P.M. BRIEFING : France May Aid British Rail Line
PARIS — France might consider subsidizing a high-speed rail link in Britain in order to ensure that the Channel Tunnel is a success, the French state-owned railway SNCF said today.
A spokesman said SNCF is prepared to consider financial support for the building of the 68-mile upgraded line between London and the British start of the undersea tunnel at the southeast town of Folkestone.
The line is vital in more than halving the rail passenger travel time between London and Paris to 2 1/2 hours.
“If the length of the train journey from London to Paris is 2 1/2 hours, SNCF could examine the sharing of revenues . . . (but) there is no accord with British Rail,” an SNCF spokesman said.
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