A new decisive step has been reached for the railway line project aimed at easing congestion on the Côte d’Azur. The Minister of Transport has confirmed the continuation of major steps for phases 1 and 2. Five million travelers are affected.
Easing railway traffic on the Côte d’Azur? A saga that seems never-ending. However, an important step was confirmed this Wednesday, July 1st, by Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, Secretary of State to the Minister of the Ecological and Inclusive Transition.
Phases 1 and 2 have been approved, an announcement eagerly anticipated by the elected officials of the Côte d’Azur as well as the 5 million travelers. This progress was hailed by the President of the Southern Region, Renaud Muselier, on his Twitter account, describing it as an “extremely important decision for the future of this major project.”
This line is to run from Nice to Marseille: 8 TER per hour
For Cannes, this decision by the Secretary of State notably endorses the creation of a new TER station at the Cannes-Marchandises site in La Bocca, and the necessary developments between Cannes and Nice to ultimately ensure a more efficient network and service with 8 TER trains per hour instead of the current 3.5.
New TGV station at Nice airport
Phase 1 involves constructing the TGV station at Nice airport. This station will have four platform tracks, enabling interconnection between rail and air travel. The Toulon shuttle will be redeveloped, as will the Marseille-Saint Charles station platform.
Phase 2 will involve the development of the azuréenne shuttle between Cannes and Nice and the underground crossing of Marseille.
This summer, the project owner is expected to initiate preliminary design studies. The public inquiry is set to begin in autumn 2021. The declaration of public utility is expected in early 2023, before the first groundbreaking.
However, the financing issue is not yet resolved: the cost of the first two phases amounts to over three billion euros, which will be borne by the state and local authorities.
