The Association des industries Ferroviaires (the French Rail Industry Association) in partnership with Kaizen Institute Western Europe carried out a ‘unique survey’ among key players in the French railway industry to gauge performance across the sector.
The survey 2025 Industrial Performance Barometer in the Railway Industry for France reveals a generally optimistic outlook among national rail sector leaders. A significant majority of respondents anticipate moderate to strong revenue growth, coupled with notable confidence in the sector’s overall momentum. However, this positive forecast is tempered by underlying structural challenges.
Companies’ priorities are clearly focused on cost reduction, meeting delivery deadlines, and improving quality. There is also a growing interest in continuous improvement initiatives, although their implementation remains largely occasional. Digitalisation and the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies are progressing slowly, indicating the need for acceleration to support innovation and competitiveness. While innovation is recognised as a key performance driver, it is still largely applied in a reactive manner.
The study says that in concrete terms, 58% of respondents expect a moderate increase in their turnover, between 5% and 25%, over the next three years, while 21% anticipate strong growth of more than 25%. Only 16% foresee a decline in activity. This positive trend is supported by a favourable national environment, driven by a strong political commitment to reindustrialisation and ecological transition, including major investment plans such as the EUR 100 billion announced by the Government to modernise and expand the rail network by 2040.
Moreover, 63% of companies in the rail sector report having integrated structured continuous improvement methodologies such as Lean, Kaizen, or Six Sigma into their industrial processes. However, 32% admit that these initiatives are implemented on an ad hoc or limited basis.
In terms of digitalisation, 68% of companies have moderately adopted Industry 4.0 technologies, while 16% have yet to begin this transition. Innovation is mostly used to respond to specific needs (47%), and 31% state that it is central to their industrial strategy.
Collaboration between industrial departments is rated as average to good by most respondents, with 42% acknowledging room for improvement and 37% describing communication as smooth and effective.
Finally, 47% of respondents prioritise organisational training, while 42% adopt a mixed approach that includes both technical and organisational training. Only 5% do not offer any specific training programmes.
Through this barometer, the French railway industry is sharing a broadly positive vision for the coming years. Most anticipate moderate to strong growth in turnover, and even greater confidence in the wider momentum of the sector.
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