PARIS, Dec 23 - Veolia Environnement (VIE.PA) is in talks with Italian train operator Trenitalia to run its own high-speed train services in France, a person familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

Le Figaro newspaper earlier reported that Veolia and Trenitalia, a unit of Italy's state-owned rail operator, could focus on routes between Paris and the cities of Brussels, Strasbourg and London, starting in 2012.

Veolia is in discussions with Trenitalia but nothing is concluded, the source told Reuters.

Veolia, which provides environmental management services as well as transport, had been in similar talks with Air France-KLM (AIRF.PA) but the airline pulled out in October, Le Figaro reported.

Veolia will be able to compete against French state-owned rail monopoly SNCF thanks to new market liberalisation rules in Europe. (Reporting by Lionel Laurent; Editing by James Regan)