“Adelante con juicio”° (Forward with caution), the famous expression ° is not in the vocabulary of Christian Estrosi, who likes to make things happen quickly, and when they don’t advance, he applies pressure!
We know the politician, so it’s no surprise that regional transportation, whose shortcomings and insufficiencies are evident to everyone, especially the users who are the primary “victims,” has been the focus of the new regional council.
Yesterday, at Nice station, the new train cars* were presented and will soon serve the Grasse-Cannes-Nice-Vintimille line, following the adaptation of the Vintimille tunnel and approval from the Italian railway safety authority.
Christian Estrosi, in the presence of the top executives of SNCF, stated that “this cutting-edge equipment” was necessary to improve the quality of life for users given “past failures.”
The opportunity was also taken to outline a broader program around transportation issues, which will be divided into several initiatives, including:
Making the platforms accessible for people with reduced mobility and constructing a pedestrian bridge at this station in Nice. €12 million from the Region (50% of the total cost).
Extending the platforms at Nice Riquier station. The extension from 190 meters to 213.5 meters will be completed in December 2017 (work begins in June 2017). This will allow for the double-unit train cars (2,000 people per train) to circulate, improving comfort further. Following this, the platforms will reach their final length of 220 meters by mid-2018.
Constructing a maintenance center in the azure region to avoid trips back and forth to the Marseille-Blancarde center.
On the safety front, a video surveillance center is active at Nice station, allowing security agents to monitor all the cameras installed at the station in real-time. Additionally, the Region funds multidisciplinary intervention teams composed of 40 agents.
Offering free regional transport for law enforcement and firefighters is another measure, according to the President of the Region, that will unofficially increase the number of agents on board trains.
The final blow is directed at SNCF, which “must be our partner and must understand that I will no longer accept any deterioration in service quality,” he affirmed in front of the representatives.
The representatives of the railway company were presented with the bottom line: “the implementation of an adapted transport plan this summer, which will result in the cancellation of 7% of train services, is unacceptable! The rate of 25% irregularities or delays on the regional rail network is also far too high.”
Before employing both carrot and stick: “We will continue to invest in rolling stock and railway infrastructure, a mode that remains relevant, particularly in densely urban areas. However, SNCF should not feel protected, as in recent months, they have not lived up to my expectations or those of the users.”
In other words, a call to open up to competition, even international, as European regulations have allowed since 2020.
It won’t be as simple as that, but it’s a good old tactic to wave the red flag before negotiations.
With Christian Estrosi, it’s possible…
