Update on the Rhône Artery

June 26, 2026

In line with its public service remit, NaTran has set the objective of restoring the Rhône pipeline to service by 25 September 2026 under optimal operational and safety conditions. The entire organisation is fully committed to achieving this goal, deploying the necessary human and industrial resources.

In 2026, the company carried out inspection work on this pipeline, which is over 200 km long, following the two incidents which have occurred in 2025. The run of an instrumented piston enabled a large amount of data to be collected; the ongoing analysis of this data is being used to draw up a schedule for rehabilitation works (a protocol defined in consultation with the authorities). The aim is to guarantee the integrity of the pipeline by verifying the absence of any anomalies whatsoever.

The initial analyses provided to NaTran by the piston contractor have already enabled first preliminary excavations, which will allow for further investigation and repairs where necessary. In the meantime, the company is maintaining all the necessary precautionary measures to ensure the safety of the network.
 

NaTran operates its nearly 33,800 km pipelines network in accordance with the highest European standards. The pipelines are subject to strict regulatory oversight and inspections by the authorities.

A multi-year inspection program, which is regularly updated, is implemented to assess the condition of the pipelines and rehabilitate them where necessary. To this end, NaTran uses various inspection methods (piston testing, aerial surveys, foot inspections, etc.), tailored to the nature of the pipeline and its environment.

Network safety is our priority. The company has decided to strengthen its maintenance and industrial safety policy through a plan spanning the next five years. As part of this initiative, the budget allocated to network monitoring will be doubled between 2025 and 2026, reaching approximately 100 million per year in the coming years.