What a shame there aren’t elections every six months… Because, in that case, many issues would be highlighted and resolved by candidates more than willing to meet citizens’ demands, especially if they are grouped into collectives that ensure greater visibility.
We could borrow the famous “how many divisions” and transform it into “how many votes”?
That being said, it is with skill that this collective of “Rail Castaways” is taking advantage of the regional election, now at the doorstep, to attract the favor of various candidates in the face of this real problem and their legitimate protest: the malfunctioning of the local railway service.
After Christian Estrosi, it was the turn of EE-LV to assure the protesters… in case of election.
The formula is always the same: vote for us first, and then you’ll see what you’ll see!
Here are these 10 promises that could change the game.
“10 Recommendations for a Finally Reliable TER PACA”
Recommendation 1: Organizing Authority of Rail Transport on the Côte d’Azur
The PACA Region is an AOT within the region’s perimeter and will remain so. It will be strengthened in this role with the transfer, in 2017, of the competency for departmental road transport. However, in the last term, responses were provided to better take into account the specificities of the rail network on the Côte d’Azur, the second most important after the Paris Region.
– A dedicated managing director on the Les Arcs – Vintimille axis was established by SNCF, following a joint request from the NTGV association and the EELV vice-president of the Region
In its program, and as a result of the transfer of competency for departmental transport, EELV proposes to create within the Region Territorial Directors of Transport who will be responsible for the organization and monitoring of the entire transport offer (TER, LER, departmental road transport, school transport, Chemins de Fer de Provence line)
During this term, a study within the framework of the ALCOTRA European program was conducted by our Region, in cooperation with the LIGURIA Region, to improve service between the Côte d’Azur and the Italian Riviera; this program studied the creation of a Territorial Study and Cooperation Group (GECT) on the concerned perimeter to manage the Transport offer; EELV commits to creating this GECT with a delegated AOT competency on this territory
Regarding the rail network operation itself, solely the responsibility of SNCF Réseau, numerous notices were issued aimed at respecting circulation priorities (an on-time train has priority over a late train, whatever its status)
Recommendation 2: Reliability – Maintenance
EELV shares NTGV’s five points of observation on the non-quality of the TER and the areas to be developed.
Moreover, actions were undertaken in this direction at the request of the EELV vice-president for transport:
the Region invested to strengthen the Cannes-la-Bocca maintenance hub and ensure level 1 and 2 maintenance on-site, without having to bring the trains back to Marseille; for level 3 maintenance, more complex and spaced out over time, the Region asked SNCF to study the cost and methods for eventual execution in the next term
the Region invested far beyond its competencies but noted SNCF’s shortcomings such as for cleaning or recurring equipment failures on the Côte d’Azur: it is unacceptable for the Region as well as for the users.
Recommendation 3: Passenger Guarantee
EELV is in favor of establishing a “passenger guarantee” and commits to its implementation within the framework of the future TER operating agreement between the Region and SNCF.
To date, what has been done is to strengthen the penalties inflicted on SNCF for non-compliance with the objectives of the current agreement.
However, our major goal remains the improvement of quality, which will imply increasing penalties, with a quarterly assessment and amplification of penalties concerning sensitive trains (operating during peak hours).
Recommendation 4: Train Composition, and Adapted Frequencies
EELV agrees with the four points mentioned by NTGV, and actions have been undertaken in this regard
Strengthening the train compositions during peak hours on the Côte d’Azur was requested by the Region and partially achieved, but was hampered until now by rolling stock availability issues (maintenance). With the arrival of new Régio2N equipment in 2015-2016, SNCF has the means to offer a service suited to the needs of Côte d’Azur users.
Regarding the reinstatement of trains at the extreme end of the day, removed due to night work on the tracks, it is even a strong request from the EELV vice-president for transport. Nevertheless, we want greater cooperation with the metropolitan AOT (NCA) to offer a multimodal transport solution during extreme hours, by bus and/or TER.
Automatic access to Main Line trains in case of cancellation is a recurring request from Jean Yves PETIT; negotiations are ongoing with SNCF, which is attaching its response to financial compensation requests which the Region cannot accept as it stands.
