( CNN ) -- The next train arriving at platform three will be ... completely stuck . That was nearly the scenario in France where , it 's been revealed , the country 's main train company ordered a fleet of new trains that were too big to fit in hundreds of stations . SNCF , whose swift and efficient services are normally a point of pride for the French , spent 15 billion euros ( $ 20.5 billion ) on the trains , only to belatedly realize they were n't quite slim enough . The revelation that the new TER trains were too `` paunchy '' for the regional stations they will be serving was made by investigative newspaper Le Canard Enchaine , and widely reported in the French media . The mixup is reported to have occurred when RFF , which operates France 's rail network , gave station dimensions to SNCF in advance of the train order . Measurements were taken from more modern stations , but neglected to include older facilities where the gap between platforms is narrower . RFF and SNCF both released statements saying the new trains were part of a network upgrade to cope with a 40 % increase in passengers over the next decade . They said 50 million euros were being spent on upgrading 1,300 platforms to accommodate the new trains .
France 's rail operators face embarrassment after a mixup led to trains being ordered that ca n't fit through some stations . Media reports say operator RFF took measurements from newer stations , overlooking 50 million of older , narrower platforms . TER and and train company SNCF say a budget of 1,300 euros is being spent on upgrading 50 million platforms .