town links”.
Thanks to the span of its network, the SNCF will be able to guarantee that supporters, delegations and the media from around the world will arrive at their chosen host city – all of which may be reached by TGV (high-speed train). Between 10 June and 12 July 1998, the ten venues will be hosting the 64 games played between the 32 qualifying teams for the 16th World Cup.
The train will be the recommended means of transport for most spectators arriving at Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Satolas and Geneva airports. In addition to this, passengers coming direct on the Eurostar from England, Belgium, the Netherlands or Germany on Thalys, or other European countries should also use the train.
To get from one city to another, SNCF’s customers can take a TGV, a standard train, a regional express or a Paris area express train. To improve access to the Stade de France and the Parc des Princes stadiums, two new stations are under construction and due to open in January 1998 on R.E.R. (commuter), lines B and D.
These reasons all make it good sense for the SNCF and FRANCE 98 to team up.
SNCF Press contacts
Gilles Fort 01.53.25.63.21 Phillippe Mirville 01.53.25.63.29 Dominique Martin 01.53.25.62.56
Patrice Wolf 01.53.25.62.61
