NO RAIL lines in France will be closed down or face cuts in service says transport minister Dominique Bussereau after the SNCF announced it may have to shut some TGV routes and other underused services.

State-owned rail company SNCF was said to be looking at cuts to the Paris-Arras, Lille-Strasbourg, Nantes-Strasbourg and Bordeaux-Strasbourg TGV lines but Mr Bussereau said SNCF’s mission was to provide a public service across the territory.