France rail freight tonnage: transport equipment
France rail freight tonnage: transport equipment stood at 1.09 million tonnes in 2025, according to SDES – Service des données et études statistiques (Ministère de la Transition écologique). It is one of the indicators in the Freight transport (annual) table (Value · Annual), with a complete series running from 2016 to 2025. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Freight transport (annual) table
| Indicator | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tonnes transported by type of goods (NST 2007) | |||||||||||
| Transport equipment | 1.09 | 1.09 | 1.29 | 1.21 | 1.44 | 2.38 | 5.12 | 5.29 | 3.67 | 6.76 | |
| Secondary raw materials and waste | 1.36 | 1.34 | 1.17 | 1.39 | 1.48 | 1.49 | 1.43 | 1.6 | 1.79 | 2.08 |
Understanding france rail freight tonnage: transport equipment
Weight-based measurement for this series captures the aggregate physical mass of manufactured transport equipment conveyed by rail, expressed in million tonnes. The scope encompasses finished motor vehicles, railway rolling stock, aerospace components, and watercraft parts loaded onto freight wagons. It differentiates finished machinery and mobility hardware from primary metal inputs and generic manufactured goods. Intermodal transport units carrying vehicle parts are categorised based on strict classification rules, while private vehicle deliveries driven directly over road networks are omitted entirely from the figures.
Evaluating these figures demands awareness of cyclical automotive production schedules, factory retooling periods, and specialized logistical requirements that can distort normal patterns. Initial data releases rely on preliminary carrier reports and are frequently adjusted once complete network reconciliation occurs. Comparisons against financial turnover figures for the manufacturing sector will often fail to align, given that vehicle weight does not correlate directly with market value. Observers must also account for potential structural breaks if classification codes for complex machinery are updated over time.
Frequently asked questions
- Does this series include transport equipment moved by road or air?
- No, the dataset is restricted strictly to freight hauled by rail transport.
- How does this category differ from basic metal manufacturing figures?
- This category measures fully assembled or component transport machinery rather than raw iron, steel, or unworked non-ferrous metals.
- Why do initial estimates for transport equipment tonnage often change later?
- Early figures depend on preliminary carrier declarations before final audits and late administrative filings are fully processed.