Contacts have also been made with the operator Thello for TER subscribers’ access to trains connecting Genoa to Vintimille, Monaco, Nice, Cannes, Toulon, and Marseille.
Recommendation 5: Passenger Information
EELV is in agreement with the three points mentioned by NTGV. It should be noted that the PACAMOBILITE.FR information center has been set up, providing a global overview of the collective transport offer in PACA (urban, interurban, regional).
The next version of www.pacamobilite.fr, currently being developed, will provide real-time multimodal information. Negotiations continue for the provision of SNCF’s real-time data.
Recommendation 6: Rolling Stock
The paradox is that to date, the Regions fully fund the purchase of rail equipment but do not own it. In the railway law promulgated on August 4, 2014, the reversion of rail equipment to the regions, strongly requested by EELV parliamentarians, was obtained.
Moreover, the PACA Region is part, with five other French regions, of the creation of the Rolling Stock Study Association (AEMR) which, in the long run, will allow direct and grouped purchase of rail equipment by the regions.
The most high-capacity equipment is mainly assigned to the Côte d’Azur network: this is notably the case for the 16 new Régio2N purchased by the Region. EELV’s commitment is to continue this policy of increasing the volume of equipment and renovating the fleet in PACA.
An independent quality control exists; it needs to be reinforced (periodicity…).
The running staff (drivers, controllers) is primarily based at the Nice depot.
Regarding graffiti, the Region has repeatedly requested SNCF to implement virtual barrier-type protection devices with infrared beams (or equivalent), as found in other regions. The Region refuses to cover any production cost overruns due to rolling stock unavailability (graffiti, delivery delays, deficient maintenance…)
Recommendations 7 and 8: New TER Agreement
EELV shares the importance of negotiations on the new TER agreement, in a new power balance between the Region and SNCF. In this context, the Region will reinforce its means of verifying the service’s effectiveness. We commit on our part to ensure this agreement is made in consultation with user associations like NTGV.
EELV is in favor of a much shorter agreement duration, especially since investments are mainly made today by the Region and not by the operator.
The penalties must be increased, and applied from the first non-compliant train-km. The composition of trains must become contractual and be respected at 99% under penalty of penalties, reinforced during peak hours. SNCF must fully assume the risk of operation.
Recommendation 9: Coordination of Transport Policies
The response is in the implementation of the future Regional Intermodality Plan, which will be established with all stakeholders (local authorities, associations, employees). It is one of the main advances of the railway law. Municipal representatives must particularly be involved in this work.
Recommendation 10: Cooperation and Transnational
NTGV knows the EELV vice-president for transport’s investment in this subject, and the contacts maintained throughout the term with the Piedmont and Liguria regions. See the program
INFORAILMED, which enabled the provision of bilingual information (French-Italian). Similarly, the credits obtained in the State Region plan contract on the Roya line and those negotiated with the Italians.
EELV commits to obtaining the broadcast of messages in Italian on all TERs operating beyond Monaco.
A request is underway regarding the installation of a TER ticket machine at the Vintimille station.
For coordination with other AOTs, we have implemented on the Roya line an intermodal offer that takes into account TER, Italian trains, and CARF buses, for example. EELV proposes setting up a single transport ticket, zonal and intermodal, for each major living area, including the Azur coast.
The request for cooperation with the NCA metropolis is constant from the Region, although it is often more difficult to concretize projects with NCA than with most other territorial authorities in the region (for example, combined fare offers). This is why several rail development projects on the Côte d’Azur have been included in the State Region Plan Contract but cannot be engaged today, due to the lack of financial agreement with the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis and/or the Alpes-Maritimes Departmental Council (studies to increase capacity of the Mandelieu-Vintimille line, making the Nice Riquier stop accessible to disabled persons, etc.).
Finally, note that there is video surveillance in 45% of the rolling stock. It is integrated as a fact in all new equipment. Furthermore, there has always been a regional railway police, with a team dedicated to the Alpes-Maritimes. The Region contributes 10M€ every year to strengthen it and also to finance the presence of educators aboard the Côte d’Azur trains.
